Chuncheon Gangwon FC's uncomfortable cohabitation, which refused to bid for a catastrophe, is feared to disrupt the historical first ACLE
Aug 13, 2025
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Chuncheon City finally rejected the application. Gangwon FC applied alone as a result of the application for the hosting of Gangwon FC's home game in 2026 through a press release on the 12th. As a result, the entire K-League and Korea Cup match of Gangwon FC in 2026 will be held in Gangneung. Gangwon FC received applications for the venue from Chuncheon City and Gangneung City from the 22nd to 3 p.m. on the 5th of last month, and only Gangneung City submitted it at that time. From the 5th to 3 p.m. on the 12th, it was decided to accept the re-publication in the same way as the existing public offering, and if the re-publication is applied alone, the local government that applied for the 2026 K-League and Korea Cup home games will hold it.
This contest was a procedure to determine the order of hosting in accordance with the principle of distributed hosting in the first and second half of the year. The public offering method was the same as it was three years ago. Gangwon FC has offered the number of games it wants and subsidies per game for the 2023-2025 season home games in 2022, and the minimum amount was the same as this contest. In this contest, Gangwon FC applied a single item of 'hosting subsidy' as an evaluation criterion. The same criteria and conditions were provided to all target local governments, and the results were confirmed according to the submitted application. Gangneung City will host all games next year at 80 million won per game, the same as the previous three years. As the application was made only in one place, the distributed hosting was canceled.
Gangwon FC and Gangwon FC's board of directors explained the procedure and results of the contest in detail, refuting the argument with Chuncheon City that the incident was Gangwon FC's responsibility. When Gangwon FC announced its intention to hold next year's home game as a competitive bidding method between Chuncheon and Gangneung, Chuncheon City protested, saying, `The provincial team is trying to attract local governments to compete for prices,' and said it would not apply for the contest without an apology from CEO Kim Byung-ji.
The Gangwon board of directors requested a meeting with Chuncheon Mayor Kim Byung-ji, but Chuncheon City did not accept it. A solution was sought through Muja contact, but it was not achieved due to Chuncheon City's refusal. It was then carried out in the same way as it is now when selecting to host the 2022 home game. Chuncheon City also participated without objection. The decision was also made in the same principle, and there is no intention to exclude or discriminate against certain regions.
However, Chuncheon City expressed its position that `the public offering regulations undermined the principle of co-prosperity and distributed hosting and encouraged tax competition.' `We will respond to the consultation only when the principle of respecting Chuncheon as an equal partner in the development of Gangwon football is clearly reflected in all procedures and operations.' Local politicians are also divided into two branches and engaged in a battle of 'Netat'.
Gangwon FC and Chuncheon City continue their uncomfortable cohabitation, and the eyes are on the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE). Gangwon FC's K-League and Korea Cup home games will be held in Gangneung this season, but ACLE, which starts in September, will be held in Chuncheon. In fact, the conflict between Gangwon FC and Chuncheon City was also due to ACLE. Gangwon FC was originally scheduled to play ACLE in Gangneung City, but it had to find a new venue because it did not meet the conditions of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Gangwon FC immediately asked Chuncheon City about its intention to host the event, but the situation began when Chuncheon City responded lukewarmly. In the process, the conflict reached its peak as Chuncheon Mayor, who moved to the land due to the issue of responding to the banner criticizing Kim, was unable to enter the stadium.
Eventually, the owner of the team, Gangwon-do Governor Kim Jin-tae and CEO Kim bowed their heads, and eventually tied the knot by hosting it in Chuncheon. AFC approved the hosting of Chuncheon City and demanded detailed improvements, including the installation of sinks in the stadium's medical rooms and securing night lights in the practice room. Chuncheon City's cooperation is urgently needed. However, as the goal of Gangwon FC and Chuncheon City has deepened due to this incident, a quick response is far from being possible. It is known that conversations at the working level are already suspended or continue in a cold atmosphere. This is why there are concerns that the first ACLE, which should be held in the festival, could lead to disruptions.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
