Ulsan HD Taps Club Legend Kim Hyun-seog to Steer Team from Crisis After Tumultuous 2025 Season

From three-time champions to ninth place in a single season. After a year of chaos that saw two coaches fired, Ulsan HD FC is turning to a club icon for salvation. The club announced on Wednesday that their legendary former player, Kim Hyun-seog, 58, will take over as the new head coach, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The Champion's Collapse in 2025

The 2025 season was a nightmare for Ulsan. The glory of their K League 1 three-peat from 2022 to 2024 vanished as the team spiraled. They began the year with Kim Pan-gon in charge but fired him in August amid a 10-match winless slide. Former national team head coach Shin Tae-yong was brought in to stop the bleeding, but he too was sacked just two months later with the club stuck in the bottom half of the table. Ulsan finished the season in ninth place among 12 clubs. To make matters worse, after the season, Ulsan players accused Shin of physical and verbal abuse, prompting the Korea Football Association to launch an investigation.

Return of 'Mr. Ulsan'

The daunting task of rebuilding the club now falls to Kim Hyun-seog, affectionately known as 'Mr. Ulsan.' A one-club man, he spent his entire 12-season playing career with the team starting in 1990. He scored 111 goals in 373 matches, was named league MVP in 1996 while leading Ulsan to their first-ever league title, and was named to the K League Best XI six times. After retiring, he served as an assistant coach for Ulsan from 2004 to 2012 and more recently led K League 2 club Chungnam Asan FC to a franchise-best second-place finish in 2024.

"I will do everything in my power to help rebuild my old club," Kim said. "I think leadership is my strongest suit. If I can connect with them with an open mind, then I think we can go back to our glory days."