 | |||
| Full name | Ulsan HD Football Club 울산 HD 축구단 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | 호랑이 (Tigers) | ||
| Founded | 1983; 42 years ago (1983) (asHyundai Horang-i) | ||
| Ground | Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 37,897 | ||
| Owner | Kwon Oh-gap | ||
| Head coach | Roh Sang-rae (caretaker) | ||
| League | K League 1 | ||
| 2024 | K League 1, 1st of 12 (champions) | ||
| Website | uhdfc.com | ||
 Current season | |||
Ulsan HD FC (Korean:울산 HD FC), formerly Ulsan Hyundai FC,[1][2] is a South Korean professionalfootball club based inUlsan that competes in theK League 1, the top tier of South Korean football. Founded in 1983 as Hyundai Horang-i, they joined theK League in 1984. Their home ground isUlsan Munsu Football Stadium. The club is owned byHD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
Ulsan HD have won the league title five times, most recently in2024, and theKorean FA Cup once, in2017. At the international level, they have won theAFC Champions League twice, in2012 and2020, and are the only club to have won the tournament twice without defeat.[3]
The club was founded on 6 December 1983 as Hyundai Horang-i, with tiger as its mascot (horangi means tiger in Korean). Their original franchise area wasIncheon andGyeonggi Province.[4] They joined the professionalK League from1984 season. While they finished their debut season as 3rd place, the team's strikerBaek Jong-chul became theK League Top Scorer, scoring 16 goals in 28 matches. They won their first professional trophy in 1986, winning theProfessional Football Championship, which is the origin ofKorean League Cup. From the1987 season, the club moved their franchise fromIncheon andGyeonggi Province toGangwon Province. In the1988 season, they finished the season as the runners-up in the league.
Beginning in the1990 season, the club moved their franchise toUlsan, where the headquarters of several branches of owner companyHyundai are located at, fromGangwon Province. FormerSouth Korea's strikerCha Bum-kun took the managerial position in the1991 season, leading the club to the runners-up position in the league in his debut season. However, he failed to win any trophy and was replaced byKo Jae-wook after the1994 season. Under Ko Jae-wook, Ulsan won their second Korean League Cup trophy in1995, which was his debut season as Ulsan manager. Ulsan won their first ever league title in1996, beatingSuwon Samsung Bluewings 3–2 on aggregate in thechampionship playoffs. The club then entered a long dry-spell in terms of league trophies, although they won their third Korean League Cup trophy in1998, beatingBucheon SK 2–1 on aggregate in the finals.
Failure to add a major title for years did affect the team negatively. After the exodus of key players likeKim Hyun-seok and a terrible start in the2000, manager Ko Jae-wook resigned in the middle of the season.
Ulsan appointedKim Jung-nam, who had formerly managed South Korea, as their next manager. They finished as runners-up in2002 and2003, and started to emerge as a strong force. In 2005, with the return of two key players,Yoo Sang-chul andLee Chun-soo, they qualified for thechampionship playoffs. In the play-off semi-final, they beatSeongnam Ilhwa 2–1, and in the final, they beatIncheon United 6–3 on aggregate, with a hat-trick from Lee Chun-Soo in the first leg. They became the league champions for the second time in their history.
The club also went on to win theA3 Champions Cup in2006, in which they participated as K League champions. Although they lost their first match in the competition againstJEF United Ichihara Chiba 3–2, they beatDalian Shide 4–0 andGamba Osaka 6–0 to clinch the trophy. Lee Chun-soo became the competition's top scorer, scoring six goals in three matches. They repeated the merciless attacks in theAFC Champions League that season, beatingAl-Shabab 6–0 in the first leg of the quarter-finals. These overwhelming attacks they showed in the season gave Ulsan the nickname "Gangsters of Asia".[5]
Ulsan won the2007 Korean League Cup, beatingFC Seoul 2–1 in the final on 27 June 2007. In 2008, the team changed their official name from Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i to Ulsan Hyundai FC.[6]
Manager Kim Jung-nam stepped down after the 2008 season.Kim Ho-kon, who had managed the South Koreaunder-23 team that reached the quarter-finals in the2004 Summer Olympics was appointed as Ulsan's next manager.
Kim Ho-kon did not enjoy Ulsan fans' full support for his first few seasons at the club, mainly because of his defensive tactical style and unsatisfying outcomes.[citation needed] The 2011 season was a dramatic changeover; Ulsan won their fifth Korean League Cup, beatingBusan IPark 3–2 in the final. Ulsan also finished the season as runners-up in the K League that season. Their unique style of having many players pushing forward in counterattacks earned them the nickname "Iron mace football".[7]
In 2012, the club won theAFC Champions League, defeatingAl-Ahli 3–0 in the final on 10 November. In the run up to the final, Ulsan went on an unbeaten run throughout the twelve games of the competition, winning nine consecutive games and scoring 27 goals in the process.[8]
Ulsan Hyundai went trophyless for three years after bothCho Min-kook andYoon Jong-hwan failed to guide the club to any major honours.
On 21 November 2016, Ulsan Hyundai hiredKim Do-hoon as their manager.[9] He restored the club status back by guiding the club to the2017 Korean FA Cup final and winning it 2–1 on aggregate against Busan IPark, the club's first trophy in five years.[10] Three years later, Kim also led Ulsan Hyundai to victory in the2020 AFC Champions League, defeating Iranian clubPersepolis 2–1 in the final.[11]Júnior Negrão scored a brace to secure the club's second AFC Champions League trophy, subsequently qualifying for the2020 FIFA Club World Cup, where Ulsan finished sixth.[12]
For the 2021 season, Ulsan Hyundai signed former South Korea international playerHong Myung-bo as their manager. He guided the club to consecutive league titles in the2022 and2023 seasons.[13][14] The 2022 title was won in dramatic fashion, as Ulsan defeated rivalsJeonbuk Hyundai Motors, the winners of the previous five K League 1 seasons, with two goals scored by Hungarian internationalMartin Ádám in injury time.[15] It was Ulsan's first league title since 2005.
In December 2023, Ulsan Hyundai changed its name to Ulsan HD and unveiled a new emblem ahead of the2024 season. The "HD" comes from the club parent company 'HD Hyundai', which was renamed from Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings in December 2022.[16] In April 2024, the team qualified for the expanded2025 FIFA Club World Cup by defeatingYokohama F. Marinos at home in the first leg of the semi-final of the2023–24 AFC Champions League.[17]
With the departure of Hong Myung-bo to guide the South Korea national team, Ulsan HD hired formerMalaysia national team head coachKim Pan-gon on 28 July 2024.[18] He successfully guided the team to a third consecutive championship title in 2024, thereby establishing adynasty.[19]
Although Ulsan managed to win three national titles and a continental championship over five seasons, the aging of the club's key players became apparent through poor performances on the pitch. The club lost its first five league stage games in the newly rebranded2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite,[20] and was eliminated from the tournament after a 2–1 loss to Thai sideBuriram United in February.[21] The team failed to perform better at the start of the2025 K League 1 season, sitting seventh in the league table with only 29 points exactly halfway through the season after 19 games.[22]
Ulsan entered the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as the sole South Korean representative but failed to advance past the group stage. Despite notable performances byUm Won-sang,Lee Jin-hyun, and goalkeeperJo Hyeon-woo, the club fell 1–0 to South African sideMamelodi Sundowns, 4–2 to Brazilian sideFluminense, and 1–0 to German sideBorussia Dortmund.[23] Although Ulsan failed to record a win, they still managed to earn US$9.55 million from participating in the tournament, a record prize sum for the club.[24]
Ulsan's continued poor performances, which included an eleven-game winless streak, led to Kim Pan-gon's sacking in August 2025.[25] The club then appointed former South Korea national team managerShin Tae-yong to the helm in a bid to rebuild,[26] but he was sacked after just two months after the club was assured of finishing in the bottom half of the league.[27]
Ulsan plays at theUlsan Munsu Football Stadium inNam District, completed in 2001 in preparation for the2002 FIFA World Cup. It is one of the largestfootball-specific stadiums in South Korea. The club previously played in theUlsan Stadium of the Ulsan Sports Complex.
The club's players train at the Hyundai Sport Club House, completed in 2002, in the city'sDong District.
The club's main supporters group is called the Cheoyong Warriors (처용전사), founded in 1997.[28] Cheoyong refers to a legendary figure in Korean folklore associated with the city of Ulsan.[29]
Ulsan's on-pitch success led to an all-time high average attendance in 2024, with the club recording 348,119 fans across 19 home games in the season,[30] the second highest in the league behind onlyFC Seoul. Besides the city of Ulsan, the club's fans hail from all over South Korea and the surroundingGyeongsang region in particular.
The club's growing popularity has led to continuously increasing revenue, with the club earning a record 48 billion South Korean won in 2024.[31]
Ulsan contests the fierceDonghaean Derby withPohang Steelers, based in nearbyPohang, another of the most successful clubs in the K League. The rivalry is one between two of the wealthiest industrial cities in South Korea, with Ulsan being a global center for shipbuilding, automotive manufacturing, and oil refining, while Pohang is home to steel giant and Steelers ownerPOSCO.[32]
One of the most memorable matches between the two sides was played in the final round of the2013 K League Classic season. Ulsan only needed a draw to win the title, but conceded a goal late in injury time and Pohang won the title instead.[33] Ulsan also faced Pohang in the2024 Korea Cup final, which Pohang won 3–1 after extra time.[34]
In January 2025, members of the Cheoyong Warriors supporters group protested a move by the city government of Ulsan to change the color of some of the seating of the Munsu Football Stadium to red, citing that red is the color of their arch rivals Pohang.[35]
Since the late 2010s, Ulsan's chief rivals have beenJeonbuk Hyundai Motors in a match known as the Hyundai Derby. Ulsan rose to become the primary rival of Jeonbuk, which dominated South Korean football in the 2010s. Once a one-sided affair, Ulsan's eventual triumph over Jeonbuk in the 2022 season led to an intensification of an already heated rivalry that is arguably still the biggest matchup in the league.[36]
Although the parent companies of Ulsan and Jeonbuk share the Hyundai brand, the parent companies (HD Hyundai for Ulsan andHyundai Motor for Jeonbuk) are legally separate entities.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| No. | Name | From | To | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Moon Jung-sik | 12 July 1983 | 22 April 1986 | |
| C | Cho Chung-yun | 22 April 1986 | December 1986 | Professional Football Championship |
| 2 | December 1986 | 30 December 1987 | ||
| 3 | Kim Ho | 30 December 1987 | 19 November 1990 | |
| 4 | Cha Bum-kun | 23 November 1990 | 27 November 1994 | |
| 5 | Ko Jae-wook | 30 November 1994 | 12 June 2000 | 1995 Korean League Cup 1996 K League 1998 Korean League Cup |
| C | Chung Jong-soo | 12 June 2000 | 21 August 2000 | |
| 6 | Kim Jung-nam | 22 August 2000 | 25 December 2008 | 2005 K League 2007 Korean League Cup |
| 7 | Kim Ho-kon | 26 December 2008 | 4 December 2013 | 2011 Korean League Cup 2012 AFC Champions League |
| 8 | Cho Min-kook | 6 December 2013 | 1 December 2014 | |
| 9 | Yoon Jong-hwan | 1 December 2014 | 14 November 2016 | |
| 10 | Kim Do-hoon | 21 November 2016 | 20 December 2020 | 2017 Korean FA Cup 2020 AFC Champions League |
| 11 | Hong Myung-bo | 24 December 2020 | 11 July 2024 | 2022 K League 1 2023 K League 1 |
| C | Lee Kyung-soo | 11 July 2024 | 28 July 2024 | |
| 12 | Kim Pan-gon | 28 July 2024 | 2 August 2025 | 2024 K League 1 |
| 13 | Shin Tae-yong | 5 August 2025 | 9 October 2025 | |
| C | Roh Sang-rae | 9 October 2025 | present |
_(71).jpg)
| Season | Division | Tms. | Pos. | FA Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 1 | 8 | 3 | — |
| 1985 | 1 | 8 | 4 | — |
| 1986 | 1 | 6 | 6 | — |
| 1987 | 1 | 5 | 4 | — |
| 1988 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — |
| 1989 | 1 | 6 | 6 | — |
| 1990 | 1 | 6 | 5 | — |
| 1991 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — |
| 1992 | 1 | 6 | 3 | — |
| 1993 | 1 | 6 | 3 | — |
| 1994 | 1 | 7 | 4 | — |
| 1995 | 1 | 8 | 2 | — |
| 1996 | 1 | 9 | 1 | Semi-final |
| 1997 | 1 | 10 | 3 | Quarter-final |
| 1998 | 1 | 10 | 2 | Runners-up |
| 1999 | 1 | 10 | 6 | Semi-final |
| 2000 | 1 | 10 | 10 | Quarter-final |
| 2001 | 1 | 10 | 6 | Semi-final |
| 2002 | 1 | 10 | 2 | Quarter-final |
| 2003 | 1 | 12 | 2 | Semi-final |
| 2004 | 1 | 13 | 4 | Semi-final |
| 2005 | 1 | 13 | 1 | Round of 16 |
| 2006 | 1 | 14 | 5 | Round of 32 |
| 2007 | 1 | 14 | 4 | Quarter-final |
| 2008 | 1 | 14 | 3 | Quarter-final |
| 2009 | 1 | 15 | 8 | Round of 32 |
| 2010 | 1 | 15 | 5 | Round of 16 |
| 2011 | 1 | 16 | 2 | Semi-final |
| 2012 | 1 | 16 | 5 | Semi-final |
| 2013 | 1 | 14 | 2 | Round of 16 |
| 2014 | 1 | 12 | 6 | Round of 16 |
| 2015 | 1 | 12 | 7 | Semi-final |
| 2016 | 1 | 12 | 4 | Semi-final |
| 2017 | 1 | 12 | 4 | Winners |
| 2018 | 1 | 12 | 3 | Runners-up |
| 2019 | 1 | 12 | 2 | Round of 32 |
| 2020 | 1 | 12 | 2 | Runners-up |
| 2021 | 1 | 12 | 2 | Semi-final |
| 2022 | 1 | 12 | 1 | Semi-final |
| 2023 | 1 | 12 | 1 | Quarter-final |
| 2024 | 1 | 12 | 1 | Runners-up |
All results list Ulsan's goal tally first.
| Season | Round | Opposition | Home | Away | Agg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Group F |  Tokyo Verdy | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1st |
| Quarter-final |  Al-Shabab | 6–0 | 1–0 | 7–0 | |
| Semi-final | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 1–4 | 3–2 | 4–6 | |
| 2009 | Group E | Nagoya Grampus | 1–3 | 1–4 | 3rd |
 Newcastle Jets | 0–1 | 0–2 | |||
 Beijing Guoan | 1–0 | 1–0 | |||
| 2012 | Group F | Beijing Guoan | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1st |
| FC Tokyo | 1–0 | 2–2 | |||
| Brisbane Roar | 1–1 | 2–1 | |||
| Round of 16 | Kashiwa Reysol | 3–2 | — | — | |
| Quarter-final | Al-Hilal | 1–0 | 4–0 | 5–0 | |
| Semi-final |  Bunyodkor | 2–0 | 3–1 | 5–1 | |
| Final | Al-Ahli | 3–0 | — | — | |
| 2014 | Group H | Western Sydney Wanderers | 0–2 | 3–1 | 3rd |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 2–0 | 1–3 | |||
| Guizhou Renhe | 1–1 | 1–3 | |||
| 2017 | Play-off |  Kitchee | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–3p) | — | — |
| Group E | Kashima Antlers | 0–4 | 0–2 | 3rd | |
| Brisbane Roar | 6–0 | 3–2 | |||
 Muangthong United | 0–0 | 0–1 | |||
| 2018 | Group F | Melbourne Victory | 6–2 | 3–3 | 2nd |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 2–1 | 2–2 | |||
| Shanghai SIPG | 0–1 | 2–2 | |||
| Round of 16 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 1–0 | 0–3 | 1–3 | |
| 2019 | Play-off |  Perak | 5–1 | — | — |
| Group H | Sydney FC | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1st | |
| Shanghai SIPG | 1–0 | 0–5 | |||
| Kawasaki Frontale | 1–0 | 2–2 | |||
| Round of 16 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 0–3 | 2–1 | 2–4 | |
| 2020 | Group F[a] | FC Tokyo | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1st |
| Shanghai Shenhua | 3–1 | 4–1 | |||
| Perth Glory | 2–0 | 2–1 | |||
| Round of 16 | Melbourne Victory | 3–0 | |||
| Quarter-final | Beijing Guoan | 2–0 | |||
| Semi-final | Vissel Kobe | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | |||
| Final |  Persepolis | 2–1 | |||
| 2021 | Group F[a] |  Viettel | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1st |
| BG Pathum United | 2–0 | 2–0 | |||
 Kaya–Iloilo | 2–1 | 3–0 | |||
| Round of 16 | Kawasaki Frontale | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–2p) | |||
| Quarter-final | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | |||
| Semi-final | Pohang Steelers | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–5p) | |||
| 2022 | Play-off | Port | 3–0 | ||
| Group I[a] | Kawasaki Frontale | 3–2 | 1–1 | 3rd | |
| Johor Darul Ta'zim | 1–2 | 1–2 | |||
| Guangzhou | 3–0 | 5–0 | |||
| 2023–24 | Group I | BG Pathum United | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2nd |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 2–2 | 0–1 | |||
| Johor Darul Ta'zim | 3–1 | 1–2 | |||
| Round of 16 | Ventforet Kofu | 3–0 | 2–1 | 5–1 | |
| Quarter-final | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | |
| Semi-final | Yokohama F. Marinos | 1–0 | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | 3–3 (4–5p) | |
| Season | Round | Opposition | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | League stage | Kawasaki Frontale | 0–1 | — | 10th out of 12 (eliminated) |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | — | 0–4 | |||
| Vissel Kobe | 0–2 | — | |||
| Johor Darul Ta'zim | — | 0–3 | |||
| Shanghai Port | 1–3 | — | |||
| Shanghai Shenhua | — | 2–1 | |||
| Buriram United | — | 1–2 | |||
| Shandong Taishan | Cancelled | — | |||
| 2025–26 | League stage | Chengdu Rongcheng | 2–1 | — | |
| Shanghai Shenhua | — | 1–1 | |||
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 1–0 | — | |||
| Vissel Kobe | — | 0–1 | |||
| Buriram United | — | ||||
| Machida Zelvia | — | ||||
| Melbourne City | — | ||||
| Shanghai Port | — |
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| Think tank | ||
| See also | ||
