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Captain for K League champs Jeonbuk heads to China

Published: 04 Jan. 2026, 12:53

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors captain Park Jin-seob speaks during the 2025 Korea Cup final pre-game press conference at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on Dec. 5, 2025. [NEWS1]

Park Jin-seob, who captained Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to a Korean football double last year, is taking his talent to China.

Jeonbuk, the 2025 K League 1 champions, announced Saturday that Park will soon join Zhejiang FC in the Chinese Super League. The 30-year-old had played for Jeonbuk from 2022 to 2025 as a versatile defender who could also handle midfielder duties.

Park enjoyed his finest campaign to date last year as the defensive conscience for Jeonbuk. Bouncing back from a disastrous 2024 season in which they narrowly avoided relegation to the K League 2, Jeonbuk cruised to the K League 1 title in 2025 with Park anchoring the league's stingiest defense. They conceded only 32 goals in 38 matches. Then head coach Gus Poyet sang Park's praise at every opportunity, extolling the veteran's leadership on and off the field.

Park was the runner-up in the K League 1 MVP voting in November. And after helping Jeonbuk win the Korea Cup in December, the top national tournament, Park earned that competition's MVP award.

According to Jeonbuk, Park had recently told the club he wanted to challenge himself in a foreign league, and they decided to grant him his wish, considering Park's sacrifices and contributions for the club over the past four seasons.

Park said it had been his childhood dream to play for Jeonbuk, his hometown team based in Jeonju, North Jeolla, and added he'd enjoyed "the time of my life" with them.

"I will always remember the love and support from our fans," he said. "I may be leaving, but I will always root for Jeonbuk from the bottom of my heart."

Park's departure is part of Jeonbuk's massive offseason overhaul. Poyet, who decided to leave after just one season here, has already been replaced by Chung Jung-yong, former head coach of Gimcheon Sangmu FC and the Korean men's under-20 national team. Ex-captain and MVP-winning defender Hong Jeong-ho is also on his way out, along with star midfielder Song Min-kyu. Another popular midfielder, Kwon Chang-hoon, signed with Jeju SK earlier Saturday.

Yonhap