The youth teams of K League 1’s Ulsan HD have cemented their status as a youth development powerhouse by lifting three trophies in October alone.
Ulsan’s Under-18 (U18) team (Hyundai Go) topped the K League Asian Youth Championship, which is jointly organized by the Korea Professional Football Association and Jeju United. The U15 (U15-Hyundai Joong) and U14 and U15 teams simultaneously topped the 2024 K League Junior League, organized by the Korea Football Association and the 파워볼사이트 Korea Professional Football Association.
The Ulsan U15 team welcomed the Pohang Steelers U15 team to their home on Nov. 19 and defeated them 5-2. Ulsan U15 was unstoppable. They dominated the K League Junior League this season with 22 wins, one draw, and one loss in 24 games. This year alone, they completed the “triple treble,” winning the 2024 Uljin Geumgangsong Spring U15 Championship, the 2024 GROUND.N K League U14 Championship, and the Junior League.
The U14 team also clinched the title early with 15 wins, two draws and two losses in 19 matches this season. The Ulsan U14s won the K League Youth Championship in August with a 1-0 victory over Jeonbuk Hyundai U15s.
“I think the good results came because the players and coaching staff did their best in their respective roles and positions,” said Kim Ho-yu, who has led Ulsan’s U14 and U15 secondary teams to the top of five competitions this year. “Winning is an intermediate goal. The ultimate goal of our players and coaches is to contribute to the growth of our players and the growth of the Ulsan youth system in the long run,” he added.
The Ulsan U18s were crowned the inaugural champions of the tournament after defeating Japan’s Roaso Kumamoto 1-0. The K-League Asian Youth Championship, which debuted this season, is an international tournament featuring eight teams from four countries (Korea, Japan, Australia, and Vietnam) designed to further develop the experience and skills of youth players.
Coach Lee Seung-hyun said, “I could see the players stepping up for each other even though they were exhausted from a rather tight schedule. I am grateful to the players. I’m happy to share the honor of winning the inaugural tournament with them, my teammates, and the club,” said Lee.
Ulsan, meanwhile, has a number of players who have come up through its youth system to play for the professional team. Lim Jong-joong, Choi Kang-min, and Kang Min-woo on the defensive line and Kim Min-joon, Choi Kang-min, and Jang Si-young on the offensive line have all been with Ulsan for a long time. Seol Young-woo (FK Tsrubena Zvezda) and Lee Dong-kyung (Gimcheon Commerce), who left the team earlier this season after strong performances, are also products of Ulsan’s youth system.
Central defender Kang Min-woo, who is currently a member of Ulsan’s U18 and U19 national teams, also joined the professional ranks this season on a semi-professional contract and has played in four league matches, serving as a key resource for the professional team.
“The club will continue to build a solid and practical youth system by continuously and systematically developing youth players and linking them to the professional squad,” said an Ulsan official.