WK League sides Suwon FC and Sejong Sportstoto will meet in the first ever W Korea Cup final after winning their respective semi-finals in Icheon on Sunday. The final is scheduled to take place next month, with the champions set to receive ₩30m (approximately $22,000 or £17,000) in prize money.
Having already wrapped up the WK League, Suwon put out a rotated squad against Gangjin in Round 26, resting key players ahead of Sunday’s cup semi-final. What ensued was a fast-paced and physical match between the only two sides still technically able to achieve a treble in 2026. Mileninha gave Suwon the lead early in the first half, finding space in the box to receive a pass from captain Ji Soyun and easily slot the ball in past veteran goalkeeper Kim Jungmi.
Cheered on by a small but vocal group of supporters, Suwon continued to put pressure on Seoul’s defence. Yoon Soojung fumbled a chance to double her team’s lead as she sent a header flying over the goal, and Ji Soyun’s long range shot was tipped onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Kim. At the other end of the pitch, City’s Kang Taekyung missed a golden opportunity to equalise, but it was soon 2-0 for Suwon as Kim Jungmi saved a shot from Kwon Eunsom but failed to keep control of the ball. Yoon Soojung was nearby and ready to pounce.
In a substitution deeply symbolic of a generational shift in South Korea’s goalkeeping department, 41-year-old Kim Jungmi was replaced by 22-year-old Woo Seobin for the second half. The mood among Seoul supporters, similar in number but signficantly quieter than their counterparts from Suwon, was one of optimism: Yoo Youngsil’s squad is resilient, and if they were to mount a late comeback against tough opposition, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time.
However, just a few minutes into the second half Suwon’s Lee Yoojin made it 3-0, heading home a corner delivered by fellow vice-captain Ayaka Nishikawa. Not long afterwards, Ayaka scored one of her own. Even with nearly 30 minutes still on the clock, some in the Seoul end were starting to lose hope, especially after Yoon Soojung netted another for Suwon. Despite City’s best efforts at nabbing a consolation goal, the match ended 5-0.
The scoreline reflects Suwon’s strength in attack, but this was not a totally one-sided game. The better team did win, but Seoul continued to agitate them until the final whistle, forcing their opponents to stay alert and keep running. Wary of the threat of their high-scoring opponents in this knockout competition, Seoul’s best opportunities came on the counter-attack, but too often, Kang Taekyung and Han Chaerin were left isolated or caught offside as they attempted to thwart Suwon’s defence.
In the evening match, Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels clashed with Sejong Sportstoto. The two teams had met in the league just days beforehand, in a match that ended as a 1-1 draw. While Sportstoto are still hanging on in the race for third place and playoff qualification, for the Red Angels the W Korea Cup was a key opportunity to salvage something positive from a disastrous season.
The crowd was smaller in the evening — the official attendance was 252, compared with 354 for Seoul v. Suwon — but the group of Sejong supporters who had made the trip to Icheon were rewarded early in proceedings, as Lee Jungin’s powerful shot from outside the box ricocheted off the goal post, then goalkeeper Sung Seoulseorabeol’s back, into the back of the net. As Lee, the youngest player in Sportstoto’s starting line-up, celebrated with her teammates, Sung sat in front of her goal as if in disbelief. Although this was officially an own goal, Lee deserves full credit for outrunning Yoon Hye-in, thinking fast, and taking advantage of the space and time she was given by the Red Angels’ scrambling defence. There were six outfield players between Lee and the goal by the time she took her shot, and they all appeared completely dumbfounded.
Sejong’s explosive start seemed to have caught Incheon off-guard, and the early concession did prompt a response from Kim Eunjeong’s side. Just a few minutes after Lee’s goal, the action was at the other end of the pitch, as Jo Mijin put a cross into the box and Namgung Yeji headed it towards the feet of Kang Jiwoo. Kang skilfully maintained control of the ball despite a challenge from Kim Yoonju to score against her former team.
With the score level, Sejong looked the more aggressive side, pressing Incheon deep in their own half, working hard to win back possession whenever the Red Angels had the ball and create attacking opportunities. With Incheon supporters in the stands growing increasingly frustrated with their team’s disorganised and sloppy passing play, Sejong’s Kim Miyeon looked equally pained as she missed a chance to retake the lead, heading the ball over the crossbar by mere milimetres.
Minutes later, Lee Jungin sent a cross into the box, trying to find Kim, the only yellow shirt in the area, outnumbered by Incheon’s entire defensive line. Sung Seoulseorabol came off her line to make the save, but spilled the ball, clumsily giving it directly to Kim, who chipped it home at close range. Like the first, this goal was a collective failure of Incheon’s defence, but the error will no doubt weigh heavy on Sung. The 24-year-old keeper has been at Incheon since 2023, but is inexperienced in competitive matches, with only eight WK League appearances and a handful of tournament outings to her name. In recent years, goalkeeping has typically been one of Incheon’s strengths, but with veteran Kim Jungmi no longer there and club captain Kim Minjung out for the rest of this season with an injury picked up on international duty, Sung is now the most experienced keeper available to Kim Eunjeong — her only other option is rookie Cho Eojin, who is yet to make her professional debut.
Yoon Deokyeo’s Sejong Sportstoto looked in control in the second half, defending their lead against an increasingly frenetic Incheon Hyundai. There were audible groans of frustration from Incheon supporters as the their team, once a formidable force in Korean women’s football, repeatedly made basic errors, giving the ball away and never really looking much of a threat against a calm and competent Sejong side.
Even with adequate time to net an equaliser and, at the very least, send the game into extra time, there was a sense of defeat and resignation from the Incheon faithful. Perhaps the final nail in the coffin was Kim Minseo’s direct red card, for pulling Lee Jungin to the ground just outside the penalty area, robbing her of the opportunity to go one-on-one with the keeper. Coming on as a substitute for Kang Jiwoo, Fiona Worts briefly injected some energy and aggression ito Incheon’s attacking play, and the Red Angels launched some last-ditch attempts towards Sejong’s goal, but with full time looming, it was too little too late.
Suwon FC and Sejong Sportstoto will meet in the inaugural W Korea Cup final on Saturday 21st November at Icheon Sports Complex. The kick-off time is yet to be confirmed.
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