Football is one of the most popular sports, both in terms of participants and spectators, in Seoul. It hosted several of South Korea's leading football clubs and has the biggest football stadium in the country, the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
In June 1882, although the crew from HMS Flying Fish of the Royal Navy introduced the football in Port of Incheon, Regularized football introduction was the time of adoption of football as physical education course at National Seoul Foreign Language School in 1904 and the first official match in Korea was the game between Korea Sports Club and Korea YMCA at Seoul Dongdaemun Stadium in 1905.
In 1902, establishment of football team at Paichai Academy in Seoul (currently Paichai High School FC), There was a footballing boom throughout the Korea. that saw many football clubs and school teams formed by the 1910s. Also in Seoul, many famous football clubs like Bulgyo Cheongnyeonhoe (불교청년회, Buddhist Youth Club), Geongang Gurakbu (건강구락부, Health Club) and Joseon Football Club (조선축구단) were founded between the 1910s and 1920s, and they usually had a rivalry against football clubs in Pyongyang, the second biggest city in Korea. In 1933 Kyungsung FC , named according to Seoul's alternate name, was formed and it was the only Korean club which won the Emperor's Cup in Japan.
| Tier | League | Club | Home Stadium | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top | K League 1 | FC Seoul | Dongdaemun Stadium Seoul World Cup Stadium (North Seoul) | 1990–1995 2004–present |
| 2nd | K League 2 | Seoul E-Land FC | Mokdong Stadium (South Seoul) | 2015–present |
| 3rd | National League | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 4th | K3 League | Seoul Nowon United | Seoul Olympic Stadium Hyochang Stadium Nowon Madeul Stadium | 2007–2009, 2012 2009–2010 2011–present |
| Seoul FC Martyrs | Gangbuk Public Stadium | 2009–2015 | ||
| Jungnang Chorus Mustang | Jungnang Public Ground | 2012–present |
| Tier | League | Club | Home Stadium | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top | WK League | Seoul WFC | Hyochang Stadium, Seoul Olympic Auxiliary Stadium | 2004 |
| Club | Home Stadium | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyungsung FC | Seoul Stadium | 1933–1953 | |
| Seoul FC | Mokdong Stadium | 1973–2003 | Korean National Semi-Professional Football League Champions: (1978 Spring, 1980 Spring, 1985 Autumn, 1988 Spring, 1989 Autumn) National Football Championship Winner: (1980, 1982, 1986) |
| Yukong Elephants | Dongdaemun Stadium | 1983 | First professional football club based in the Seoul. But club's franchise was Seoul+Incheon+Gyeonggi |
| 1984–1986 | Yukong Elephants separated Incheon+Gyeonggi and based in the only Seoul. But they didn't have home matches in Seoul. | ||
| Ilhwa Chunma | Dongdaemun Stadium | 1989–1995[1] | First professional Football club based in the only Seoul and had home matches in Seoul. |
| Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso LG Cheetahs | Dongdaemun Stadium | 1990–1995[1] | Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso demanded that original franchise should be Seoul. [1] But board of K League didn't allow and launchecd at Chungcheong franchise. Moved to Seoul in 1990 from Chungcheong. |
| Yukong Elephants | Dongdaemun Stadium | 1991–1995[1] | Moved to Incheon+Gyeonggi in 1987, and then returned in 1991. |
| Seoul Pabal FC | Eunpyeong-gu-rip Stadium | 2007–2008 | K3 League founding club member. |
| Nowon Hummel FC | Madeul Stadium | 2008–2009 | |
[1] The board of K League forced the three clubs Ilhwa Chunma, LG Cheetahs and Yukong Elephants out of the city in 1996.
Therefore, Seoul's 3 clubs had to leave Seoul for another city in accordance with the K League's decentralization policy and relocated not their own wills as below:.
Ilhwa Chunma relocated to Cheonan, LG Cheetahs to Anyang and Yukong Elephants to Bucheon.
Only counting the seasons, in which the franchises were based in Seoul.
| Tier | League | Club | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top | K League 1 | FC Seoul | 4 (1990, 2010, 2012, 2016) | 2 (1993, 2008) |
| Ilhwa Chunma | 3 (1993, 1994, 1995) | 1 (1992) | ||
| Yukong Elephants | 0 | 1 (1994) | ||
| 2nd | National Semi-Professional Football League | Seoul FC | 5 (1978 Spring, 1980 Spring, 1985 Autumn, 1988 Spring, 1989 Autumn) | 1 (1978 Autumn) |
| 3rd | K3 League | Seoul Nowon United | 1 (2007) | 0 |
| Club | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| FC Seoul | 2 (2006, 2010) | 3 (1992, 1994, 2007) |
| Ilhwa Chunma | 1 (1992) | 1 (1994) |
| Club | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| FC Seoul | 1 (2015) | 3 (2014, 2016, 2022) |
| Club | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Seoul FC | 3 (1980, 1982, 1986) | 0 |
| Club | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Ilhwa Chunma | 1 (1995) | 0 |
| FC Seoul | 0 | 1 (2013) |
| Tier | League | Club | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top | WK League | Seoul WFC | 0 | 1 (2013) |
The Seoul derbies started in 1990, with competing three football clubs: Ilhwa Chunma, LG Cheetahs and Yukong Elephants also participated in 1991. This derby was called Dongdaemun derby and first derby proper in K League. Many Korean football fans called Dongdaemun Derby because three clubs used Dongdaemun Stadium as their home together. The highlight match of the derbies was the K League 28-round match between Ilhwa Chunma and Yukong Elephants at Dongdaemun Stadium on 9 November 1994. This match was also famous for both teams' great goalkeepers: Valeri Sarychev of Ilhwa Chunma and Aleksandr Podshivalov of Yukong Elephants from Lev Yashin Club. Yukong Elephants beat Ilhwa Chunma 2–0 in this round, and took the derby with a one-point difference. The Seoul derbies stopped in 1995, due to the board of K League forcing the three original clubs out of the city in 1996.
Dongdaemun derby was contested between Ilhwa Chunma and LG Cheetahs, [2] Yukong Elephants and Ilhwa Chunma, [3] and LG Cheetahs and Yukong Elephants [4] at Dongdaemun Stadium.
This derby was put to an end in 1996, due to K League's decentralization policy which relocated the three clubs. [5]
| Competition | Matches | Ilhwa Chunma wins | Draws | LG Cheetahs wins | Ilhwa Chunma goals | LG Cheetahs goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K League | 35 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 47 | 44 |
| League Cup | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Total | 40 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 52 | 50 |
| Competition | Matches | Ilhwa Chunma wins | Draws | Yukong Elephants wins | Ilhwa Chunma goals | Yukong Elephants goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K League | 29 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 36 | 25 |
| League Cup | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Total | 34 | 15 | 15 | 4 | 41 | 29 |
| Competition | Matches | LG Cheetahs wins | Draws | Yukong Elephants wins | LG Cheetahs goals | Yukong Elephants goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K League | 29 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 32 | 34 |
| League Cup | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Total | 34 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 40 | 39 |
Seoul E-Land FC was founded in April 2014. They play their home games at the Seoul Olympic Stadium in South Seoul (Gangnam). FC Seoul is based in North Seoul (Mapo) and play at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
The first meeting between the two clubs occurred on 14 April 2021, in the third round of the Korean FA Cup. Seoul E-Land FC won 1–0 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. [6]
| Competition | Played | Seoul wins | Draws | Incheon wins | Seoul goals | Incheon goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K League 1 | 41 | 19 | 13 | 9 | 71 | 42 |
| League Cup | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 6 |
| FA Cup | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Total | 52 | 23 | 17 | 12 | 85 | 53 |
Seoul is the location of the headquarters of the Korea Football Association.[ citation needed ]
The K League 1 (Korean: K리그1) is the top flight of men's professional football in the South Korean football league system, and is contested by twelve clubs. It is one of the most successful leagues in the Asian Football Confederation, with its past and present clubs having won a record twelve AFC Champions League titles.
Seongnam Football Club is a South Korean professional football club based in Seongnam that competes in the K League 2, the second tier of South Korean football. Founded in 1989 as Ilhwa Chunma Football Club, the club has won seven national league titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups, and two AFC Champions League titles. Seongnam also placed fifth in the IFFHS Asian Clubs of the 20th century.
FC Seoul is a South Korean professional football club based in Seoul that competes in the K League 1, the top flight of South Korean football. The club is owned by GS Sports, a subsidiary of GS Group. Since 2004, FC Seoul have played its home games at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul's Mapo District.
Jeju United FC is a South Korean professional football club based in Jeju Province that competes in the K League 1, the top division in South Korea. In the past, the club has been known as the Yukong Elephants and Bucheon SK.
Dongdaemun Stadium (Korean: 동대문운동장) was a sports complex in Seoul, South Korea and included a multi-purpose stadium, a baseball park and other sports facilities. It was located near Dongdaemun or Great East Gate. The surrounding Dongdaemun market had many vendors selling athletics-related goods. It was demolished in 2008 to make way for the Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park.
The 1996 Korean FA Cup was the first edition of the Korean FA Cup Korean football tournament.
The 1997 Korean FA Cup was the second edition of the Korean FA Cup.
1999 Korean FA Cup, known as the 1999 Sambo Computer FA Cup, was the fourth edition of the Korean FA Cup.
The 2001 Korean FA Cup, known as the 2001 Seoul Bank FA Cup, was the sixth edition of the Korean FA Cup.
The 2002 Korean FA Cup, known as the 2002 Hana-Seoul Bank FA Cup, was the seventh edition of the Korean FA Cup.
The 2007 Korean FA Cup, known as the 2007 Hana Bank FA Cup, was the twelfth edition of the Korean FA Cup.
The 1996 Korean Professional Football League was the 14th season of K League since its establishment in 1983. South Korean government and the Korean Professional Football Federation introduced a decentralization policy to proliferate the popularity of football nationally in preparation for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which they wanted to host, so some clubs located in the capital Seoul moved to other cities according to the new policy in this season.
At the end of 1995 the side moved from the Dongdaemun Stadium in Seoul to the Mokdong Stadium on the western edge of Seoul, as part of K-League's decentralization policy.
This article documents the history of FC Seoul, a Korean association football club based in Seoul. For a general overview of the club, see FC Seoul.
On 1 November 1988, Tongil Sports Co., Ltd. announced the organization of Ilhwa Chunma Football Club and chose Dongdaemun Stadium in Seoul as its home stadium. Then on 18 March 1989, 108 days after the announcement, the organizing ceremony was held at the Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul. Ilhwa Chunma participated in its first season as the 6th professional football team of Korean Professional Football League.
The K League decentralization policy in 1995 was a policy of moving K League clubs located in Seoul to other regions. It was an effort by the Government of South Korea and the K League Federation to increase popularity of football nationwide before the 2002 FIFA World Cup for which they bid. In accordance with it, the three K League clubs, Yukong Elephants, Ilhwa Chunma and LG Cheetahs, moved from Seoul to Bucheon, Cheonan and Anyang, respectively, in 1996.
K League (Korean: K리그) is South Korea's professional football league. It includes the first division K League 1 and the second division K League 2. Clubs competing in the K League have won a record total of twelve AFC Champions League titles, the top continental competition for Asian clubs.
