Stadium guide: Pitch 3, Gyeongju Football Park

Gyeongju KHNP WFC joined the WK League in 2017 having being established alongside an existing men’s team. The women’s team is based at Pitch 3 of Gyeongju Football Park, although they have on occasion played matches in Gyeongju Civic Stadium, just a few minutes’ walk away. Fans watching a match at KHNP’s home can expect to see some of the best and worst views in the WK League without ever having to change seats. Here’s what you need to know.

View of a football pitch as seen from behind one of the corner flags. The pitch has fences round it beyond which are trees. — The view of the pitch upon entrance

How to get there

Gyeongju is in Gyeongsangbuk-do, in the southeast of Korea. The city has direct KTX and SRT rail links to major cities including Seoul, Busan, Daejeon and Ulsan. If arriving at Gyeongju Station, you can take bus 50 or 51 to Gyeongju Girls’ High School (경주여고사거리) and then walk for about 15-20 minutes to get to Gyeongju Football Park. If arriving at Gyeongju intercity bus terminal, you can take one of a number of local buses including the 210, 216, 230, 231, 234 or 270 and get off at Gyerim Middle School (계림중학교) then walk for a further 10-15 minutes to get to the pitch. If using public transport, it could take up to an hour to get from the station (or 45 minutes from the bus terminal) to get to the match. A taxi direct to the Football Park takes around 20 minutes from the station (5 minutes from the terminal) so may be a more convenient option if the weather is inclement and/or you’re not planning to explore Gyeongju city centre on the way.

Next to a paved area, a large metal statue of a football, held up between large sweeping metal supports, with shards emerging from it as if in motion. — A dynamic(?) sculpture marks the entrance to Gyeongju Football Park

If driving to a match, you can find the pitch itself by searching for Gyeongju Football Park Pitch 3 (경주축구공원3구장) but to avoid any confusion upon arrival, set your sat nav for 경주시 황성동 1046-7, which should get you to the entrance of the car park. You can usually park in the paved parking area next to the large football sculpture — you’ll know you’re in the right place if you see lots of buses parked, including the team coaches if you’re arriving within a couple of hours of a match. On the rare occasion when this car park is full or unavailable due to a city event, there is plenty of parking next door at the Civic Stadium (경주시민운동장) or across the street in front of the indoor gymnasium (경주실내체육관).

A dusty path through wooded parkland with the corner of a football pitch visible to one side. Next to the path is a flagpole with a banner showing a cartoon horse wearing football kit and waving. — The path leading from the car park towards Pitch 3. If in doubt, follow the KHNP flags — and the noise.

From the car park area, follow the footpath past Pitch 4. On a matchday the route is lined by flags showing KHNP’s horse mascot, Hantori. Occasionally, there are a couple of food trucks or event booths along the way. Approaching from this direction, the first gate you will see to the pitch itself is the players’ entrance — keep following the path as it goes through the trees between Pitch 3 and Pitch 4. There, you will find a small merchandise stand and a table to collect and decorate cheering placards, if you so wish. A little further along is a small toilet block, and beyond that, the supporters’ entrance in the western corner of the field.

A footpath lined by a hedgerow on one side and trees on the other, with a small building and some steps up ahead. — The path leading from the car park towards the entrance of the field.

What to expect

Matches are free to attend and a ticket is not required. The seating at Gyeongju Football Park is closer to the pitch than that of any other ground in the league, running along the length of the pitch in three rows rather than sitting in a higher, more central stand. Unusually, in Gyeongju fans sit on the opposite side of the pitch to the dugouts, so away fans sit opposite their own team in the seating closer to the exit, while home fans congregate towards the centre and far end of the pitch. Be warned — the layout here also means that the crowd is on the opposite side of the pitch to the cameras, and fans are thus more liable to get featured on the big screen, or indeed, the live match broadcast.

Next to a football pitch, a stand with four rows of plastic seating bolted to wooden decking. There is a retractable roof overhead held up by thick wooden pillars. Banners advertise the KHNP FC youtube channel. — Seating is as close to the pitch as it gets in Korean league football, but views may be obscured by giant wooden pillars

There is a retractable cover over the stands which provides some shelter from the elements, but if it’s raining and you are sitting in the front or back row, expect to get wet. The arrangement of the seating along the length of the pitch, and the thick wooden posts holding up the ‘roof’ between them mean there are somewhat restricted views from almost all the seats. Keep this in mind when choosing where to sit, and be mindful of others in the crowd if standing up or craning your neck to get a better view of action at the other end. You may wish to avoid sitting directly under a speaker as matchday music and announcements can be very loud.

Fans can use the toilet block right outside the gate or the public toilets at the entrance to the Civic Stadium car park but toilet facilities within the boundaries of Pitch 3 itself are strictly for players and staff. After the match, some friends, families and fans congregate outside the players’ entrance to greet the players, who are usually happy to take photographs and sign autographs upon polite request.

In the area

Along with various other leisure facilities, woodland, and walking trails, Gyeongju Football Park is part of the city’s Hwangseong Park, which makes it a bit of an island in terms of finding quick and convenient matchday refreshments. It’s not far to local shops and eateries, but it’s not close enough to nip out and back during half time, either, so if you don’t want to miss any of the action it’s probably best to bring any supplies you may need with you.

An ancient Korean astronomical observatory built of stone. It is around 9 metres high with a cylindrical body standing on a base, and with a square top. There is a small window halfway up. In the background are green mountains and trees, and a bright blue sky. — The astronomical observatory Cheongseomdae, built in the 7th century AD, is a well-known symbol of Gyeongju.

The former capital of the ancient Silla kingdom, Gyeongju is sometimes known as “the museum without walls” and is a hugely popular destination for both domestic and international tourists. Gyeongju National Park is Korea’s only designated ‘historical national park’. There are cultural and archaeological sites all over the city, including the iconic Cheomseongdae observatory and the grassy hill-like tombs of the Silla kings. If you have time to step out of the city itself, UNESCO World Heritage sites Bulguksa (temple) and Seokguram (grotto) are well worth a visit, especially during cherry blossom season. The Hwangnidan-gil (황리단길) is a popular street for visitors with lots of restaurants, cafes and traditional hanok-style guesthouses.

A bridge over a river built in traditional Korean style. There are four stone pillars in the water but the bridge itself is constructed from wood, with columns stained in red colour. — Woljeong Bridge, near Gyeongju’s Gyochon folk village. A bridge was originally built at this site in 760 AD. This reconstruction based on historical and archaeological research was opened in 2018.

For keen hikers, Gyeongju’s Namsan is one of Korea’s ‘100 Famous Peaks’ with a network of trails of varying difficulties. Other popular peaks are Tohamsan and Danseoksan. Groundhoppers take note: Gyeongju KHNP has a men’s team, currently in the K3 League, who play their home matches at Gyeongju Civic Stadium — check the club website and league schedules to see if you can see both the women’s and men’s teams in action in one visit. Gyeongju is also just a short hop by bus or car from Pohang, home of professional men’s team Pohang Steelers. The nearest WK League teams are fellow Gyeongbuk-based side Mungyeong Sangmu and Changnyeong WFC, a couple of hours south in Gyeongnam.

In case you missed it: Stadium guide: Mungyeong Civic Stadium

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