WK League News

Hwacheon KSPO have added another title to add to their growing list of 2025 achievements after winning the women’s football tournament at the 106th National Sports Festival in Busan this week. Representing Gangwon province, the team beat Mungyeong Sangmu in the final on Thursday, the only goal of the match coming from KSPO’s Jung Yoobin in the first half.

On their way to victory, 2025 WK League regular season champions Hwacheon saw off 2024 WK League trophy winners Suwon FC with ease, beating them 3-0 in the quarter finals. In their semi final the team came up against Sejong Sportstoto, proceeding to the final thanks to a second half goal from Choi Jungmin.

Silver medalists Sangmu beat Changnyeong WFC and Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels on their way to the final, but failed to pull an upset against their formidable opponents from up north. Hwacheon have proved a force to be reckoned with this season, winning 16 of their 28 WK League matches and losing only three. Under the guidance of newly promoted manager Kang Sunmi, the team also lifted the trophy at the National Women’s Football Championship in August.

With two titles secured, Hwacheon KSPO are now on the brink of achieving the first ‘domestic treble’ in Korean women’s football. To write themselves into the history books, all the team have to do now is win the WK League championship final. Although Hwacheon have already been crowned regular league champions, they will need to see off a challenge from either Seoul City Amazones or Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels in the two-legged final in November. Having come in second and third place respectively, the two teams will meet in the WK League playoff in Seoul next weekend to fight for a place in the final, and the chance to swipe the trophy from under the noses of Hwacheon KSPO.

Manager Kang Sunmi will be hoping to avoid a repeat of last year’s season end. In 2024, Hwacheon KSPO finished the regular WK League season in first place, earning the right to host the second leg of the Championship Final at their home ground, Hwacheon Sports Park. However, having narrowly edged out Gyeongju KHNP in a penalty shootout at the playoff, Suwon FC beat KSPO on aggregate to lift the trophy and gain qualification for the 2025-26 AFC Women’s Champions’ League.

Elsewhere at the National Sports Festival, Daeduk University (Daejeon) beat Korea University (Sejong) to claim the title in the university category. The U-18 final was contested by Ulsan Hyundai High School and Chungbuk Yesung Girls’ High School, with the Ulsan team emerging victorious in a category missing a number of its star players, who are busy representing Korea at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. While the National Sports Festival has been ongoing, some WK League teams have also played friendly matches against 2025 Chinese Women’s Super League champions Beijing WFC, who have been training in Icheon ahead of the National Games, China’s equivalent to the National Sports Festival.