Groundhopper's Guide to..... Solteo Stadium

Gimpo FC have been playing K League 2 football since 2022. Last year, they almost went up and then spent the winter and spring redeveloping their modest little stadium. This is our guide to Solteo Stadium. 

After impressing in their first two seasons at this level, Gimpo, by not having any direct rivals, became most peoples' second club. Under Ko Jeung-woon, Gimpo have improved year on year. In 2022, they finished 8th and made the third round of the Cup. Last season, Gimpo finished third (pushing Gangwon FC all the way in their playoff), and this campaign they made the quarters of the Korean Cup.

Perhaps buoyed by gradual improvements in a short space of time, the club began redevelopment work in Solteo that is now completed. When the club joined K League 2, their ground had a capacity of 5,000. That is up to 8,500 with 12 new rows added on the top of the grandstand and 2 smaller temporary stands on either side of the main stand.

Fortunately, Solteo is a rectangular-shaped stadium with no track. It is football-specific although it has only been built on three sides. Opposite the away fans is a giant black net covered with spiders. Otherwise, this is a fine stadium that everyone at the club is proud of, and they make sure to tell you that.

Location:

Gimpo FC is the most northerly club in the top two tiers. The club represents the city by the same name and their stadium, Solteo, is only 17 km from the maritime border with North Korea. Despite being in Gyeonggi province, Solteo is a very difficult ground to reach unless you live locally. It is at the end of the K League line.

Masan Station, on the Gimpo Goldline, is only 500 meters away on foot. Fans will pass through primarily residential neighborhoods to reach the stadium. This area is new and wealthy and lacks the post-game entertainment facilities other grounds have. Huge apartment buildings completely dwarf Solteo, giving it a very intimate feel.

[Read: K League is a beautiful community]

Transport Options:

- train: The Gimpo Goldline is a 10-station line running from Gimpo Airport in Seoul, to the city of Gimpo in Gyeonggi-do. Masan Station is the third last stop and the walk to the ground is easy from there. Only Gimpo Airport Station connects with other lines that serve Seoul and Gyeongg-do. Masan Station is, in all honesty, far away from everywhere.

- bus: As this is Gimpo, check local bus options to City Hall or other places in the city. It won't be an easy trek.

- parking: There is a very limited number of parking spots at the stadium and likely reserved for officials and media. Last season, fans parked on the side of the roads leading to the stadium. For safety, you might want to look at a local building.

- bike: Like any city in the country, there are nationwide bike and scooter options. The roads leading to Solteo are busy so exercise caution.

Tickets:

- Online: Gimpo FC use the slightly more user-friendly Ticketlink and there is a discount for buying online, typically, 2,000₩, but with the booking charge of 1,000₩, you save very little.

- Ticket booth: Despite the increase in capacity, games are unlikely to sell out in K League 2. The club is building for a future in the top tier. Buying tickets at the game saves the hassle of using a Korean app.

*All information is correct at the time of publication. The prices may change in the future*

[READ: Stadiums of K League 2, ranked!]

Where to sit:

As mentioned above, Solteo is only built on three sides. There's a small Main Stand with minimal roof cover and two, new, temporary stands on either side of it. They look like wings. Across is the Grandstand with 24 rows. The Ultras watched the game from here. Finally, the away fans are located in the only construction behind either goal.

The West Stand.

Traditionally, the stands are named according to their place on the compass. At Solteo, the West Stand is the main stand. Here you'll find the dugouts, tunnel, and media seats. There's also regular seating, table seats, and Sky Seats. This is the only stand with a roof, and it only covers VIPs in reality. The prices mentioned are for the stadium purchase. Tickets here start at 10,000₩ for general admission and 32,000₩ for tables.

The East Stand where the majority of the redevelopment work took place through the winter and spring.

The East Stand is where most of the match-day-going supporters sit. The main supporters' group/ultras are in the corner in a safe-standing section, and you'll find table seats next to them. However, the vast majority of the seats are general admission. The tickets for this stand start at 8,000₩ and table seats are 32,000-47,000₩.

The South Stand.

The away fans are pitch-side, but without cover, in the South Stand. As this is one of only four stadiums in the division where the fans are not behind a track, be very grateful. The view is excellent, especially since the stand is slightly raised above ground level. Tickets for this stand cost 10,000₩.

The Spider Dungeon.

The spider-ridden giant black fence at the north end of the stadium. Advertising makes it impossible to watch the game for free.

Food:

Whatcha fancy?

Gimpo has one of the most impressive food truck displays I've seen, in either division. The choice, compared to, say, Seul E-Land, was really impressive. Churros, chicken, hot dogs, coffee, ice cream, and odaeng were just some of the items for sale.

Drink:

There's a mini-mart at the Northeast corner of the stadium but I wasn't close enough to see what they sell Presumably, beer, water, and snacks.

Merchandise:

The cap display was the most interesting part of the Gimpo store.

The club store is located next to the ticket booth and food trucks. It is on the main road up to the stadium from Masan Station, just outside the main stand. There's the same stock as you see across the league.

Postgame:

There's absolutely nothing of interest around the stadium, but Gang-hwa Island is a short drive east. If you're interested in looking across at North Korea, there are various observatories in the region. Alternatively, on the highway back to Seoul, there's a nice Botanical Garden worth checking out.

In this series;

Groundhopper's Guide to Gwangyang Stadium. 

Groundhopper's Guide to Cheonan Stadium. 

Groundhopper's Guide to Gudeok Stadium. 

Plus many more in our dedicated groundhopping section.