The K League coaching appointments are basically finalized, and coaches like Seo Jung-won must wait for the right opportunity to find new positions.

Written by Han Bing During the 2025 season, Korean coaches Nam Ki-il, Choi Kang-hee, Jang Oe-ryong, and Seo Jung-won left China one after another, and it was initially believed they could soon resume coaching duties in Korea. After all, following this season, K1 League clubs Jeonbuk Hyundai, Ulsan Hyundai, Jeju United, and the faltering K2 League side Suwon Samsung were all in need of new managers. Although Seo Jung-won expressed a desire to take a year off, Korean media revealed that he was even a candidate for the head coach position at Jeonbuk Hyundai, Ulsan Hyundai, and Suwon Samsung. Especially at Suwon Samsung, Seo Jung-won's legacy as both player and coach is his greatest asset for a potential appointment.

However, as the year draws to a close, the speed at which K1 and K2 League teams have appointed new managers has been astonishing. The four clubs mentioned above, all with vacancies, have already found their new leaders. Seo Jung-won's most favored next destination, Suwon Samsung, lost out to Lee Jung-hyo, who was hired away from K1 League's Gwangju FC after leading them to the Korean FA Cup final this season.

Defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai, after the resignation of Uruguayan coach Pablo Guede, also poached 56-year-old Jung Jung-yong from Gimcheon Sangmu. Jung rose to prominence in 2019 by guiding South Korea's U20 national team to the U20 World Cup final and was subsequently named the 2019 AFC Coach of the Year. In the 2024 and 2025 seasons, he coached Gimcheon Sangmu, a military-affiliated team without foreign players, achieving third place in the league twice, demonstrating his strong capabilities.

Ulsan Hyundai, who failed to defend their K1 League title last season, dismissed head coach Shin Tae-yong in August. In the 2025 season, three coaches—Kim Pan-gon, Shin Tae-yong, and Roh Sang-rae—were unable to help the team recover from its slump. The three-time consecutive champion Ulsan Hyundai finished only ninth this season, their lowest league position since 2000 (when they were tenth). Ulsan chose Kim Hyun-sik, who coached K2 League's Jeonnam Dragons this season. The 58-year-old Kim spent 13 years across two stints at Ulsan Hyundai as a player, winning the K1 League MVP in 1996 and the Golden Boot in 1997, and was selected six times for the K1 League Best XI. After retiring, he served as assistant coach to Ulsan's head coach Kim Ho-kon, helping the team win the 2011 Korean League Cup and the 2012 AFC Champions League. Ulsan Hyundai’s choice of Kim Hyun-sik reflects their trust in his familiarity with the club and the prestige he earned as both player and coach.

Gwangju FC, having lost their head coach, quickly promoted assistant coach Lee Jeong-gyu. Jeju United dismissed Kim Hak-bam, who previously coached Henan Jianye, in September and finalized Portuguese coach Sergio Costa at the end of December. The 52-year-old Costa also has ties to the Chinese Super League, having served as Paulo Bento’s assistant at Chongqing Lifan for eight months in 2018, and later following Bento to coach the South Korean and UAE national teams.

Thus, for the 2026 K2 League season, only Gimcheon Sangmu’s head coach position remains undecided among the 12 teams. However, with the K1 League expanding to 14 teams in 2027, Gimcheon Sangmu’s home stadium agreement with Gimcheon City expires at the end of 2026. Gimcheon City plans to establish its own civic club after the agreement ends. According to the Korean Professional Football League’s regulations, a military team cannot share a home city with another professional club, meaning Gimcheon Sangmu cannot renew its contract and will automatically face relegation. Under these circumstances, it is clearly difficult for the club to attract capable coaches.

Since 1984, only after Park Heung-soo left did the team experience a fresh start, so the pool of coaching candidates has always been limited. Additionally, Suwon FC, relegated to the K2 League, dismissed Kim Eun-jung and appointed Park Geon-ha, who previously coached Suwon Samsung. Among the K2 League’s stronger teams—Suwon Samsung, Incheon United, Seongnam FC, Busan IPark, Jeonnam Dragons, and Gyeongnam FC—there are no vacancies.

It is worth mentioning that besides Seo Jung-won, who has been the subject of many K League rumors in December, Nam Ki-il, who was dismissed from Henan in April, was also a candidate for head coach positions at Suwon Samsung and Suwon FC but ultimately did not secure a new role. Although Choi Kang-hee left Shandong Taishan in the summer, his contract runs until the end of the year, preventing him from joining a new Korean club immediately. By coincidence, both are highly likely to wait until the Korean league starts next year to take on emergency coaching roles.

Previously, Korean media reported on the collective departure of Korean coaches from the Chinese Super League, suggesting that Chinese football no longer trusts Korean coaches. Seo Jung-won, who had built a good reputation in the CSL, was originally expected to have a chance to return. However, judging from the current situation, even if possible, it will probably only happen mid-next season when financially strong clubs change managers.