 Ki played a part in all three group matches and assisted twice in two different matches against Greece and Nigeria which helped him and his country get through to the knockout stages of the competition.On 20 December 2011, Ki (along with Ji So-yun of Kobe INAC Japan) was awarded the South Korean Player of the Year award.The decision was announced by the Korean Football Association (KFA) based on his international and club performance in the SPL.