Gwangju FC Ends 29-Match Winless Run ... First Step Toward Recovery Under Acting CEO Choi Suyong

Bottom-placed Gwangju beat second-place Ulsan 4-3
End 218-day winless streak
Acting CEO Choi: "We must join forces to put the club back on track"

Gwangju FC, which had gone 218 days without a win, ended its lengthy winless streak in its first match since Choi Suyong took over as acting CEO.

The win has drawn particular attention because it came as members of the local football community and fans began joining forces to help put the club back on track following the change to an acting CEO system.

Gwangju FC defeated Ulsan HD, second in the league, 4-3 in a home match on October 11 at Gwangju World Cup Stadium in Round 31 of the 2026 Hana Bank K League 1. It was the club's first win in 29 matches and its first in 218 days, since its victory over Incheon United in March.

Choi Suyong, Acting CEO of Gwangju FC

Across its previous 28 matches, Gwangju had recorded 12 draws and 16 losses, extending its record for the longest winless streak in K League 1 and 2 combined. Despite the win, Gwangju remained at the bottom of the table with two wins, 12 draws, 17 losses and 18 points.

However, the local football community sees the win as a major positive, as it dramatically changed the gloomy atmosphere that had persisted after Gwangju beat Ulsan, a title contender. The fact that the win came in the first match since Choi took over as acting CEO adds further significance.

In a phone interview with The Asia Business Daily, Acting CEO Choi said, "In a home match like this, the players can draw on even their unseen reserves of energy in response to the fans' cheers. About 6,700 paying spectators officially attended the match."

He said he recalled that fewer than 1,000 spectators had attended the previous home match, and noted how dramatically the atmosphere in the stands had changed that day.

"Since the club moved to an acting CEO system, many people from the football community and amateur players have come to the stadium. With all that cheering and energy, the players also worked incredibly hard," Acting CEO Choi said. "It was a wonderful day to see what the players showed on the field."

Choi explained that a message calling on the local football community to unite and help restore the club had also played a major role in changing the atmosphere in the stands.

"People in the football community and others interested in football have had a lot to say about Gwangju FC's results and the atmosphere at the club," he said. "First, people in football and those who love the sport came together around the idea that, as fans, we should work unconditionally to help restore Gwangju FC."

"The message that any problems could be discussed later, and that we should draw on the wisdom of people through an innovation committee or a future innovation committee to find a way forward, seems to have come across clearly in a short time," he explained.

Acting CEO Choi reportedly conveyed this message to Gwangju FC players and local football officials before the match on October 11. The priority, separate from discussions about the club's internal issues, was to support the players and help put Gwangju FC back on track.

Choi stressed that the local football community should unite even more in the wake of the win. Given its current points total, Gwangju FC is facing the prospect of having to prepare for a promotion-relegation playoff to remain in the top division.

"Given the club's current situation, we need to prepare for the promotion-relegation playoff," Acting CEO Choi said, emphasizing that "fans and people in the football community must all stay engaged throughout the preparations." He added, "We must join forces to restore the pride of Gwangju football and put the club back on track."

Gwangju FC has been operating under Choi Suyong, the current chairman of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Football Association, as acting CEO since September 21.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.