K League 1 Gameweek 23

Ulsan Hyundai FC 2 - 3 FT Gangwon FC

Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium

Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching

Futmetrix Verdict
83
FT
Sun, Aug 16
한국어
Ulsan Hyundai FC
2-3
Gangwon FC
⚡ Intensity 60
⚖️ Balance 100
🏆 Stakes 56
🎲 Upset 10
Gangwon steals East Coast Derby thriller

Gangwon Steals the Show in Five-Goal Derby Classic

Highly Entertaining Futmetrix Score: 83/100. A ruthless masterclass in finishing from the visitors turned a tactical East Coast Derby into a wildly unpredictable shootout.

Early Dominance and Immediate Replies

The roar of the Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium set the perfect stage, underscoring the massive Stakes of this crunch fixture. Ulsan Hyundai FC seized immediate control, dominating possession with an imposing 63% share of the ball. Their early authority paid off when Lee Dong-Gyeong expertly picked out Kim Young-Gwon, who fired the hosts ahead in the 15th minute. But Gangwon FC refused to capitulate under the pressure. Exploiting the channels with lethal efficiency, they restored the Balance on 35 minutes when J. Sekidika latched onto a precise ball from Lee You-Hyeon to level the scoreline.

Chaos and Calamity

The match’s Intensity escalated dramatically just before the interval, turning the tactical battle into pure chaos. In a cruel twist of fate, first-half hero Kim Young-Gwon inadvertently directed the ball into his own net, gifting Gangwon an unexpected 2-1 lead heading into the break. Ulsan emerged from the tunnel with renewed venom, throwing bodies forward in a desperate bid to salvage local pride. Their relentless pressure finally broke the resistance in the 55th minute as Jung Seung-Hyun smashed home a crucial equaliser. With the lead constantly shifting, the tactical blueprint was torn up.

The Final Blow

Despite managing 122 attacks and heavily pinning the visitors back, Ulsan lacked the final killer touch. Gangwon, meanwhile, boasted an incredibly high Upset Factor by capitalising on their rare entries into the final third. The definitive blow landed in the 82nd minute when Kim Dong-Hyun struck an opportunistic match-winner. Surviving a late barrage of Ulsan pressure, Gangwon held on to secure a massive 3-2 victory away from home. The result leaves Ulsan stranded on 37 points, taking a serious dent in their title race ambitions, while Gangwon solidifies their 5th place position.

Key Questions

What caused the 5-goal thriller?

Gangwon's incredibly clinical finishing—scoring three times from just three shots on target—combined with defensive calamity from a possession-dominant Ulsan side sparked the chaos.

How did Ulsan Hyundai FC complete the comeback from behind?

After falling 2-1 behind to an unfortunate own goal, Ulsan applied massive second-half pressure, culminating in a powerful 55th-minute equaliser from Jung Seung-Hyun to briefly restore parity.

What does this mean for Ulsan Hyundai FC's season?

Sitting second in the table, dropping three points at home in a vital derby is a severe blow to their title ambitions and defensive confidence.

What is the East Coast Derby?

The East Coast Derby is the rivalry between Ulsan Hyundai FC and Gangwon FC, a passionate regional rivalry with deep local significance.

What is the Futmetrix Score?

The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.

Match Statistics

Possession
63%
37%
Ulsan Hyundai FC 63%
Gangwon FC 37%
Shots on Target
6
3
Ulsan Hyundai FC 6
Gangwon FC 3
Corners
3
7
Ulsan Hyundai FC 3
Gangwon FC 7
Fouls
6
10
Ulsan Hyundai FC 6
Gangwon FC 10
Yellow Cards
2
1
Ulsan Hyundai FC 2
Gangwon FC 1
Red Cards
0
0
Ulsan Hyundai FC 0
Gangwon FC 0

Match Events

15' âš˝ Kim Young-Gwon (Lee Dong-Gyeong)
J. Sekidika (Lee You-Hyeon) âš˝ 35'
Kim Young-Gwon âš˝ 43'
HT
46' 🔄 ↓ Lee Dong-Gyeong ↑Erick Farias
46' 🔄 ↓ Jang Si-Young ↑Yago Cariello
46' 🔄 ↓ Lee Jin-Hyun ↑Sim Sang-Min
55' âš˝ Jung Seung-Hyun
↓ Kang Joon-Hyuck ↑Park Sang-Hyeok 🔄 66'
↓ Choe Byeong-Chan ↑Kim Do-Hyun 🔄 66'
↓ Goh Young-Jun ↑Kim Gun-Hee 🔄 81'
↓ Seo Min-Woo ↑Kim Dong-Hyun 🔄 81'
81' 🔄 ↓ Lee Dong-Gyeong ↑H. Lee
Kim Dong-Hyun âš˝ 82'
84' 🟨 Yago Cariello
85' 🔄 ↓ Lee Gyu-Seong ↑D. Bojanic
↓ Kim Dong-Hyun ↑H. Park 🔄 85'
90' 🟨 H. Lee
M. Tuci 🟨 90'+7
FT

Player Cards

Our take on every player in this match

Ulsan Hyundai FC

Goalkeepers
Hyeon-woo Jo
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Defenders
Myeong-kwan Seo
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Jung Seung-hyeon
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Kim Young-gwon
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Midfielders
Jang Si-young
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Kyu-seong Lee
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Thomas Oude Kotte
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Hyun-taek Cho
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Forwards
Lee Jin-hyun
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Dong-gyeong Lee
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Kang Sang-woo
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
BENCH
Ryu Seong-Min
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Sang-min Shim
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Jae-ik Lee
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Miłosz Trojak
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Hui-gyun Lee
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Darijan Bojanić
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
In-woo Back
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Erick Farias
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Yago Cariello
👻 Invisible Nothing to note

Gangwon FC

Goalkeepers
Park Cheong-hyo
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Defenders
Kang Joon-hyuk
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Marko Tuci
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Gi-Hyuk Lee
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Hong Chul
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Midfielders
Young-jun Goh
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
You-Hyeon Lee
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Min-woo Seo
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Jesse Sekidika
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Forwards
Byeong-chan Choi
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Dae-won Kim
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
BENCH
Jin-hyeok Hong
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Shin Min-Ha
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Ho-yeong Park
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Kim Dong-hyeon
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Seung Won Lee
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Do-Hyun Kim
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Park Sang-Hyeok
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Kim Gun-hee
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Ji-ho Lee
👻 Invisible Nothing to note

Head to Head

Date Home Score Away Competition Venue
05/17/2026 Gangwon FC 2 - 0 Ulsan Hyundai FC K League 1 Chuncheon Songam Stadium
02/28/2026 Ulsan Hyundai FC 3 - 1 Gangwon FC K League 1 Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
07/27/2025 Gangwon FC 2 - 2 Ulsan Hyundai FC K League 1 Chuncheon Songam Stadium
05/17/2025 Gangwon FC 1 - 1 Ulsan Hyundai FC K League 1 Chuncheon Songam Stadium
04/19/2025 Ulsan Hyundai FC 1 - 2 Gangwon FC K League 1 Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
11/01/2024 Ulsan Hyundai FC 2 - 1 Gangwon FC K League 1 Ulsan Complex Stadium
09/13/2024 Ulsan Hyundai FC 2 - 0 Gangwon FC K League 1 Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
05/19/2024 Gangwon FC 1 - 0 Ulsan Hyundai FC K League 1 Chuncheon Songam Stadium
04/13/2024 Ulsan Hyundai FC 4 - 0 Gangwon FC K League 1 Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
08/12/2023 Gangwon FC 2 - 0 Ulsan Hyundai FC K League 1 Gangneung Stadium
05/17/2026
K League 1 Chuncheon Songam Stadium
02/28/2026
K League 1 Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
07/27/2025
K League 1 Chuncheon Songam Stadium
05/17/2025
K League 1 Chuncheon Songam Stadium
04/19/2025
K League 1 Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
11/01/2024
K League 1 Ulsan Complex Stadium
09/13/2024
K League 1 Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
05/19/2024
K League 1 Chuncheon Songam Stadium
04/13/2024
K League 1 Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
08/12/2023
K League 1 Gangneung Stadium
Ulsan Hyundai FC Win
Gangwon FC Win
Draw

League Standings

Pos Team P Pts GF GA GD Form
1 FC Seoul 23 47 39 19 +20 WFC Seoul 4 - 2 Daejeon Citizen (15-08-2026)DGimcheon Sangmu FC 0 - 0 FC Seoul (08-08-2026)DJeonbuk Motors 0 - 0 FC Seoul (01-08-2026)LFC Seoul 1 - 3 Ulsan Hyundai FC (26-07-2026)WFC Seoul 3 - 1 Pohang Steelers (22-07-2026)
2 Ulsan Hyundai FC 22 37 35 30 +5 WPohang Steelers 0 - 2 Ulsan Hyundai FC (08-08-2026)WUlsan Hyundai FC 3 - 1 FC Anyang (02-08-2026)WFC Seoul 1 - 3 Ulsan Hyundai FC (26-07-2026)LUlsan Hyundai FC 1 - 2 Incheon United (21-07-2026)DDaejeon Citizen 2 - 2 Ulsan Hyundai FC (18-07-2026)
3 Jeonbuk Motors 22 34 28 19 +9 LJeonbuk Motors 1 - 3 Jeju United FC (08-08-2026)DJeonbuk Motors 0 - 0 FC Seoul (01-08-2026)WPohang Steelers 0 - 2 Jeonbuk Motors (25-07-2026)DJeonbuk Motors 0 - 0 Daejeon Citizen (21-07-2026)LIncheon United 1 - 0 Jeonbuk Motors (18-07-2026)
4 Jeju United FC 23 34 27 24 +3 WJeju United FC 2 - 0 FC Anyang (15-08-2026)WJeonbuk Motors 1 - 3 Jeju United FC (08-08-2026)DJeju United FC 3 - 3 Incheon United (02-08-2026)WGwangju FC 1 - 2 Jeju United FC (26-07-2026)DJeju United FC 1 - 1 Gangwon FC (21-07-2026)
5 Gangwon FC 21 32 25 17 +8 LGangwon FC 0 - 3 Bucheon FC 1995 (01-08-2026)LFC Anyang 2 - 1 Gangwon FC (26-07-2026)DJeju United FC 1 - 1 Gangwon FC (21-07-2026)WGangwon FC 2 - 0 Gimcheon Sangmu FC (18-07-2026)DFC Seoul 0 - 0 Gangwon FC (12-07-2026)
6 Pohang Steelers 23 31 22 25 -3 WGwangju FC 1 - 2 Pohang Steelers (15-08-2026)LPohang Steelers 0 - 2 Ulsan Hyundai FC (08-08-2026)LPohang Steelers 0 - 1 Gimcheon Sangmu FC (01-08-2026)LPohang Steelers 0 - 2 Jeonbuk Motors (25-07-2026)LFC Seoul 3 - 1 Pohang Steelers (22-07-2026)
7 Incheon United 22 30 29 25 +4 DIncheon United 1 - 1 Gimcheon Sangmu FC (16-08-2026)DJeju United FC 3 - 3 Incheon United (02-08-2026)DIncheon United 1 - 1 Bucheon FC 1995 (26-07-2026)WUlsan Hyundai FC 1 - 2 Incheon United (21-07-2026)WIncheon United 1 - 0 Jeonbuk Motors (18-07-2026)
8 FC Anyang 23 30 30 30 0 LJeju United FC 2 - 0 FC Anyang (15-08-2026)LFC Anyang 1 - 2 Daejeon Citizen (08-08-2026)LUlsan Hyundai FC 3 - 1 FC Anyang (02-08-2026)WFC Anyang 2 - 1 Gangwon FC (26-07-2026)WBucheon FC 1995 2 - 3 FC Anyang (22-07-2026)
9 Daejeon Citizen 23 26 29 28 +1 LFC Seoul 4 - 2 Daejeon Citizen (15-08-2026)WFC Anyang 1 - 2 Daejeon Citizen (08-08-2026)WDaejeon Citizen 2 - 0 Gwangju FC (02-08-2026)LGimcheon Sangmu FC 3 - 2 Daejeon Citizen (25-07-2026)DJeonbuk Motors 0 - 0 Daejeon Citizen (21-07-2026)
10 Gimcheon Sangmu FC 23 25 23 29 -6 DIncheon United 1 - 1 Gimcheon Sangmu FC (16-08-2026)DGimcheon Sangmu FC 0 - 0 FC Seoul (08-08-2026)WPohang Steelers 0 - 1 Gimcheon Sangmu FC (01-08-2026)WGimcheon Sangmu FC 3 - 2 Daejeon Citizen (25-07-2026)DGwangju FC 1 - 1 Gimcheon Sangmu FC (22-07-2026)
11 Bucheon FC 1995 22 24 21 25 -4 DBucheon FC 1995 0 - 0 Gwangju FC (08-08-2026)WGangwon FC 0 - 3 Bucheon FC 1995 (01-08-2026)DIncheon United 1 - 1 Bucheon FC 1995 (26-07-2026)LBucheon FC 1995 2 - 3 FC Anyang (22-07-2026)LBucheon FC 1995 1 - 3 FC Seoul (19-07-2026)
12 Gwangju FC 23 11 12 49 -37 LGwangju FC 1 - 2 Pohang Steelers (15-08-2026)DBucheon FC 1995 0 - 0 Gwangju FC (08-08-2026)LDaejeon Citizen 2 - 0 Gwangju FC (02-08-2026)LGwangju FC 1 - 2 Jeju United FC (26-07-2026)DGwangju FC 1 - 1 Gimcheon Sangmu FC (22-07-2026)