Nike has contracts with other top soccer players including Ronaldinho of FC Barcelona and Wayne Rooney of Manchester United but long-term contracts are rare.

The money is almost beyond imagination. Once the deal is signed, Park will receive over W600 million (US$1=W933) a year for a total of more than W6 billion in 10 years. It will be the biggest sponsorship contract in Korean sports history.

Manchester United's Park Ji-sung (right) keeps the ball from Charlton's Darren Ambrose during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England on Feb. 10./AP

Nike has also signed contracts with other Korean soccer players including Park Chu-young of FC Seoul and Lee Chun-soo of the Ulsan Tigers, for terms of W10 million to W100 million each. Some even receive bonuses for playing in an A-match games or in the World Cup. But Park Ji-sung's payout will be far higher than that of any other Korean player, a sign that Nike believes Park to be a valuable star and athlete.

No other Korean athlete is as big a star as Park, having been named Korea's favorite sports figure in a recent survey.

Park began his journey to fame with his main role in helping Korea advance to the semi-finals in the Korea-Japan World Cup in 2002. He entered the English Premier League after some time with the J-League and the Netherlands League.

Park's long-term contract with Nike will be a Korean first. He will be 38 years old in 2019, which should be his retirement age considering that he is a hard-working midfielder.

Nike has long been a big player in sports marketing and is competing against Adidas to sponsor the Korean National Football Team.

Meanwhile, Park Ji-sung's agency JS Limited said, "It is true that a long-term contract is in the works, however the contract with Nike has not yet been signed. Final negotiations are progressing on different fronts, and the results will be announced soon."

(englishnews@chosun.com )