Hong Hyun-seok
South Korean footballer (born 1999)
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Hong Hyun-seok (Korean: 홍현석; born 16 June 1999) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a central or attacking midfielder for Belgian Pro League club Gent on loan from Bundesliga club Mainz 05, and the South Korea national team.
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Hong in 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 16 June 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Seoul, South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team |
Gent (on loan from Mainz 05) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2017 | Ulsan Hyundai[note 1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2021 | Ulsan Hyundai | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | → SpVgg Unterhaching (loan) | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | → Juniors OÖ (loan) | 52 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | LASK | 27 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Gent | 70 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Mainz 05 | 23 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | → Nantes (loan) | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2026– | → Gent (loan) | 19 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | South Korea U17 | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | South Korea U23 | 11 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | South Korea | 16 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 1 June 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 31 March 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Club career
Early career
In January 2018, a youth player of Ulsan Hyundai, Hong was loaned to German 3. Liga club SpVgg Unterhaching.[1] On 27 February 2019, he made his professional debut, coming on as a substitute for Lucas Hufnagel in the 84th minute of a 3. Liga match against VfR Aalen.[2] In the summer of 2019, he was once again loaned, moving to Austrian 2. Liga club Juniors OÖ. After two years at Juniors OÖ, he joined LASK, making his first permanent move. During the 2021–22 season, he played for LASK at the Austrian Bundesliga and the UEFA Conference League.
Gent
On 8 August 2022, Hong moved to Belgian Pro League club Gent in the aftermath of an ACL injury suffered by striker Tarik Tissoudali, becoming the first Korean to play for the club.[3] On 12 August, he scored a spectacular overhead kick goal in a 3–1 away win over Oostende, where he made his debut.[4][5] While adapting quickly at Gent in the first season, he had 5 goals and 5 assists in 31 Pro League matches,[6] and 1 goal and 4 assists in 12 Conference League matches.[7] His rapid growth at Gent led him to join the South Korea national team.[8]
Mainz 05
On 29 August 2024, Hong joined Bundesliga club Mainz 05 on a four-year deal until 30 June 2028.[9] During his first season at Mainz, he played as a substitute for main attacking midfielders Lee Jae-sung and Paul Nebel in 19 matches excluding four starts.[10]
Loan to Nantes
On 30 July 2025, Hong was loaned to Ligue 1 club Nantes, with an option to buy.[11] While Nantes struggled to escape the relegation zone in the first half of the season, he did not show great influence, appearing in only six matches. His loan contract was eventually terminated early.[12]
Loan to Gent
On 14 January 2026, he was loaned to Gent, returning to his former club until the end of the season.[13]
International career
Hong was included in South Korea's under-15 squad for the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics held in Nanjing, China.[14] He played all four matches as a starter, earning a silver medal.[15]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 1 June 2026[16]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| SpVgg Unterhaching (loan) | 2018–19 | 3. Liga | 7 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Juniors OÖ (loan) | 2019–20 | Austrian 2. Liga | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| 2020–21 | Austrian 2. Liga | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |
| Total | 52 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 2 | ||
| LASK | 2021–22 | Austrian Bundesliga | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12[a] | 1 | 40 | 1 |
| 2022–23 | Austrian Bundesliga | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 27 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 44 | 1 | ||
| Gent | 2022–23 | Belgian Pro League | 37 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 14[b] | 1 | 54 | 9 |
| 2023–24 | Belgian Pro League | 30 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 11[a] | 1 | 43 | 7 | |
| 2024–25 | Belgian Pro League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[a] | 2 | 7 | 2 | |
| Total | 70 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 29 | 4 | 104 | 18 | ||
| Mainz 05 | 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | |
| Nantes (loan) | 2025–26 | Ligue 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |
| Gent (loan) | 2025–26 | Belgian Pro League | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 1 | |
| Career total | 204 | 14 | 12 | 3 | 41 | 5 | 257 | 22 | ||
- Appearances in UEFA Conference League
- Twelve appearances and one goal in UEFA Conference League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
Honours
Notes
- Played for Hyundai Middle School from 2012 to 2014, and Hyundai High School from 2015 to 2017, which were academies of Ulsan Hyundai.
