University of Seoul student wins top research award for soccer science study

Jung Sung-hyun, a graduate student in the Department of Sports Science at the University of Seoul, has received the top award at the 2026 Korean Society of Football Science Conference. The "SPIK Young Investigator's Award" recognizes emerging researchers contributing to the scientific advancement of soccer.

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Because I had experience as a player, I became interested in issues directly related to the performance of youth soccer players.

Jung's winning research focused on "The Impact of Repeated Decision-Making on Adolescent Players' Executive Functions and Prefrontal Cortex Activity." He presented findings from a study that analyzed how engaging in repetitive decision-making tasks affects the executive functions and prefrontal cortex activity of young soccer players.

The study was highly praised for its original approach and practical applicability. Jung, who is also a former professional soccer player, stated that his personal experience on the field sparked his interest in issues directly related to player performance. He attributed his success to the guidance of his advisor, Professor Ha Min-sung, and the support of his lab members.

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Thanks to the help of my advisor, Professor Ha Min-sung, and the members of the lab, I was able to achieve good results.

Professor Ha Min-sung highlighted Jung's ability to translate real-world problems from the soccer field into research topics, analyzing them through the lenses of sports science and neuroscience. He noted that Jung's continuous refinement of his research and the completeness of his presentation were key to winning the award. Professor Ha pledged continued support for students like Jung who develop their experiences and interests into meaningful research.

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Jung Sung-hyun has been developing issues from the actual soccer field into research topics based on his experience as a player, and analyzing them from the perspective of sports science and neuroscience.

Building on his background as a player, Jung continues to integrate sports science with neuroscience in his research. He plans to dedicate himself to follow-up studies following this significant award.

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I believe that continuously supplementing new content during the research process and improving the completeness of the presentation led to this award.