Growing up in Seoul, South Korea, Jun Kim had a life-changing decision to make: did he want to be an athlete or a student?

In Kim’s native country, the decision determines whether one spends his days almost exclusively in the classroom or on the playing field. And it was evident that Kim possessed the speed necessary to develop into a top soccer player. But NU’s senior forward chose the academic track and played pick-up soccer with his friends after school.

“I’ve liked soccer ever since I was a little kid,” Kim said. “In my mind I’ve always wanted to be a player. But academics were a priority.”

And soon, he’d have the opportunity to do both. At the age of 15, Kim’s parents told him the family was moving to America, where they hoped their son would get a better education.

The Kims moved to Wilmette in 1994, and Jun started right away at New Trier High School. Having learned English in Korea, Kim didn’t find the language barrier too overwhelming. Socially, however, it wasn’t as easy.

“At the time I didn’t want to come to America,” Kim said. “My parents made me come here and it was hard for me to leave my friends.”

The soccer field was Kim’s new social and physical arena, as he had the chance to play competitively for the first time during his sophomore year. But Kim had trouble communicating on the field and had even more trouble learning to play alongside his teammates.

Almost cut from the sophomore squad because of poor fundamentals, Kim’s speed and natural athletic ability saved him — as it would many times in his soccer career.

By his senior year, Kim had developed into a true scoring threat. He led his team in scoring both years on varsity and tallied 19 goals his final year. And NU coach Michael Kunert took notice.

“When I first saw him play I saw a player with speed, a good shot and tremendous jumping ability,” Kunert said. “But he was a little rough around the edges. It was hard for Jun because he didn’t grow up with the game. He lacked the natural instincts.”

Kim decided to enroll at NU for its academic reputation and a chance to start on the Wildcats soccer team right away.

So Kim arrived on campus with a 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame, a decent mastery of English and a plan to be a mechanical engineer. As senior defender Nick Spoerke tells it, Kim was taken aback by his new surroundings.

“When Jun and I roomed together during the preseason of our freshman year, he didn’t talk at all,” Spoerke said. “Language didn’t really seem to be the problem with him. He was just a naturally shy person.”

Added Kunert: “After practice, Jun would take his gear and disappear. We wouldn’t hear from him until tomorrow’s practice.”

Off the field, Kim found success in the classroom — he would be awarded Academic All-Big Ten honors twice. On the field, however, unrefined skills still haunted him. But just as in high school, the forward’s speed and leaping ability still gave him an advantage over most defenders.

With only four goals to his credit through two seasons at NU, Kim realized he hadn’t yet reached his potential. So he used the summer before his junior year to work on his ball control and improve his conditioning.

Kim saw the results, as his junior year proved to be his best. He took 46 shots on goal and converted on five opportunities to lead NU in goals. Senior midfielder Brandon Swalve remembers a game against Wisconsin last season when Kim’s will led the Cats to a victory.

“It was 0-0 late in the game,” Swalve said. “Jun busted his balls to track down a pass and score the goal. That sort of stuff inspires us to work harder.”

Kim had high expectations entering his senior season with the Cats. But so far this season, things haven’t gone the way Kim would have liked. With a team-high three goals scored, Kim has gotten very little help up front and hasn’t been the consistent player NU needs.

“Physically I’m there, but mentally I’m not quite,” Kim said. “I lose confidence and break down sometimes when I’m tired.”

Kim has had to play virtually the entire 90 minutes each game because of the Cats’ lack of depth and experience in the forward and midfield positions. And even when he has the energy, Kim is often guarded by two or three opponents.

“When teams don’t mark him, they are making a huge mistake,” Kunert said. “He keeps people honest when he’s in there — even when he’s just standing there.”

This season, Kim has been thrust into another unfamiliar position — that of a team leader. Though not a captain, Kim’s three years of experience allow him to give younger NU players much-needed advice. Kim, however, hasn’t accepted this role with open arms.

“I’m trying to be more vocal now,” Kim said. “I really haven’t been a leader by talking. I like to show leadership by the way I play.”

Luckily, his play of late has spoken for itself. With the lone goal against Notre Dame, Kim has been NU’s go-to guy in a year that has lacked much offense. He’ll need to step up this weekend as the Cats (0-9, 0-2 Big Ten) host Penn State (7-3, 1-1) Friday and Oral Roberts (4-5) Sunday.

And even though Kim is still not verbose on the field, the same cannot be said when the Cats leave the grass.

“He knows lots of American slang,” Swalve said, joking. “He specializes in deviant sexual jokes. It’s rubbed off on all of us.”