Hwaseong FC
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| Full name | Hwaseong Football Club 화성에프씨 | ||
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| Founded | 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 | ||
| 2025 | K League 2, 10th of 14 | ||
| Website | www | ||
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Hwaseong FC (Korean: 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.
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).[1] The club was officially founded on 23 January 2013 as a semi-professional club.[2][3]
In their first season, Hwaseong FC immediately finished first in the Challengers League – Group B and advanced to the final stages,[4] but failed to advance to the championship finals after being eliminated by Paju Citizen, finishing the season in third place overall.[5] 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.[6][7]
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.[8] In the same season, Hwaseong became the first fourth-division team to reach the semi-finals of the Korean FA Cup.[9] 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.[10] They won another K3 League title in 2023, before finishing as runners-up in their final semi-professional season the following year.[11][12]
Hwaseong FC turned professional in December 2024, joining the second-tier K League 2.[12] Former South Korean international Cha Du-ri was appointed head coach for the team's first professional season.[11]
Colours and crest
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.[13] 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.[13]
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).[14]
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,[15] and since 2023, they have played at the 35,265-capacity main stadium.
Current squad
- As of 10 March 2026.[16]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Managerial history
- Kim Jong-boo (2013–2015)[17]
- Lee Do-yong (2016)[18]
- Kim Sung-nam (2017–2018)[19]
- Kim Hak-chul (2019–2021)[20]
- Kang Chul (2022–2023)[21]
- Ju Seung-jin (2024)[22]
- Cha Du-ri (2025–present)[23]
Honours
Season-by-season records
| Season | Teams | League | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Playoffs | Korean Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 18 | K3 Challengers League | 1st (Group B) | 25 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 86 | 21 | +65 | 53 | Semi-final | Did not participate |
| 2014 | 18 | K3 Challengers League | 1st (Group B) | 25 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 64 | 27 | +37 | 59 | Champions | Second round |
| 2015 | 18 | K3 League | 2nd (Group B) | 25 | 18 | 2 | 5 | 65 | 36 | +29 | 56 | Quarter-final | Round of 16 |
| 2016 | 20 | K3 League | 9th | 19 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 37 | 26 | +11 | 31 | Did not qualify | Third round |
| 2017 | 12 | K3 Advanced | 3rd | 22 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 30 | 26 | +4 | 35 | Semi-final | Third round |
| 2018 | 12 | K3 Advanced | 7th | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 32 | 25 | +7 | 33 | Did not qualify | Third round |
| 2019 | 12 | K3 Advanced | 1st | 22 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 44 | 19 | +25 | 50 | Champions | Semi-final |
| 2020 | 16 | K3 League | 6th | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 27 | +2 | 33 | Did not qualify | Third round |
| 2021 | 15 | K3 League | 12th | 28 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 29 | 34 | –5 | 34 | Did not qualify | Second round |
| 2022 | 16 | K3 League | 6th | 30 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 33 | 29 | +4 | 46 | N/a | Third round |
| 2023 | 15 | K3 League | 1st | 28 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 42 | 21 | +21 | 60 | N/a | Second round |
| 2024 | 16 | K3 League | 2nd | 30 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 56 | 32 | +24 | 56 | N/a | Third round |
| 2025 | 14 | K League 2 | 10th | 39 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 36 | 50 | –14 | 40 | Did not qualify | Third round |