Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors facts for kids
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| Full name | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Football Club 전북 현대 모터스 축구단 |
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| Founded | 1994 (as Chonbuk Dinos) |
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| Ground | Jeonju World Cup Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 34,276 | |||
| Owner | Hyundai Motor Company | |||
| Chairman | Chung Eui-sun | |||
| Manager | Gus Poyet | |||
| League | K League 1 | |||
| 2024 | K League 1, 10th of 12 | |||
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Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC (Korean: 전북 현대 모터스 FC) is a professional football club from Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, South Korea. They play in the K League 1, which is the top football league in South Korea.
Jeonbuk is one of the most successful clubs in South Korea. They have won the K League a record nine times. This includes winning five titles in a row from 2017 to 2021. They have also won the Korean FA Cup five times. On the international stage, Jeonbuk has won the AFC Champions League twice. Their first win was in 2006, making them the first East Asian club to win the tournament since it changed its name in 2003. The club plays its home games at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium.
Contents
Club History
How it Started
The club we know today as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors began in January 1993. It was first called Wansan Pumas. This was the first K League team named after its home city. However, the team struggled to find enough money and went bankrupt.
But people in the area still wanted a football club. So, a local company called Bobae Ltd. stepped in to help. In 1994, the team joined the K League as Chonbuk Buffalo. Unfortunately, they faced money problems again and closed down after the 1994 season.
Later in 1994, South Korea was trying to host the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Hyundai Motors decided to take over the players from Chonbuk Buffalo. They formed a new club called Chonbuk Dinos on December 12, 1994. The K League officially sees Chonbuk Buffalo and Chonbuk Dinos (which later became Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) as different clubs.
Becoming Champions (2005–2021)
For many years, Jeonbuk was not a top team in the K League. They often finished in the middle of the standings. This changed when Choi Kang-hee became manager in July 2005. That same year, in December, Jeonbuk won the Korean FA Cup.
In 2006, Jeonbuk finished 11th in the K League, which was not great. But they surprised everyone by winning their first AFC Champions League title! On their way to the final, they beat strong teams like Japan's Gamba Osaka and China's Shanghai Shenhua. They also defeated South Korean champions Ulsan Horang-i in the semi-finals. In the final, they won 3–2 against Al-Karamah from Syria.
Because they won the AFC Champions League, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors got to play in the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup. They lost their first game 1–0 to América. But they then beat Auckland City 3–0 and finished fifth in the tournament.
In 2009, Jeonbuk became the Korean champions for the first time. They beat Seongnam Ilhwa 3–1 in the K League Championship. They won the league again in 2011, defeating Ulsan Hyundai 4–2 in the final. In 2011, they also reached the AFC Champions League final. However, they lost to Al-Sadd after a penalty shoot-out.
With a lot of support from Hyundai, Jeonbuk built a modern training center called Yulsori Clubhouse in Wanju County in 2013. This support and Choi Kang-hee's exciting playing style helped the club dominate the K League. They won the league titles in 2014 and 2015.
The year 2016 was a mix of good and bad for Jeonbuk. They won their second AFC Champions League title by beating Al-Ain 3–2. But they faced problems in the domestic league. The club was accused of bribing referees through a scout. As a result, they were fined and had nine points taken away from their 2016 league score. This caused their rivals FC Seoul to win the title instead. Even though they were champions of Asia, Jeonbuk was not allowed to play in the 2017 AFC Champions League because of this incident.
Despite the setback, the club continued to be very successful in the K League. They won the next five league titles in a row. They also won the 2020 Korean FA Cup, beating Ulsan over two games. This was their first time winning both the league and the FA Cup in the same year.
Recent Years (2022–Present)
The 2022 season marked a change for Jeonbuk. They lost the league title to their main rivals Ulsan by just three points. However, they did win the 2022 Korean FA Cup. The next year, 2023, was even tougher. The club finished fourth in the 2023 season, which was their lowest league finish since 2008. They also lost to Pohang Steelers in the 2023 final. Because they finished fourth and didn't win the FA Cup, they could not play in the new 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite tournament.
Jeonbuk's struggles continued into the 2024 season. They finished tenth, which meant they were close to being moved down to a lower league for the first time ever. Luckily, they avoided relegation by beating Seoul E-Land in the play-offs.
In December 2024, Jeonbuk hired Uruguayan manager Gus Poyet. The club hopes he can bring them back to their winning ways. In their first game under Poyet, they beat Thai team Port FC 4–0 in the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two. New player Andrea Compagno scored two goals in that match.
Fans and Rivalries
Supporters
Jeonbuk is the most popular football team in South Korea. It is the second most popular sports team overall, after the Kia Tigers baseball team. The club has over two million fans from all over the country, especially from the Honam region. They also have almost half a million followers on TikTok. This number grew a lot because of former player Cho Gue-sung, who became famous internationally after scoring two goals for South Korea in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The club's main fan group is called the Mad Green Boys. They sit in the North Stand of the stadium.
Rivalries
Seoul Area Clubs
Jeonbuk has strong rivalries with FC Seoul (called the Jeonseol Match) and Suwon Samsung Bluewings (called Gongseongjeon). These two clubs are the most popular football teams in the Seoul Metropolitan Area. The rivalry between these three teams also reflects the business competition between their parent companies: Hyundai, LG, and Samsung. These are three of the biggest business groups in South Korea. Their rivalry was most intense in the 2010s, when Jeonbuk became dominant while Seoul and Suwon faced challenges.
On May 3, 2025, Jeonbuk fans set a new record for away attendance. Over 7,600 Jeonbuk fans traveled to watch their team play against Seoul. This shows how strong their rivalry is.
Hyundai Derby
Since the late 2010s, Jeonbuk's biggest league rival has become Ulsan HD. Ulsan started to challenge Jeonbuk's dominance in the league. They finally ended Jeonbuk's five-year winning streak in 2022. Matches between these two big teams are now seen as the most important derby in the country. In 2025, all 32,560 seats at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium were sold out for the first time ever for a game against Ulsan. Jeonbuk won that match 3–1.
Even though both clubs have "Hyundai" in their names, their parent companies are legally separate businesses.
International Rivalry
In the 2010s, Jeonbuk had an intense international rivalry with Chinese team Guangzhou Evergrande. They played each other often in the AFC Champions League. Both teams were the strongest in their own leagues and often met in continental competitions. Many South Korean players and staff helped Guangzhou win against Jeonbuk and other Asian teams. This was because Guangzhou and other Chinese Super League teams used their large budgets to attract talented players from South Korea.
Guangzhou closed down in 2025, so this rivalry no longer exists.
Home Stadium and Training
Jeonbuk has played its home games at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium since 2002. The stadium was finished in 2001 and can hold 34,276 fans. Before this, their home ground was the Jeonju Sports Complex Stadium. Jeonbuk also has a reserve team, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors N, which plays at the Wanju Public Stadium in nearby Wanju County.
Jeonbuk owns one of the most modern training facilities in Asia. It's called the Yulsori Clubhouse and is located in Bongdong-eup, Wanju. This advanced training center is designed like those used by top European clubs. It has a large hydrotherapy room, indoor and outdoor training fields, private sleeping rooms, a gym, and a cafeteria.
Players
Current Squad
- As of July 17, 2025
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Players on Loan
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Club Staff
Coaching Team
- First team manager:
Gus Poyet - First team coaches:
Mauricio Taricco, Diego Poyet, 
Jung Jo-gook - Goalkeeping coach: Hwang Hee-hoon
- Fitness coach:
Panagiotis Voulgaris - N team manager: An Dae-hyun
- N team coaches: Kim Kwang-suk, Jung Boo-sun, Woo Jung-ha
Source: Official website
Support Team
- Team doctor: Song Ha-heon
- Physiotherapist:
Gilvan Oliveira - Medical trainers: Kim Byeong-seon, Lee Gyu-yeol, Noh Sang-keun
- N team medical trainer: Park Jeong-hun
- Analyst: Lee Sun-gu
- N team analyst: Park Jun-wan
- Kit manager: Choi Jae-hyeok
- Interpreters: Kim James Min-su, Pyo Seok-hwan
Source: Official website
Club Achievements
Domestic Titles
- K League 1
- Winners (9): 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
- Runners-up (3): 2012, 2016, 2022
- Korean FA Cup
- Winners (5): 2000, 2003, 2005, 2020, 2022
- Runners-up (3): 1999, 2013, 2023
- Korean League Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2010
- Korean Super Cup
- Winners (1): 2004
- Runners-up (2): 2001, 2006
- Korean President's Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1999 (reserve team)
International Titles
- AFC Champions League
- Winners (2): 2006, 2016
- Runners-up (1): 2011
- Asian Cup Winners' Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2002
Managers
| No. | Name | From | To | Season(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha Kyung-bok |
1994/11/26 | 1996/12/05 | 1995–1996 |
| 2 | Choi Man-hee |
1996/12/06 | 2001/07/18 | 1997–2001 |
| C | Nam Dae-sik |
2001/07/19 | 2001/10/03 | 2001 |
| 3 | Cho Yoon-hwan |
2001/10/04 | 2005/06/12 | 2001–2005 |
| C | Kim Hyung-yul |
2005/06/13 | 2005/07/10 | 2005 |
| 4 | Choi Kang-hee |
2005/07/04 2013/06/28 |
2011/12/21 2018/12/02 |
2005–2011 2013–2018 |
| C | Lee Heung-sil |
2012/01/05 | 2012/12/12 | 2012 |
| C | Fábio Lefundes |
2012/12/20 | 2013/06/01 | 2013 |
| C | Shin Hong-gi |
2013/06/25 | 2013/06/27 | 2013 |
| 5 |  José Morais |
2018/12/03 | 2020/12/06 | 2019–2020 |
| 6 | Kim Sang-sik |
2020/12/22 | 2023/05/04 | 2021–2023 |
| C | Kim Do-heon |
2023/05/04 | 2023/06/08 | 2023 |
| 7 |  Dan Petrescu |
2023/06/09 | 2024/04/06 | 2023–2024 |
| C | Park Won-jae |
2024/04/07 | 2024/05/26 | 2024 |
| 8 | Kim Do-heon |
2024/05/27 | 2024/12/16 | 2024 |
| 9 | Gus Poyet |
2024/12/24 | present | 2025– |
See also
In Spanish: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Football Club para niños
- List of football clubs in South Korea
