2026 Season Preview: Yongin FC

Yongin FC may be new to the K League stage, but they appear ready to upset the old guard. Backed by a city hall with deep pockets, Yongin have snapped up several big-name free agents. Is this a recipe for success, or are Yongin about to become an expensive retirement home?

What Happened?

The most important thing to understand is that Yongin FC are a brand-new club. They have never played a competitive match of football. Yongin are a K League 2 side because the local city hall applied for membership and met the minimum requirements set out by the governing body.

[READ: Introducing Gimhae, Paju, and Yongin: K League's new clubs]

They boast a training centre and a modern 35,000-capacity stadium that has already hosted international football, AFC Champions League fixtures, and K League matches. Not to mention, they have assembled a playing squad dripping with experience.

Notable Moves

Gabriel Tigrão

Former Gwangju striker Gabriel returns to Korea after an unsuccessful spell in Japan. At 24, the Brazilian forward is at an ideal age, especially given his prior K League experience. He scored eight goals and provided five assists in 33 matches during the 2024 season. The powerful striker has the physique and attributes to excel in K League 2.

Kim Bo-sub

Aside from his military service with Sangmu, Kim Bo-sub has been with Incheon United since his teens. A two-time K League 2 champion, he has over 200 appearances across multiple positions. Korean clubs value versatile, two-footed players, and Kim fits that mould perfectly.

Kim Min-woo will aim to bring all his experience to Mireu Stadium.

Kim Min-woo

Kim Min-woo is another highly experienced, multi-position free agent to sign on for the Yongin project. He also brings 23 Korea Republic caps, along with experience in Japan, China, and domestically with Suwon Bluewings and Ulsan HD. However, he failed to make a significant impact after returning to Suwon last summer.

Emanuel Novo

When Portuguese goalkeeper Emanuel Novo signed on New Year’s Day, he did something no foreign goalkeeper had done in the 21st century: he registered with a K League club. The 26-year ban on foreign goalkeepers is officially over. Novo has played in Portugal, Saudi Arabia, and Romania, and will face competition from former Incheon United keeper Hwang Seong-min.

Key Player

Shin Jin-ho

At 37, Shin Jin-ho’s best days may be behind him, but he can still have a very positive impact on the squad. When players gather for the first time, they will see a midfielder with 430 career appearances, two K League 1 titles, and AFC Champions League experience.

[READ: K League adds three new stadiums for the 'hopper]

Aside from a stint in the Arabian Gulf, Shin has represented Pohang, Ulsan, FC Seoul, Incheon United, and Sangmu. He arrives from Seongnam with a K League 2 trophy and proof that he can still perform at this level.

Young Player to Watch

Lee Gyu-dong

Twenty-one-year-old striker Lee Gyu-dong joins on loan from K League 1 champions Jeonbuk Hyundai. Born in neighbouring Suwon, he spent 2024 on loan with the Bluewings.

Lee Gyu-dong represents Jeonbuk U-18.

Interestingly, that period coincided with Suwon’s temporary move to Yongin due to pitch repairs at Big Bird. As a result, Lee is already familiar with Mirue Stadium, having played five matches there. He scored twice for Suwon as their promotion bid ended early, and his impact in Yongin should be stronger.

Biggest Question

Are Yongin primed for an immediate playoff push?

When Ko Jeong-woon guided Gimpo FC from the semi-professional K3 League into K League 2 in 2022, expectations were low. Gimpo had always been competitive in K3—never champions, but regularly finishing in the top three—yet the step up was seen as too big for a small, city-owned club on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.

Instead, Gimpo exceeded expectations. Their debut season ended with an eighth-place finish (out of 11), followed by a heartbreaking playoff defeat to Gangwon FC the following year.

Progress has since stalled, but Yongin appear to be attempting something similar. “Very, very rich” was how one rival club official described Yongin to me. 2026 is the perfect time to enter K League 2 with lofty ambitions. Two teams earn automatic promotion, with another qualifying via the playoffs. A fourth promotion place is also possible, depending on where Gimcheon Sangmu finish in K League 1.

[READ: K League 2 fixtures are out, so what does it all mean?]

Looking across the 17 squads, Yongin are arguably a top-five team on paper. What a story that would be.

Reason to Watch

It isn't Yongin's fault, but there is 'new club fatigue' amongst K League 2 fans. On the surface, Yongin offer nothing we haven't seen before - a new club with a very small fan base, an oversized stadium with a running track, and a club based in Gyeonggi, a region of the country now completely over-represented at this level.

[READ: Enter the Dragon: Yongin's gorgeous stadium]

What sets Yongin apart is their ambition. Every club will talk about winning the league, earning promotion and eventually to qualify for continental football. It all feels a little hallow. Yongin are different. They recruited Anyang's team manager, who has experience building a squad to escape K League 2. And, aside from the players mentioned above, 34-year-old Suk Hyun-jun is also in the squad.

Suk is a 15-times Korean international, who's played for Ajax Amsterdam, FC Porto, and Al-Ahli. Suk's time is coming to an end, but look out for another striker, Jardel, who has been capped by Guinea-Bissau, and former Seoul E-Land defender Kwak Yun-ho. Yongin's ambitions are clear. Can they break the understandable new club fatigue?