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Gangwon FC to play home matches in Gangneung in wake of Chuncheon stadium controversy

Published: 13 Aug. 2025, 12:30

Gangwon FC CEO Kim Byung-ji, second from left, and Chuncheon Mayor Yook Dong-han, center. [GANGWON FC]

Gangwon FC will play all of its 2026 K League 1 and Korea Cup, formerly FA Cup, home matches in Gangneung, Gangwon, ending an eight-year run of games in Chuncheon.

Chuncheon did not submit a bid for the club’s “2026 Gangwon FC home game support” re-tender, which closed Tuesday, leaving Gangneung as the sole applicant.

The decision was expected amid a monthslong dispute between Gangwon FC and Chuncheon that began in March. After finishing runner-up in last year’s K League, Gangwon FC earned a spot in the 2025–26 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite. The club entered talks with Chuncheon to upgrade its stadium to meet AFC requirements, but tensions arose during the process.

In April, Gangwon FC CEO Kim Byung-ji compared attendance and season ticket sales between Chuncheon and Gangneung, suggesting Chuncheon could be excluded from the club’s home game schedule. The comment fueled backlash, and by May, banners calling for Kim’s resignation were displayed at Chuncheon Songam Sports Town Main Stadium during a K League match.

Gangwon FC accused Chuncheon of being slow to remove the banners and barred Chuncheon Mayor Yook Dong-han from entering the stadium, escalating the conflict. While Kim Byung-ji remained silent, Gangwon Gov. Kim Jin-tae, the club’s owner, issued an apology on the club’s behalf.

Gangwon Gov. Kim Jin-tae speaks in a press conference held at the provincial office on Jan. 2, 2024. [GANGWON STATE]

The dispute reignited last month when Gangwon FC announced that local government subsidies would be a key criterion in awarding home matches. The club insisted it was not excluding Chuncheon and said it had left the door open for both cities to host games in the latter half of the season.

Chuncheon, citing the “insult to its citizens” and the mayor’s stadium ban, declared it would hold no further talks with Gangwon FC unless it received a sincere apology — and ultimately did not enter a re-tender.

The controversy has spilled into local politics — with Gov. Kim being a member of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) and Mayor Yook being a member of the liberal Democratic Party (DP). CEO Kim was appointed by Gov. Kim.

A Chuncheon city councilor from the DP accused Gangwon FC of “fueling competition with taxpayer money” and said the club should apologize for “dividing the fan base.” A PPP councilor countered that “Chuncheon has betrayed the province’s residents and football fans who support Gangwon FC.”

Gangwon FC said it hoped the matter would be viewed “from the perspective of football.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom staff.
BY LEE HAY-JUNE [[email protected]]