WK League News

The basics

Full team name: Suwon Football Club Women
Established: 2008 (as Suwon Facilities Management Corporation WFC)
Home ground: Main stadium, Suwon Sports Complex (also known as Castle Park)
Manager: Park Gilyoung
Leadership team: Ji Soyun (captain); Lee Yoojin, Ayaka Nishikawa (vice-captains)

The 2025 season

WK League: 7th place (24 points, 5W 9D 14L)
National Women’s Football Championship: Knocked out in semi-finals by Gyeongju KHNP
National Sports Festival: Knocked out in semi-finals by Hwacheon KSPO
2025-26 AFC Women’s Champions League: Progressed to the knockout stage as the best-performing third-placed team in the group stage.

What went well: The returning champions didn’t have much to celebrate in 2025, but they ended their season on a high note by securing a place in the knockout stage of the 2025-26 AWCL despite facing a tough group draw — three of the four teams in that group have made it to the semi-finals of the competition.

What didn’t go well: Suwon’s squad underwent dramatic changes that left it lacking in cohesion. Having lost several experienced players who were instrumental in their successful 2024 campaign, four of them retiring and three of them joining rival club Gyeongju KHNP, Suwon brought in a group of youngsters to fill the squad, as well as two WK League debutantes from overseas. While Mileninha has been useful for Suwon and is staying with the club this year, things didn’t work out so well with Meghan Callahan Root, who left mid-season. The squad took a further hit when South Korea international Kang Chaerim transferred to Montreal Roses in the summer, and the much-hyped homecoming of national team legend Cho Sohyun in the second half of the season was underwhelming.

2026 squad

Out: Lee Yeongseo, Song Jae-eun, Hwang Ahyeon (Gangjin Swans); Jeon Haneul (Gyeongju KHNP); Jo Mijin (Incheon Hyundai); Choi Somi (Spartak Subotica); Cho Sohyun (Halifax Tides FC); Rena Okutsu (Auckland United)
In: Choe Yuri, Haruhi Suzuki (Incheon Hyundai); Park Hyunjin (Seoul City); Lee Jeongmin (FA); Ji Soyun (Seattle Reign); Kim Hyeri (Wuhan Jiangda)
Returning players: Kim Kyunghee, Jung Yoonjung, Lee Soo-in, Han Da-in, Lee Yoojin, Seo Jinju, Kwon Heesun, Seo Yejin, Yoon Soojung, Kwon Eunsom, Ayaka Nishikawa, Mileninha, Song Jiyoon, Kim Gayeon, Jeon Minji

What to expect

Aims: Suwon FC has again lost some important players in the winter transfer window, but this time, rather than signing more rookies, the club has bolstered its squad with some of the biggest names in Korean women’s football. In the WK League, Suwon should be aiming to right the wrongs of 2025 and return to the top half of the table. However, in order to do so, they will need to find a balance between the older, more experienced players and their younger teammates, who represent the longer-term future of the club. In the immediate future, winning the AWCL in front of a home crowd in May would be an excellent way for Suwon FC to vindicate themselves for the disappointments of last season.

Key players: Captain Ji Soyun needs no introduction to followers of women’s football. Returning for her second spell at Suwon and in the WK League, South Korea’s most-capped international is an important symbolic figure in Suwon’s 2026 revival, and she will be at the heart of the action on the pitch too. Also among Suwon’s new signings is Lee Jeongmin, formerly of Mungyeong Sangmu, who is making a return to the WK League after taking time to fully recover from injury. A one-time KFA Young Player of the Year, Lee could make a real impact up front for Suwon if she can make a return to her pre-injury form.

Why to watch: Whether or not you were around to see Ji Soyun’s first spell at Suwon, do not underestimate the opportunity to see her playing regularly. Ji may be past the peak of her career but her outstanding talent is still very much in evidence. Don’t miss out on watching the likes of her, Kim Hyeri, and Kwon Eunsom in action together — they are living legends of the WK League and of Korean women’s football.