Which K League 1 teams have changed manager ahead of 2024 season?

There'll be some new faces in the dugouts this season in K League 1 in 2024, some familiar having managed in K League before. In total, four teams have changed their managers since the end of last season - Pohang Steelers, FC Seoul, Jeju United, and Suwon FC. Some are managing in K League again for the first time in a few years like Jeju's Kim Hak-bum, others have switched teams like Kim Gi-dong, while others are managing at club level for the first time such as Suwon FC's Kim Eun-jung. 

Pohang Steelers - Park Tae-ha

Park Tae-ha is the new manager of Pohang Steelers, taking over at the Steelyard following Kim Gi-dong's move to FC Seoul. Park Tae-ha is no stranger to Pohang having spent 10 years with the club as a player between 1991 and 2001. Park was also part of the coaching staff at the Steelyard from 2005 to 2007 before joining the national team set up where he remained until 2011. In 2012, Park became assistant manager at FC Seoul and his first managerial job came in the Chinese second tier with the now-defunct Yanbian Funde. He spent three years there and oversaw 123 matches, winning 43, drawing 29, and losing 51 for a win percentage of 35%. After that, Park spent a year as the China women's national team manager but since 2020 until his Pohang appointment, Park has been the head of the K League TSG, a technical study group for out-of-work managers who compile scouting and tactical reports. 

[READ: Pohang Steelers 2024 Season Preview]

FC Seoul - Kim Gi-dong

Kim Gi-dong is the new manager of FC Seoul, becoming the capital club's 15th permanent boss at the tail-end of 2023. Kim's managerial career began with Pohang in 2019, guiding them to fourth in his first season, third in his second and the AFC Champions League Final in his third. Another third-place finish followed in 2022 before finishing as runners-up last season and winning the FA Cup. Kim oversaw 200 matches as Steelers gaffer, winning 94, drawing 53, and losing 53 for a win percentage of 47%. There are a number of players currently with FC Seoul whom Kim will be familiar with - namely Stanislav Iljutcenko, Lee Seung-mo, Kwon Wan-kyu, Aleksandar Paločević, and Lim Sang-hyub.

[READ: FC Seoul 2024 Season Preview]

Jeju United - Kim Hak-bum

Kim Hak-bum is back in K League management for the first time since 2017. The 63-year-old has most recently been in charge of South Korea's U23s and spent four years with the young Taeguk Warriors, during which he led his country to Asian Games gold in 2018 and the AFC U-23 Championship title in 2020. Kim is a K League title-winning manager, too, having guided Seongnam to the 2006 title as well as the 2014 FA Cup. He takes over at Jeju after the departure of Nam Ki-il who left mid-season; Jung Jo-gook was placed in caretaker charge.

[READ: Jeju United 2024 Season Preview]

Suwon FC - Kim Eun-jung

Following the departure of Kim Do-kyun to Seoul E-Land, Kim Eun-jung was appointed as new manager of Suwon FC. Kim enjoyed a storied career as a player, winning the FA Cup with Daejeon Citizen, and the K League title with Pohang, but is making his first foray into club management with Suwon. After hanging up his boots in 2014, Kim went to Belgium to join the coaching staff at Royale Union Tubize-Braine where he also had a scouting role, and in 2017 even had a short stint as caretaker manager. Kim was on Kim Hak-bum's coaching staff for the 2018 Asian Games, and took charge of the South Korea U20 team in 2022, leading them to the last four of the U-20 AFC Asian Cup, and fourth-place finish at the U20 World Cup. 

[READ: K League 1's most valuable players]

First Full Seasons

The 2024 campaign will be a first at K League 1 level for Chung Jung-yong with Gimcheon back in the top flight following promotion last year. Chung took over the army team at the end of May last year but was able to guide Gimcheon to the K League 2 title and promotion.

It's also the first full season in charge for Jeonbuk's Dan Petrescu and Gangwon's Yoon Jong-hwan. Dan Petrescu is the only foreign head coach in K League 1 at present and took over in June last year while Yoon Jong-hwan took over the reins at Gangwon in June following the sacking of his 2002 World Cup teammate Choi Yong-soo.

Currently, Incheon United's Jo Sung-hwan is the longest-serving manager in K League 1 having taken over art Sungui Arena Park in August 2020, followed by Ulsan's who was appointed in the December of that year.

Full List of K League 1 Managers

Choi Won-kwon, Daegu FC (Appointed November 2022)
Lee Min-sung, Daejeon Hana Citizen (Appointed December 2020)
Yoon Jong-hwan, Gangwon FC (Appointed June 2023)
Chung Jung-yong, Gimcheon Sangmu (Appointed May 2023)
Lee Jung-ho, Gwangju (Appointed December 2021)
Jo Sung-hwan, Incheon United (Appointed August 2020)
Kim Hak-bum, Jeju United (Appointed December 2023)
Dan Petrescu, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (Appointed June 2023)
Park Tae-ha, Pohang Steelers (Appointed December 2023)
Kim Gi-dong, FC Seoul (Appointed December 2023)
Kim Eun-jung, Suwon FC (Appointed December 2023)

Hong Myung-bo, Ulsan HD (Appointed December 2020)