WK League News

Returning to Korea as one of (if not the) most decorated athletes in the country’s history, Ji Soyun this year joined Suwon FC for a second stint as she prepares for the twilight of her playing career. Ji has played in Japan, the United States, and most famously England, where she won six league titles and six cups in eight years at Chelsea and finished as runner-up in the 2020-21 UEFA Women’s Champions League. She also won the World Club Championship with Kobe back in 2013, not to mention her 175 senior international appearances and 75 goals for South Korea, which make her the country’s most capped player and top goalscorer.

Catching up with Ji ahead of Suwon FC’s season opener against Seoul City, she and the team were clearly ready for the new campaign. Asking why the Seoul-born attacker decided on Suwon, Ji said: “I wanted to finish my career in Korea so I wanted to come back. I came to Suwon after Chelsea, and played two years, but went back to America again. So it’s my first Korean team so it’s special for me.” Ji played for Suwon in the 2022 and 2023 WK League seasons, before a two-year stint at NWSL side Seattle Reign.

Reflecting on the situation of the women’s game in Korea, Ji commented on what needs to be done to improve attendance and interest in the WK League. According to the K League Data Portal, average attendances in 2025 for the (men’s first division) K League 1 were between 10,000 and 11,000 per match, and in the range of 2000-3000 for the (second division) K League 2. By contrast, the WK League’s official figures record crowds of approximately 260 per match.

Ji played in England during a period of major growth for the women’s game, reflected in WSL crowd sizes, which averaged just over 6,800 in the 2024-25 season. In terms of public interest, therefore, the contrast between the men’s and women’s games is much greater in Korea. Considering how to change this, Ji focuses first on the players: “[they] have to work hard, even more than the other players.” However, she suggests that the media also have a major part to play, noting a lack of media coverage is also critical: “Normally they don’t write women’s articles… The media people have to work with players together.” Focusing on the players themselves is one way to start, but there is work to be done on both sides.

To develop the situation, more young players need to come through the youth system, but opportunities are more limited for girls. Currently, the KFA’s i-League competition (for club teams outside of the elite academy system) covers age groups ranging from U-6 to U-18, but the system is skewed towards boys. Ji herself notably played in a boys’ team in her youth. Furthermore, the K League system itself fosters strong links between professional clubs and elite boys’ football academies in middle and high schools. Meanwhile, girls’ academies (which are far fewer in number) often wear the colours of K League clubs in competition, but have fewer opportunities and less clear pathways to a professional playing career. At the university level, U League football only featured men’s teams until the launch of the WU League this year.

There is further light for the development of women’s football in Korea. The KWFF launched the W-Project last year with the intention of seeing 100% growth of the women’s game in Korea within a decade. Nevertheless, when Ji Soyun is asked what a 10-year-old girl with dreams of football should do, her answer is clear: the path will be harder, but “just don’t give up, just keep dreaming, work and listen to the coaches.”

On the day of this interview, Suwon would go on to win 2-1 against Seoul to kick off the 2026 WK League on a high. Looking forward to the season, Ji was very clear about her expectations: “Last season we finished near bottom of the league… so the goal is to finish at the top!” The words of a proven champion!