Gangwon FC (Korean: 강원 FC) is a South Korean football club based in Gangwon Province. They joined the K League as its 15th club for the 2009 season. The club is sponsored by High1 Resort.
Contents
History
Gangwon Province's governor Kim Jin-sun announced a schedule for the foundation of the 15th professional football club to participate in the K League on 28 April 2008. A committee, the "Foundation of Football Club in Gangwon Preparation Committee", was organized on 18 June 2008 to facilitate the foundation. Preparations had advanced enough that by 17 November 2008, 14 players had joined Gangwon FC in its first nomination. On 20 November 2008, Gangwon FC organized its first full squad, totaling 23 players, including nine from the 2009 K League draft. Gangwon FC was formally founded on 18 December 2008, in time to participate in the 2009 edition of the K League.
Gangwon FC played its first ever K League match against Jeju United on 8 March 2009, at Gangneung Stadium, winning 1–0 with a decisive goal from Yoon Jun-ha. The team continued their winning start with a further four victories on the trot and causing a sensation in the first half of the 2009 K League season. Gangwon was unable to maintain their initial success, and by round 19 had fallen into the lower half of the league table. By the conclusion of their first season in the K League, they placed 13th among 15 clubs.
In the 2009 Korean FA Cup, Gangwon entered the competition in the round of 32 and defeated their first opponent Incheon Korail FC in a penalty shoot-out after a 2–2 draw. They then faced the Chunnam Dragons, losing 1–0. In the 2009 Korean League Cup, Gangwon finished bottom of their group with only a single win (against Daejeon Citizen).
Gangwon FC had a difficult season in 2010, even though first striker Kim Young-hoo scored 13 goals in the league. The club finished 12th out of 15 clubs. The 2011 season was the worst since the club's establishment. Gangwon finished last in the league, with the entire team scoring only 14 goals in thirty matches.
In the 2012 season, K League imposed a new promotion-relegation structure: bottom two teams in the top-tier league were to be relegated to second division. In the 43rd round, Gangwon managed to remain in the top-tier with Baek Jong-hwan's decisive goal that won the away game against Seongnam Ilhwa, avoiding relegation by one point.
In the 2013 season of K League Classic, the first season in which K League implemented automatic relegation of the bottom two teams and the third from the bottom team having to play in the promotion-relegation playoffs against the champion of the K League Challenge, Gangwon finished the season third from last and subsequently relegated to the K League Challenge after losing to Sangju Sangmu Phoenix over two legs in the playoffs.
Stadiums and facilities
Gangwon has two home stadiums: Gangneung Stadium (known as the Gangneung High1 Arena for sponsorship reasons) in the coastal city of Gangneung, and Chuncheon Songam Stadium in Chuncheon, the capital of Gangwon Province.
The club's training ground, called the Orange House, is in Gangneung.
Players
Current squad
As of 14 September 2026
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.
Youth team
On 13 September 2010, Gangwon FC U-12 team was established in Gangneung. On 2 November 2011, Gangwon FC made an agreement with Gangneung Jeil High School (under-18 team) and Jumunjin Middle School (under-15 team).
On 1 February 2021, it was officially announced that Gangwon would be the first fully professional team to found a reserve team set to play in the semi-professional K4 League, in order to give their youth players and/or other registered members of the senior team more playing time. The main condition for them would be to have at least seven out of eleven players in the starting formation aged 23 or younger. Lee Seul-gi, who had previously served as first-team coach for Gangwon, was appointed as the manager of the newly established U23 squad.
Coaching staff and executive office
Coaching staff
Manager: Chung Kyung-ho
Assistant manager: Park Yong-ho
First-team coach: Choi Hyo-jin, Song Chang-ho
Goalkeeping coach: Jeon Sang-wook
Reserve team coach: Oh Beom-seok
Reserve team goalkeeping coach: Kim Min-sik
Physical coach: Jang Seok-min, Byun Ju-won
Tactical coach: Jang Young-hoon
Data/video analyst: Kim Ju-young
Executive office
Chairman: Gangwon Province governor
President
Kim Won-dong (11 November 2008 – 22 July 2011)
Nam Jong-hyun (22 August 2011 – 19 September 2012)
Kim Deok-rae (caretaker) (14 December 2012 – 28 May 2013)
Im Eun-ju (29 May 2013 – 31 December 2015)
Jo Tae-ryong (4 March 2016 – 30 October 2018)
Han Won-seok (caretaker) (31 October 2018 – 31 December 2018)
Park Jong-wan (1 January 2019 – 31 December 2020)
Honours
League
K League 1
Runners-up (1): 2024
Season-by-season records
Domestic record
Key
SF = Semi-final
QF = Quarter-final
R16 = Round of 16
R32 = Round of 32
GS = Group stage
Continental record
All results list Gangwon's goal tally first.