Kim Min-koo suffers severe injury, burdening national team

Men’s national basketball team is struggling due to a string of unfavorable developments. Kim Min-koo, 23, suffered severe injury in a traffic accident wherein he hit a street sign post across Gangnam Fire Station in Seoul early Saturday morning, while driving under influence after drinking during Friday’s sleeping out from a training camp. The accident happened as he has been participating in the training camp in Jincheon Athletic Village ahead of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain in August and the 2014 Incheon Asian Games in September. Police investigation found that Kim’s blood alcohol level at the time of the accident was 0.06 percent, a reading that requires a 100-day suspension of driver’s license.

General Secretary Cho Jin-ho of KCC, the pro basketball team to which Kim belongs, said, “Soon after the accident, Kim had his dislocated right leg bone fixed at the emergency room at Asan Medical Center, before being moved to a patient’s room. His head injury is not serious, but he suffered severe injury in the hip joint, and will undergo surgery.”

From the accident, Kim fractured bones in the hip joint linking the pelvis and thigh bones, and his ligament and nerve tissues could be damaged. Hence, it will reportedly take a considerable period of time before recovery.

Kim was famous with his nickname “Huh Jae 2” while playing as student of Kyung Hee University, and was picked as secondary choice by coach Huh Jae in rookie draft. He is a highly promising player who was the only Korean that made the list of “Best Five” in the Asian Championships last year.