Mount Prospect foot doctor keeping close eye on World Cup

A Mount Prospect podiatrist will be watching the South Korea team’s fortunes in the upcoming World Cup with a special interest.

Dr. Joseph Kim, who practices at Weil Foot & Ankle Institute at 1660 Feehanville Drive, Suite 100, Mount Prospect, was the team doctor for the Korea Soccer Association at the 1994 World Cup, the first one hosted in the United States.

The team included Hong Myung-bo, the current manager of the 2026 South Korean squad.

South Korea finished third in Group C. The team tied Bolivia 0-0, tied Spain 2-2, and lost to Germany 3-2.

His connection to the 1994 World Cup came through the Chicago Soccer Association, where he played on Sundays with a mentor who had been a semi-professional player in Korea in the 1960s.

“He had a lot of friends involved with the Korean Football Association. One day, he said he was going to Korea to meet the people in the association and he asked me if it was OK to introduce me to the association for a possible World Cup USA 94 team doctor position,” Kim recalled. “So I said, that's fine.”

At the time, he had been practicing four years as a podiatrist in the Chicago area.

Kim came to the U.S. from South Korea in his teens. He attended Sullivan High School in Chicago and went on to study at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

His path into podiatry involved what one might call a bit of divine intervention. While leading a Bible study group in Champaign, the passage in the Gospel of John where Jesus washes his disciples’ feet made an impression on him.

“It just dawned on me,” said Kim, who asked if there was a school that specialized in podiatry.

He was told there were seven schools in the country and one in Chicago.

He pursued that path at the William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in 1989, completing his residency at Norwegian American Hospital. He opened his own practice in 1990.

After submitting his resume and traveling to New York for a medical conference that included training on doping test protocols, Kim was confirmed as the team's head physician.

Doping control was among Kim's most high-pressure duties. After each match, FIFA selected two players for testing. Kim had to accompany them to the doping center and wait two to three hours while dehydrated athletes attempted to provide urine samples.

Kim said he stressed open communication.

He told them, “If you are taking any medication, you have to let me know now, not later,” he said.

Kim led a medical team that included two orthopedic doctors from Japan, a massage therapist from Korea and a physiotherapist from Germany.

He had to screen each player and evaluate their fitness to play. Evaluations included full muscular skeletal exams, medication checks and managing preexisting injuries or medical conditions.

He also consulted with coaches about lineup decisions.

“Some of the players, they minimize their problems because they want to be on the world stage in the starting lineup. They don't want to sit on the bench.”

The matches were played in Boston and Dallas — Kim remembers the intense heat in Dallas, with the field temperature at 127 degrees Fahrenheit for the contest with Germany.

“It was very tough,” he said. “Just sitting on the bench was difficult.”

One of the most memorable moments came before South Korea's first match, against Spain, when Kim noticed an issue with the team's starting goalkeeper, who was in his 30s and in his last World Cup.

“He couldn't kick the ball with his right foot — he's a right-foot person,” Kim said. “I told him, you cannot play. But he wanted to play. So we had a big discussion with the coach.”

The coach ultimately allowed the goalkeeper to play. Kim taped his foot with a special technique to stabilize it, and the goalkeeper adapted by throwing the ball rather than kicking it.

During a match, his responsibilities included managing player health on the sidelines as well as player injuries during the action.

“Sprinting onto the pitch after a referee summons was always incredibly exciting for me and gave me the unique opportunity to care for our team members directly during the game,” he said.

Kim says the principles that guided his work at the World Cup apply directly to today’s players who are weekend warriors.

Proper technique is important, including stretching and strengthening exercises.

Wearing comfortable shoes is important, he said. Avoid rubbing and make sure you have a good arch support.

Kim recommends wearing supportive footwear, adding the American Podiatric Medical Association suggests the Hoka brand, which is sold at Weil.

“It has very good construction on the arch and in the platform of the bottom, and it's very stable. It also has a wide platform, so if a patient has a deformity like bunions or hammer toe, they can accommodate the shoes.”

He said he is excited about the World Cup. Naturally, he is pulling for Korea.

“Hopefully they can go to the semifinal,” he said. “They have a good chance to go to the knockout stage.”