Bayern Munich have pulled off a real coup in signing Kim Min-jae from Napoli, and the South Korean star has a few incredible tattoos that many fans might not know about. The 26-year-old was the centre point of a lively transfer saga that had a lot of twists and turns.
At one point, it appeared that he would be joining Manchester United and he kept being linked with them over a potential transfer.
But, Bayern worked behind the scenes and got the deal done earlier this month, triggering his rumoured release clause of around £43 million and roping him in to bolster their backline.
Min-jae will now be playing in a more competitive environment than Napoli, for whom he was one of the best players in their Serie A title success last season. He helped them keep the best defensive record in the league and keep 16 clean sheets in 35 league games.
Delving into Kim Min-Jae’s tattoos
The South Korean’s physical aptitude, impressive pace and ability to make clutch challenges convinced Thomas Tuchel to bring him in as the next partner for Matthijs de Ligt at Bayern.
As the most-expensive Asian footballer of all time now works hard to make himself a stalwart at the Bundesliga giants and help them win major trophies, the 26-year-old also has some hobbies many might not know about.
One of those include his love for tattoos. He has several ones inked all across his body and has been getting them from a relatively young age.
With that being said, the hardest tattoo that Kim has is an impressive front-to-back tattoo that really stands out from anything else from his muscular physique.
The tattoos can only be seen if the South Korean defender opts to take off his shirt and exchange it with an opposition player, which he did a few times during his time at Fenerbahce.
At one point in the 2021-22 season, photographers caught a perfect look at the tattoos – with the front tattoo around his chest area having the words ‘Carpe Diem’ written boldly.
This is a phrase made famous by Roman poet Horace, which means ‘pluck the day’. A better translation would be to ‘seize the day’, while some have also hinted that it has a broader meaning which states ‘Enjoy yourself while you have the chance’.
What is the meaning behind Kim’s visceral back tattoo?
This phrase is probably significant to Kim’s own mentality, as he has seized his opportunities from playing at third-division Korean side Gyeongju in 2016 to now playing for the German giants.
Kim’s back tattoo probably goes even harder than his ‘Carpe Diem’ one. It is intricately designed and is a tattoo of Jesus Christ banishing dark demons by using his cross and a bright white light coming out of it.
This design’s meaning represents the search and needs for light in a time of darkness, which feels personal to the 26-year-old due to his difficult upbringing.
The South Korean defender comes from a humble background, with both his parents being former athletes.
He and his older brother faced adversity in their school, with his brother often being bullied. Kim actually stood up for him and used to fight against bullies older than him, which often ended with him holding his own against them.
Kim also has a few other tattoos, including one on his left arm that reads ‘Never stop dreaming, time won’t wait for you.’ This was created as a motivational technique for himself, while there is also a cross tattooed across his left arm to show his faith for Christianity.
The 26-year-old is a hardened individual who has never backed out of a fight in his career. He has taken some massive steps forward in his career over the last five years and will look to continue his climb by achieving a lot of success at Bayern and reiterating his reputation as one of the best centre-backs in Europe.
