The special story behind the discovery of talent Jae-Won Heo

From Red&Gold partner club Jeju SK via the FC Bayern World Squad to the FC Bayern Campus: the signing of Jae-Won Heo is a real story of discovery – of a goalkeeper “who wants to get a little bit better every day”, as he told fcbayern.com. The 18-year-old South Korean has joined the FC Bayern U19 team on an initial loan basis. “He’s one metre 69 tall, has the height required for a goalkeeper and we hope he takes the next steps with us,” said Jochen Sauer, head of sport and youth development. 

The story starts with a scouting event at Jeju SK FC last autumn. Jeju has been a partner club in the international Red&Gold network since September 2025. One goalkeeper particularly caught the eye of the Campus scouts there: physically in top condition, a lot of potential and still with room for improvement technically – exactly the profile that appeals to FC Bayern. “There’s a goalkeeper who’s first-class physically and maybe needs to improve a bit on the football side, but we need to keep an eye on him,” recalls Sauer. In January, the situation in Munich intensified with injuries to goalkeepers in the U17s and U19s. They desperately needed support in training. FC Bayern made a clear decision: “Before we look elsewhere, we’ll invite the boy, Jae-Won, just for two weeks. Then our goalkeeping coach can see him directly,” explains Sauer. 

‘Jae-Won Heo got better every day’

Those two weeks proved to be a sporting breakthrough. Jae-Won trained with goalkeeping coach Tom Starke – and left a lasting impression on the team. “What Tom Starke liked so much is that he got better more or less every day.” As a result, FC Bayern gave him a place in the FC Bayern World Squad. Under coach Roy Makaay, Jae-Won made the most of the platform. “From the first training session, you could see that he’s good,” says Makaay. The shot-stopper especially rose to the occasion in the match against the record champions’ U19 side. “He was outstanding against Bayern U19s. And then the next day, I heard he was going to stay,” adds the former international striker.

You can tell straight away that Jae-Won is eager to take this opportunity. “I didn't have to think for a second. I mean: it's FC Bayern. It's like a dream for me.” he said at FC Bayern’s friendly match against his hometown club on Jeju. For the 18-year-old, the move to Munich is a deliberate next step in his career. “I want to continue developing,” he says. The timing couldn’t be better – he graduated from high school in South Korea just a few weeks ago and can now focus entirely on football.”

Optimal conditions at Campus

He’ll find the ideal environment at the Campus. He’ll live right on the grounds, and the coaches are already familiar with the specific needs of Korean players from their work with previous prospects. There’s a lot of work to be done on his language skills, but that too is part of the plan. In terms of sports, his role is clearly defined: Jae-Won Heo is part of the U19 team but is also expected to train with the U23s, since goalkeepers like Leon Klanac and Jannis Bärtl are frequently called up to the first team. “We need him in training for both teams,” explains Sauer.

Same career path as Maycon Cardozo?

Bayern have loaned him until the winter with an option to buy. The story from partner club Jeju SK via the World Squad to the FC Bayern Campus is therefore just the beginning – the coming months will reveal how qucikly Jae-Won can make his mark between the posts in Munich. One player has already lived through a similar dream: Maycon Cardozo also previously played for the World Squad and made his professional debut last season. He also featured again for FCB in the 2-1 friendly victory against Jeju.