WK League News

Former Hwacheon KSPO striker Go Yuna has signed with Irish side Cork City FC, the club announced on Tuesday. 23-year-old Go, who has a handful of international caps with South Korea, is set to join Cork for the second half of the Women’s Premier Division season as the club aims to avoid finishing dead last for a second consecutive year.

Go came through the academy system in Ulsan, playing for Ulsan Hyundai High School at U-18 level before progressing to Ulsan College. She was selected by Hwacheon KSPO in the second round of the 2023 WK League new players’ draft, joining the club on a three-year contract.

Supporters who have attended Hwacheon matches in recent years will be familiar with the sound of the stadium announcer leading the crowd in chants of “Let’s Go Yuna, let’s go!” as Go, towering over most of her contemporaries at 180cm tall, but known for impressive speed and agility, took to the field.

Having spent most of her youth and club career in attacking roles, Go was as surprised as anyone else in 2023 when she was called up by then-manager Colin Bell to play as a centre back for South Korea. After training with the national team as an unused reserve ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Go made four appearances for her country in friendlies the following year.

Go shocked fans at the end of the 2025 season when she announced her retirement from football on her 23rd birthday, the day after lifting the WK League trophy with Hwacheon KSPO. While some lamented the early retirement of a young footballer who had shown such promise, sources close to the club cited ongoing injury concerns as a motivating factor in Go’s decision to hang up her boots.

Now, after a few months away from club football, Go Yuna is back, this time hoping to make an impact for Cork in Ireland’s Women’s Premier Division. Cork City have struggled in recent years, failing to break into the top half of the league table since 2020. The side finished dead last in 2025 and are hoping to avoid the same fate in 2026 under Derek Coughlan, who was appointed as manager in May following the resignation of previous boss Barry Ryan.

Last month Coughlan, who previously managed the club’s U-17 side, coached Cork City’s women to their first league win in over a year. Familiar with the up-and-coming talent within the club, Coughlan is firmly dedicated to the development of his team and of women’s football more broadly.

This month Cork City captain Eva Mangan became the first women’s player to sign a professional contract with the club, with Coughlan stating that securing her position in the side was his “number one priority” after taking on the managerial role. At just 21 years old, Mangan has already racked up nearly 150 appearances with Cork.

Announcing the arrival of Go Yuna at the club, manager Coughlan described the South Korean striker as someone who “has played at a really high level at both club and international level” and who “brings quality and experience” to a team mostly made up of teenagers.