Koo Ji-won Nationality, Ethnicity, Age, Weight, Position

A Big Life Decision
After the World Cup, Ji-won was swamped with media attention and even appeared in a TV commercial. But all this was dwarfed by a major turning point in his life, in late December, two months after Japan’s loss to South Africa in the quarterfinal: his acquisition of Japanese citizenship.

Koo Ji-won Nationality

Koo Ji-won is Korean by Nationality from South Korea.

Koo Ji-won Ethnicity

Koo Ji-won is a South Korean.

Koo Ji-won Age

Koo Ji-won is 29 years old.

Koo Ji-won Weight

Koo Ji-won has a weight of 122kg.

Koo Ji-won Position

Koo Ji-won plays a prop position in his team.

Describing his motives for naturalizing, Ji-won says, “Ever since I came to Japan, everyone took such good care of me, for which I am so grateful. I started considering Japanese citizenship when I graduated and joined the workforce. I was keen to focus on my rugby, and thought it would be great to play in the World Cup as a Japanese citizen.”

Although the process usually takes over a year, he gained approval in just six months, possibly bolstered by his involvement in the World Cup.

His decision to acquire Japanese citizenship was always his own, mainly based on his desire to focus on rugby.

Koo Ji-won charges during Japan’s 19–12 win against Ireland on September 28, 2019, at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa.