K-League Veteran Yoo Byung-soo Completes Inspiring Return to Pitchโข After Battling cancer
Hwaseong, โฃSouth โคKorea – October 5, 2025 – In โa momentโ hailed as a testament toโ human resilience, Yoo Byung-soo, 36, returned to K-League actionโค today after a โข14-year absence marked โฃby a heroic battle with blood cancer (lymphoma). The forward entered the match in โขthe 35th minute for Mars FC against Incheon United atโ Hwaseong Comprehensive Gyeonggi Town, receiving a standingโข ovation from both sets of โsupporters.
Yoo Byung-soo first made his โขmark in โthe โK-League โin 2009, joining Incheon United โafter being โdraftedโ from Hongik University.He quickly established himself as a prolific scorer, netting 12 goals โin his debut season and following upโ with 22 goals โคthe โคnext year, earning three appearances for โฃthe โฃSouth Korean national team (A-matches).
Following hisโฃ initialโ K-League success,Yoo continued hisโฃ professional careerโ in Saudi Arabia,Russia,and Thailand before โขreturningโฃ to Korea last year. However, a medical examination during โขhis attempt to โrejoin Marsโข FC revealed a devastatingโค diagnosis.
“I conducted a CT and biopsyโฆ The resultโข was bad. Yooโฃ Byung-soo wasโค diagnosedโค with blood โคcancer (lymphoma),” the club โขstated.
Despite โฃundergoing six rounds of chemotherapy, Yoo refused to relinquish โhis โdream of returning to the field. Heโฃ documented his recovery journey on socialโ media,โข sharing in August, “It has been six months sinceโ the 6th chemotherapy was completed andโ the recovery training was started.” He acknowledgedโข the physical toll, stating, โ”I did my best as a lifelong player, but โคI felt the worst of my life becuase of the immunity that came โคdown โคto the floorโ after sixโ chemotherapy.” Despite the uncertainty, he remained determined, adding, “I can’t guarantee it, โbut I’m โpreparing for my physical condition with my mind that โขI want to run for a minute this season.”
While โคYooโ did not register a goal โor assistโ in hisโ return appearance, his presence on theโ pitchโ was a powerful symbol of perseverance. Following the match, he addressed Mars FC โคfans, expressing his โgratitude via โloudspeaker.
Mars FCโ celebrated the โขoccasion, noting that Yoo Byung-soo had returned to the K-League stage after โ5,200 โขdays.