WK League News

In 2024, Suwon FC Women beat regular league winners Hwacheon KSPO in the championship final to claim their first league title in fourteen years. With some big names leaving the club in the winter transfer window, Suwon will be counting on incorporating new signings and young talent into their squad to try and defend their title.

Suwon are led by manager Park Gil-young, who has been at the club since 2015 and manager since 2018. Under his leadership Suwon have performed well in domestic competitions, finishing in the top three of the league every year including as runners-up twice. They also claimed the title at the 2019 National Women’s Football Championship, not to mention their 2024 league title.

In retiring players Eo Hee-jin, Park Se-ra, Lee Eun-mi and Shim Seo-yeon, Suwon FC bid farewell to some true legends of Korean women’s football. 2025 will be the first ever WK League season not to feature Lee, who has hung up her boots after nearly 300 league appearances and over 90 international caps. Lee and Shim have both secured their place in Korean football history as members of the bronze medal-winning squad at the 2010 Asian Games and, in 2015, the first Korean squad to advance to the round of 16 at the women’s World Cup. Shim brought home two further bronze medals at the 2014 and 2018 Asian Games, and although she spent time at a number of other clubs in the intervening years (including winning four titles with Incheon Hyundai), she was part of Suwon’s championship-winning squad in both 2010 and 2024.

As if four veterans retiring hadn’t already left a big enough hole in Suwon’s squad, Kim Yun-ji, Moon Mi-ra, Jeon Eun-ha, and Jo Eui-jung have all made a move to rival team Gyeongju KHNP. Former captain Moon takes with her her legendary goal-scoring talent, having last year become the first player to reach a total of 100 goals in the WK League. Crucial playmaker Jeon is another signficant loss for Suwon, and even as her agemates head into retirement, Kim shouldn’t be overlooked – she received her second international call-up only a couple of years ago, and she’s been a consistent presence at Suwon since 2014. Keeper Jo is trading places with ex-Gyeongju keeper Jung Yoon-jeong. Both are likely to spend much of the new season the same way they spent most of the last one – on the bench, albeit a different bench.

Another notable absence from Suwon’s new squad list is Josee Nahi, the powerful Ivorian striker who recorded eight goals and seven assists for the club in 2024. Nahi’s height and speed made her a force to be reckoned with for opposing teams’ defence. Suwon have also parted ways with midfielder Ryu Soo-jung, who has joined Nankatsu SC Wings in Japan.

Of course, replacing all these outgoing players at Suwon are a number of new faces. At the 2025 WK League draft, Suwon FC signed 2017 KFA Young Player of the Year Lee Su-in, a defender from Korea University, as well as forwards Kim Ga-yeon and Hwang A-hyeon. The club also acquired Yoon Su-jeong from Changnyeong WFC and Jo Mi-jin, previously of Sejong Sportstoto.

The club’s final additions are forwards Mileninha and Meghan Callahan Root, both of whom are newcomers to the WK League and to Korea. Mileninha was in the Brazilian squad that won the 2022 South American Under-20 Women’s Football Championship and came in third at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in the same year. Root’s background is in U.S. college soccer and she has played in Canada and Iceland, but joins Suwon from Vietnam, where she was recruited to Ho Chi Minh City WFC to give them a boost in their AFC Champions League fixtures last year.

Suwon fans will also have been relieved to see confirmation that Kang Chae-rim, who bagged fourteen league goals in 2024, has renewed her contract. She was absent from the initial squad list posted by Suwon FC, causing some doubt over her future at the club. Whether there was a possibility of her departure, or just further discussion of terms is unclear but in any case, she’s back, and she will likely be a key player for the team again in 2025. Another particularly important contract renewal for Suwon was that of goalkeeper Kim Kyung-hee, who made some excellent saves at crucial moments last season, particularly in the play-off match against Gyeongju KHNP.

With veteran players moving on and young talent moving in, Suwon’s squad starts the season with an average age of 24 years and 6 months, just shy of four years younger than the average age of their 2024 squad. The club has lost some reliable big names and gained some lesser-known youngsters but it’s certainly not a complete rebuild. Suwon may see a drop in performance as the season gets underway but as new players settle in they are unlikely to spend much time, if any, in the bottom half of the league table.

That said, Suwon will face tough competition if they seek to defend their title. Now that Incheon Hyundai’s winning streak has been broken, it feels more than ever as if the WK League championship is truly up for grabs. Incheon’s new manager will be hoping to make an impact and restore the Red Angels to their former glory, and Hwacheon will be out for revenge after falling at the final hurdle last year. However, Suwon FC’s biggest threat could come from Gyeongju KHNP, who, as we have seen, have bolstered their already impressive squad with some of Suwon’s own. Suwon and Gyeongju faced off in the 2024 championship playoff, a thrilling match that was decided on penalties. Will we see a repeat in the 2025 championship final..?

Suwon FC Women 2025 Squad

Changes from 2024