WK League News

Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels are now without a win in five matches, their Round 18 loss to Hwacheon KSPO seeing them drop to sixth place in the WK League table. With manager Hur Jeongjae’s options severely limited by injuries in the squad, the Red Angels’ chances of qualifying for the 2026 WK League playoff seem to be slipping away.

Hur arrived in Incheon at the start of last season and guided his team to third place, but their title hopes came to an end at the playoff, where a goalless draw saw second-placed Seoul City progress to the championship final. With Hur aiming to go further in his second year at the helm, the Incheon squad underwent a refresh over the winter, with several veteran players moving on to make way for younger talent.

Incheon started the season strong, but as Suwon FC and Hwacheon KSPO quickly stormed ahead in first and second place respectively, the Red Angels found themselves among a tight pack of mid-table sides contending for third place, and the all-important championship playoff. The eleven-time WK League champions are still just six points off third (and with a game in hand), but they have now dropped to sixth place, equal on points with Sejong Sportstoto (fifth) and Seoul City (seventh), and recent form suggests an uphill struggle if the Red Angels don’t want to finish their season closer to the bottom of the table than the top.

The side has been missing several key players in recent weeks due to injury, with the crisis particularly evident in Incheon’s Round 17 clash with Suwon, where they had only six players on the bench (including one goalkeeper).

A notable absence is that of South Korean international goalkeeper Kim Minjung, who recently celebrated the milestone of 100 WK League appearances. While she receives treatment for a back issue, Sung Seoulseorabeol is on goalkeeping duty for the Red Angels. Sung signed with Incheon at the 2023 WK League new players draft, and has been the side’s third choice keeper for the past few seasons, with Kim Minjung and veteran Kim Jungmi ahead of her in the pecking order. Prior to this season, Sung had only made two WK League appearances — she has now donned the gloves three times in 2026 alone. Incheon’s third goalkeeper is rookie Cho Eojin, who is yet to make her debut.

Incheon have also been missing key attacking players in recent games, with Kang Jiwoo, Yuka Toriumi, Park Mideum, and Namgung Yeji being forced to sit out for several weeks due to minor injuries. Chun Garam, who has not played since joining Incheon at the start of 2026 from Hwacheon KSPO, is still unavailable.

There’s no doubt that the injuries at Incheon are hindering the side’s performance, but their poor form predates the acute squad issues. In their last ten league matches, Incheon have lost six, and won just two. Worse still, this run of bad results has coincided with rivals Gyeongju KHNP hitting form, making it harder for the likes of Incheon to get back into the playoff race.

The Red Angels face Sejong Sportstoto at home in Round 19, and with the teams level on points, it’s a must-win fixture. The fans need it as much as the team do; Incheon have not won at home since 15th May, when they beat Gyeongju 1-0. Incheon have played one less game than the three sides above them in the table, but it’s hard to see the Red Angels getting any points out of their postponed Round 11 match — away at Hwacheon — especially if they are still missing key players by the time it comes around next week.