From the trenches in the Korean War to the soccer field in Colombia: the story of José Kaor Dokú Bermejo is a testament to struggle, resilience, and conviction of ideals. Born on May 16, 1924, Dukú grew up a big soccer fan and played as a child in Nariño de Barranquilla. In his professional career he was with Independiente Santa Fe and Millonarios, both teams located in Bogotá.
The greatest professional achievement of the Japanese-Colombian player was in 1948, when he was a starter with Santa Fe and a member of the first championship team in the history of Colombian soccer. The other facet of Doku’s life has been related to the military.
José Kaor Dokú, 96 años. Personaje lleno de historia. Futbolista y militar colombiano. Ganó en 1948 el primer torneo del fútbol en el país. Peleó en la guerra de Corea. Su mensaje al recibir la primera dosis de la vacuna que protege su vida y vencer la pandemia. #BaqunaTuVida pic.twitter.com/w5oaUqqxEb
— Secretaría Distrital de Salud (@SecSaludBAQ) March 14, 2021
The Navy and Football: José Kaor Dokú’s passions
For years he was in the Colombian National Navy and in 1950 voluntarily enlisted in the Colombian Army to fight in the Korean War. At the end of his participation in the conflict in 1953, he returned to Colombia to finish his career as a soccer player and later become a coach. He completely walked away from soccer in 1960 and spent the next 20 years of his life working for a construction company until he retired. At 96, Doku currently lives in Barranquilla.