2026 Season Preview: Ulsan HD

Ulsan HD's three consecutive league titles feel like a distant memory after a disastrous 2025, which saw the once-majestic Tigers dragged into a relegation catfight. Results, backroom decisions, and off-pitch drama have left fans furious. It won't be easy for the club to rebuild trust, even with 'Mr Ulsan' Kim Hyunseok at the helm — will things get worse before they get better?

Last Season

11W-11D-16L, 9th

What Happened?

The reigning champions' 2025 season began with a shock home defeat at the hands of K League 1 newcomers FC Anyang. This portentous result put a damper on things, but only briefly, as the Horangi climbed to third in the league by the end of Round 3, and maintained their position in the top half of the table until the summer. All seemed well, if a little underwhelming by Ulsan's standards.

Then came the Club World Cup, which became a turning point in Ulsan's season. Having lost all three of their competitive matches in the U.S., the team came back to Korea and gave their fans a taste of the Club World Cup experience by depriving them of a win here too until a 1-0 result against relegation favourites Jeju SK in front of barely 10,000 spectators at Big Crown in August. This solitary win was the extent of Ulsan's 'new manager bounce' following the departure of Kim Pangon and appointment of Shin Taeyong a few days earlier. 

The club went on another winless run, picking up just three points in seven matches before Shin was shown the door in October. By this point guaranteed to finish in the lower half of the table for the first time in a decade, Ulsan's image was further sullied by reports of dressing room unrest. Performance improved marginally under caretaker manager Roh Sangrae, but the damage was done; Ulsan avoided relegation on the last day of the season, but only thanks to results elsewhere. 

[READ: 2025 Season Review: Ulsan HD]

Notable Moves

Kim Hyunseok: The most notable arrival of the off-season is new manager Kim, a club legend in his own right having played at Ulsan for 12 seasons in the 1990s and early 2000s. If anyone can help repair trust between club and fans, surely 'Mr Ulsan' can — but it won't be a simple task.

[READ: Ulsan HD appoint club legend Kim Hyunseok as new manager]

Gustav Ludwigson: Since arriving at the club in 2023, Swedish winger Ludwigson has become a key member of Ulsan's squad. Known as a hardworking creative player, he has recorded 18 goals and 11 assists in 85 appearances for the club. He will now be using his talents against the Horangi, having signed with K League rivals Daejeon Hana Citizen.

Lee Chungyong: Leaving Ulsan after six years at the club, Lee posted a handwritten farewell message to fans, including an apology for the now-infamous 'golf celebration' that aggravated reports of discord during Shin Taeyong's short spell as manager. Lee's departure is unsurprising as Kim Hyunseok aims to renew his squad and the club's image, but it hasn't gone down well with fans. For many already unhappy supporters, the news that new player Pedrinho will wear Lee's former shirt number this year was salt in the wound.

Ko Seungbeom: 2025 vice-captain Ko is at the centre of Ulsan's latest crisis following reports that he was denied parental leave for the birth of his second child during a training camp last September, allegedly receiving text messages from a club official referring to the "crime of having a daughter". With two years left on his contract, Ko put in a transfer request which was intially accepted, but he was persuaded by new manager Kim to join Ulsan for pre-season training. For the time being, Ko has been included in Ulsan's 2026 squad list, but transfer rumours are still circulating. 

Key Player 

Lee Donggyeong

2025 K League MVP Lee Donggyeong returned to Ulsan from Gimcheon Sangmu in October, having completed his mandatory military service. Lee has been on excellent form at Gimcheon, ranking among the league's top goalscorers and assist providers and being named in the K League Best XI for two consecutive years. As one of Ulsan's 2026 vice-captains, Lee is firmly committed to the club's revival campaign, but he is also driven by personal motivation — having missed the 2022 World Cup due to injury, Lee is determined to cement his place in South Korea's national team to make his World Cup debut this summer. 

Young Player to Watch

Cho Minseo

20-year-old Cho wore the captain's armband as Dankook University dominated Korea's college football scene in 2025, winning four trophies, including the U-League, and sweeping the end-of-year awards. Cho is a defensive midfielder, known for his vision and ball distribution. His signing with Ulsan is indicative of new manager Kim's approach, influenced by his previous experience coaching within the university system. Kim believes that Cho has the talent and footballing intelligence to learn from his experienced teammates and develop his potential to become a key part of Ulsan's squad in the future. It will be fascinating to see how this relatively unknown youngster adapts to the professional environment in his first season in the K League. 

Biggest Question 

Can Ulsan HD regain the trust of their own supporters?

As the start of the K League season fast approaches, the mood among Ulsan supporters is one of frustration and fury; even relatively trivial mattters such as the 2026 kit unveiling have been met with vitriol. Fans need reassurance after a year of disappointing on-pitch performance and undignified off-pitch drama. 

Kim Hyunseok is a popular appointment as manager, but Ulsan are far from shaking off the unpleasantness of 2025, as demonstrated by the ongoing 'Ko Seungbeom incident'. Supporters groups have demanded that the club formally apologise to Ko, threatening further action if Ulsan HD fails to take responsiblity and act to correct its "moral deficiencies" by 13th February. 

If Kim can produce positive results it may go some way to restoring order at Ulsan once the season is underway, but success on the pitch alone will not be enough to appease fans. There are too many unanswered questions and if the club doesn't start to provide some answers, players could be facing a hostile crowd even at home.

Reason to Watch 

Appointing a club legend as manager is a formula that has worked for Ulsan's bitter rivals up the coast in Pohang. If the club can atone for its mistakes and convince fans to rally behind Kim Hyunseok, Ulsan's Munsu World Cup Stadium will soon be back to fervent, flag-waving form. Ulsan's renaissance, if and when it comes, will be something to behold. 

However, recent seasons have shown that even 'big clubs' can fall from grace, with several K League heavyweights of years gone by doing time in the second division. Ulsan narrowly avoided becoming the latest casualty of an increasingly competitive league in 2025, and they're not out of the woods yet — for travelling fans and neutrals, big chaos at Big Crown is served with a tasty side of schadenfreude.