WK League News

A quick roundup of the latest news from the world of Korean women’s football.

Tickets on sale for Korea Republic v. Colombia friendlies

Tickets are now on sale for the series of two friendly matches against Colombia, to be held on Friday 30 May and Monday 2 June in Incheon and Yongin, respectively. Tickets range from ₩20,000~₩30,000 and are available via PlayKFA.com. As is often the case with Korean websites, phone verification is required to create an account, which unfortunately means ticket reservation is tricky for those without a Korean ID or Residence card. There’s also bad news for fans of memorabilia — tickets sold online are issued as mobile tickets, which cannot be exchanged for a paper ticket on the day.

Jeon Eunha injured, replaced in Korea squad by Jung Minyoung

Gyeongju KHNP’s powerhouse midfielder and national team veteran Jeon Eunha has been forced to withdraw from the squad that will face Colombia this weekend due to a knee injury sustained in training. Jung Minyoung of Seoul City Amazones has been called up to replace her. Jung received her first senior call up ahead of the recent away friendlies against Australia, but is yet to make her first international appearance. The national team are based in Siheung this week as they prepare for the upcoming fixtures.

Retirement ceremonies to be held for Yoo Young-a and Lee Eunmi

The KFA has announced that official retirement ceremonies will be held for Yoo Young-a and Lee Eunmi during half time at the match against Colombia in Incheon this Friday. Yoo, currently a coach with Seoul City, played as a forward in the WK League from its inaugural season in 2009 until her retirement from football last year. She began her club career at Busan Sangmu and along the way also played for Gumi Sportstoto and Incheon Hyundai, with whom she won three WK League titles. She has made 87 appearances for the national team, scoring 32 goals. Lee also began her WK League career in 2009 and has been part of the championship-winning team four times — three times with the now-defunct Daekyo Kangaroos, and once more last year with Suwon FC, where she had been playing since 2017. She still has an active role at Suwon this year as a playing coach. During her international career, defender Lee made 91 senior appearances for Korea, scoring 14 goals. Both Yoo and Lee also made appearances at the Asian Games, and at the 2015 World Cup.

Kim Hyeri wins AWCL with Wuhan Jiangda

While things didn’t go to plan for Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels as their AFC Women’s Champions League hopes ended with a 1-0 loss to Melbourne City in the semi final, there was joy for Korea’s national team captain Kim Hyeri as her club Wuhan Jiangda claimed the title in a dramatic finale in front of a home crowd. Kim, herself a Red Angel until she made the move to Wuhan earlier this year, played a key role in the Chinese side’s defensive lineup as they held Melbourne City to 0-0 until 76 minutes into the final, when a Melbourne free kick was headed into the back of the net by Shelby McMahon. It looked like Wuhan’s fate was sealed when City scored again, but the goal was disallowed for an egregious foul in the buildup play. A handball in the box led to a penalty for Wuhan, with the resulting goal by Wang Shuang sending the match into extra time. With neither team managing to gain the upper hand, the final was decided in a dramatic penalty shootout, with Jiangda’s goalkeeper Chen Chen saving two attempts to give Wuhan the victory and the title.

KWFF to hold regular meetings with WK League clubs

The Korea Women’s Football Federation today announced that it will hold regular meetings with representatives from WK League clubs to discuss the improvement and expansion of the league. The formation of this working group is part of the organisational overhaul of the KWFF following the election of its new president, Yang Myung-seok. The first meeting of its kind was held on 15 May, with clubs sharing information and discussing collaborative actions. The next meeting is scheduled to take place in July, and will focus on the lack of communication between the league and its fanbase. Other items on the agenda in the coming months will include the expansion of the league and improvement of facilities.