South Korean center back Kim Ju-young has joined Hebei-based China Fortune Football Club, the Chinese Super League (CSL) side announced here on Tuesday.

The announcement of the signing came as the Chinese top league's first transfer window in 2017 is about to close.

In a statement, China Fortune said it welcomes the joining of Kim and looks forward to a joint success with him.

Before joining Hebei, the 28-year-old South Korean defender played for Shanghai SIPG in 41 CLS appearances in the past two years after leaving the K League Classic where he won the 2012 championships with FC Seoul and was named one the league's best eleven in 2014.

Kim, China Fortune said, has an outstanding defensive awareness and coverage and will greatly boost the defensive strength of the team that finished seventh place in the Chinese league last season and failed to qualify for the AFC Champions League.

Apart from Kim, Hebei, coached by Manuel Pellegrini, has four other foreign players, namely, Argentine forward Ezequiel Lavezzi, Cameroonian midfielder Stephane M'Bia, and Brazil' s Aloisio and Hernanes, for the upcoming season.

But their appearances are likely to be affected by a new CSL policy stipulating that any team can only field three foreigners at one time, with a maximum of five in the 18-man match-day roasters, in an attempt to offer homegrown talents more playing time.

Source: Xinhua