Hwaseong FC

{{Infobox football club

| clubname = Hwaseong FC

| image = Hwaseong FC.svg

| image_size = 160px

| fullname = Hwaseong Football Club
화성에프씨

| founded = {{start date and age|23 January 2013}}

| ground = Hwaseong Stadium

| capacity = 35,265

| owner = Hwaseong City

| chairman = Jeong Myeong-geun
(Mayor of Hwaseong)

| manager = Cha Du-ri

| league = K League 2

| season = 2024

| position = K3 League, 2nd of 16

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| website = {{URL|https://www.hwaseongfc.com/}}

|}}

Hwaseong FC ({{langx|ko|화성 FC}}) is a South Korean professional football club based in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. They play in K League 2, the second tier of South Korean football.

Founded in 2013, the club is owned by Hwaseong City and play their home games at Hwaseong Stadium.

History

In September 2012, Hwaseong City formed a committee to promote the establishment of Hwaseong FC. In January 2013, the team received approval from the Korea Football Association to participate in the amateur fourth-tier Challengers League (later renamed as K3 League).{{cite web |title=챌린저스리그 화성FC 창단식 |url=https://www.kgnews.co.kr/news/article.html?no=331033 |website=kgnews.co.kr |access-date=22 January 2025 |language=ko |date=23 January 2013}} The club was officially founded on 23 January 2013 as a semi-professional club.{{cite web|url=https://programs.sbs.co.kr/sports/sbssportsgolf/article/56051/S10002138866|title=화성 FC, 공식 출범...김종부 "지역사회 축구발전에 기여"|date=23 January 2013|access-date=20 January 2025|language=ko|publisher=SBS Sports}}{{cite web |title=챌린저스리그 화성FC, 김종부號 출범 |url=https://www.hscity.go.kr/www/user/bbs/BD_selectBbs.do?q_bbsCode=1051&q_bbscttSn=10510001195930|language=ko|access-date=4 December 2024|website=hscity.go.kr|date=20 March 2014}}

In their first season, Hwaseong FC immediately finished first in the Challengers League – Group B and advanced to the final stages,{{cite web |title=2013 K4 League – Regular Season |url=https://int.soccerway.com/national/korea-republic/k3-league/2013/regular-season/r20362/ |website=Soccerway |access-date=22 January 2025}} but failed to advance to the championship finals after being eliminated by Paju Citizen, finishing the season in third place overall.{{cite web |title=2013 K4 League – Final Stages |url=https://int.soccerway.com/national/korea-republic/k3-league/2013/s8023/final-stages/|website=Soccerway |access-date=22 January 2025}} However, in the 2014 season, Hwaseong won their first title after defeating Pocheon Citizen 3–1 in the Challengers League championship play-off final, held in Pocheon in front of about 4,000 spectators.{{cite web |title=[축구] 화성FC, 다음 K3 챌린저스리그 우승 |url=https://www.news1.kr/sports/soccer/1978050 |website=News1 |access-date=22 January 2025 |language=ko |date=29 November 2014}}{{cite web |title=South Korea 2014 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/skor2014.html |website=RSSSF |access-date=22 January 2025}}

Five years later, in 2019, Hwaseong, under head coach Kim Hak-chul, won their second K3 League title after defeating Yangpyeong FC 1–0 in the final.{{cite web |title=화성FC, 5년 만에 K3리그 통합챔피언 등극…문준호 MVP |url=https://www.kyeonggi.com/article/201911171099038 |website=Kyeonggi Ilbo |access-date=22 January 2025 |language=ko |date=17 November 2019}} In the same season, Hwaseong became the first fourth-division team to reach the semi-finals of the Korean FA Cup.{{cite web |last1=Yoo |first1=Jee-ho |title=4-time champs Suwon to face semi-pro club in FA Cup semifinals |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190807006000315 |website=Yonhap News Agency |access-date=22 January 2025 |date=7 August 2019}} In the first semi-final match, Hwaseong managed to upset four-time Korean champions Suwon Samsung Bluewings with a 1–0 win, but lost the second leg 3–0 after extra time and were eliminated 3–1 on aggregate.{{cite web |title=Cup thrills in Korea and England |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/sports/2025/01/600_276697.html |website=The Korea Times |access-date=22 January 2025 |date=6 October 2019}} They won another K3 League title in 2023, before finishing as runners-up in their final semi-professional season the following year.{{cite web |title=New club to join second-tier pro football league |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/sports/2025/01/600_390305.html |website=The Korea Times |access-date=22 January 2025 |date=13 January 2025}}{{cite web |author1=K League United |title=News: Hwaseong FC to join K League 2, ASEAN Quota scrapped |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news-hwaseong-fc-join-k-000000425.html |website=Yahoo Sports |access-date=22 January 2025 |date=1 December 2024}}

Hwaseong FC turned professional in December 2024, joining the second-tier K League 2. Former South Korean international Cha Du-ri was appointed head coach for the team's first professional season.

Colours and crest

File:Hwaseong FC old.svg

Hwaseong FC's main colour is orange, which is also the colour that symbolizes the city of Hwaseong. The current club crest, in use since 2023 to celebrate the club's tenth anniversary, features the English initials of Hwaseong City, 'H' and 'S', placed in the centre. The pillars on each side represent the administrative districts of Hwaseong City.{{Cite web |title=구단소개 – 엠블럼|trans-title=Club Introduction – Emblem |url=https://www.hwaseongfc.com/about/emblem.php |access-date=20 January 2025 |website=Hwaseong FC|language=ko}} In the bottom centre, there is a forest path and a pine, the official tree of Hwaseong. The V-shape denotes the Yellow Sea, which forms the maritime boundaries of Hwaseong, and 'Victory', which symbolizes endless possibilities like the wide sea.

The club's previous crest, used from 2013 to 2022, featured the emblem of Hwaseong City, along with one of the city mascots, Coriyo (also spelled as Koriyo).{{Cite web |title=화성의 상징 |trans-title=Symbols of Hwaseong |url=https://www.hscity.go.kr/www/intro/gnrlSttus/ctyhllSymbol/ctyhllSymbol02.jsp |access-date=22 January 2025 |website=hscity.go.kr |language=ko}}

Stadium

Hwaseong FC play its home games at Hwaseong Stadium, located within the Hwaseong Sports Complex Town. Between 2013 and 2022, they played on the stadium's auxiliary field,{{cite web |title=경기장 안내 |trans-title=Stadium guide|url=http://hwaseongfc.com/about/information.php |website=Hwaseong FC |access-date=20 January 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20221129204842/http://hwaseongfc.com/about/information.php |archive-date=29 November 2022 |language=ko}} and since 2023, they have played at the 35,265-capacity main stadium.

Current squad

{{Updated|3 March 2025}}.{{cite web|script-title=ko:선수단|trans-title=Team|url=https://www.hwaseongfc.com/player/player.php|access-date=3 March 2025|language=ko|website=Hwaseong FC}}

{{Fs player|no=1|nat=KOR|pos=GK|name=Kim Seung-geon|other=vice-captain}}

{{Fs player|no=6|nat=KOR|pos=DF|name=Choi Jun-hyeok|other=vice-captain}}

{{Fs player|no=16|nat=KOR|pos=DF|name=Choi Myung-hee|other=vice-captain}}

{{Fs player|no=31|nat=BRA|pos=FW|name=Dominic Vinicius|other=vice-captain}}

Managerial history

Kim Jong-boo (2013–2015){{cite web |title=화성시, 열덟번째 팀 아마추어 화성FC 창단 |url=https://news.mt.co.kr/mtview.php?no=2013012114231909703 |website=Money Today |access-date=22 January 2025 |language=ko |date=21 January 2013}}
Lee Do-yong (2016){{cite news |title=전 제주 수석코치 이도영 화성 감독으로 |url=http://www.footballjournal.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=3634 |access-date=17 November 2019 |date=4 January 2016|language=ko|website=footballjournal.co.kr}}{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}
Kim Sung-nam (2017–2018){{cite web |title='Mr호통' 김성남 감독, 축구협회 소통실장으로…"멈추지 않겠다" |url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20171226145000007 |website=Yonhap News Agency |access-date=22 January 2025 |language=ko |date=26 December 2017}}
Kim Hak-chul (2019–2021){{cite web |title=[인터뷰] 돌풍 화성FC 김학철 감독 "선수들이 빨리 팀을 떠났으면 좋겠다"|url=https://www.news1.kr/sports/soccer/3728702|date=25 September 2019|access-date=20 January 2025|website=news1.kr|language=ko}}
Kang Chul (2022–2023){{cite web|url=https://www.spochoo.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=100993|title="2001년 독일 2부 입단 테스트 거절당하기 일쑤였죠" 국대 출신 수비수 강철의 회상 [이근승의 킥앤러시]|date=22 February 2022|access-date=20 January 2025|language=ko|website=spochoo.com}}
Ju Seung-jin (2024){{cite web|url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20231218138200007|title=화성FC, K3리그 우승 후 감독 교체…주승진 전 수원 코치 선임|date=18 December 2023|access-date=20 January 2025|language=ko|website=Yonhap News Agency}}
Cha Du-ri (2025–present){{cite web|url=https://www.sedaily.com/NewsView/2DI8UC450F|title=화성FC 초대감독에 차두리|date=24 December 2024|access-date=20 January 2025|language=ko|website=Seoul Economic Daily}}

Honours

K3 League
Winners (3): 2014, 2019, 2023
Runners-up (1): 2024

Season-by-season records

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; font-size:90%;"

! Season

! Teams

! League

! Position

! {{Tooltip|Pld|Played}}

! {{Tooltip|W|Won}}

! {{Tooltip|D|Drawn}}

! {{Tooltip|L|Lost}}

! {{Tooltip|GF|Goals for}}

! {{Tooltip|GA|Goals against}}

! {{Tooltip|GD|Goal difference}}

! {{Tooltip|Pts|Points}}

! Playoffs

! FA Cup

2013

| 18

| K3 Challengers League

| 1st (Group B)

| 25

| 16

| 5

| 4

| 86

| 21

| align=right|+65

| 53

| Semi-final

| Did not participate

2014

| 18

| K3 Challengers League

| 1st (Group B)

| 25

| 19

| 2

| 4

| 64

| 27

| align=right|+37

| 59

| bgcolor=gold|Champions

| Second round

2015

| 18

| K3 League

| 2nd (Group B)

| 25

| 18

| 2

| 5

| 65

| 36

| align=right|+29

| 56

| Quarter-final

| Round of 16

2016

| 20

| K3 League

| 9th

| 19

| 9

| 4

| 6

| 37

| 26

| align=right|+11

| 31

| Did not qualify

| Third round

2017

| 12

| K3 Advanced

| 3rd

| 22

| 9

| 8

| 5

| 30

| 26

| align=right|+4

| 35

| Semi-final

| Third round

2018

| 12

| K3 Advanced

| 7th

| 22

| 9

| 6

| 7

| 32

| 25

| align=right|+7

| 33

| Did not qualify

| Third round

2019

| 12

| K3 Advanced

| 1st

| 22

| 16

| 2

| 4

| 44

| 19

| align=right|+25

| 50

| bgcolor=gold|Champions

| Semi-final

2020

| 16

| K3 League

| 6th

| 22

| 9

| 6

| 7

| 29

| 27

| align=right|+2

| 33

| Did not qualify

| Third round

2021

| 15

| K3 League

| 12th

| 28

| 8

| 10

| 29

| 34

| align=right|–5

| 34

| Did not qualify

| Second round

2022

| 16

| K3 League

| 6th

| 30

| 12

| 10

| 8

| 33

| 29

| align=right|+4

| 46

| {{NA}}

| Third round

2023

| 15

| K3 League

| bgcolor=gold|1st

| 28

| 17

| 9

| 2

| 42

| 21

| align=right|+21

| 60

| {{NA}}

| Second round

2024

| 16

| K3 League

| bgcolor=silver|2nd

| 30

| 16

| 8

| 6

| 56

| 32

| align=right|+24

| 56

| {{NA}}

| Third round

2025

| 14

| K League 2

| align=right|

References

External links

{{official website|https://www.hwaseongfc.com}}

Category:Sport in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi

Category:K3 League clubs

Category:K3 League (2007–2019) clubs

Category:K League 2 clubs

Category:Association football clubs established in 2013

Category:2013 establishments in South Korea

Hwaseong FC

History

Colours and crest

Stadium

Current squad

Managerial history

Honours

Season-by-season records

See also

References

External links