Seoul Capital Region Football Stadium Guide

This is a short guide to the football stadiums in Seoul and the surround areas. The 4 most successful teams within the capital region of Korea are; Seongnam FC, Suwon Bluewings FC, FC Seoul, and Incheon United FC.

Seongnam are currently the most successful team in Korea as they hold a record 7 league titles, 2 FA Cups, and 2 AFC Champions League titles. Suwon Bluewings hold 4 league titles, 3 FA Cups, and 2 AFC Champions League titles. FC Seoul holds 5 league trophies and 1 FA Cup. And finally, Incheon United can only brag of finishing as runners-up in the K-League in 2005. (The Korean League Cup was omitted from list of titles as it is no longer an active trophy). These 4 teams of ranging success are located in or a short distance from the capital city of Seoul.

There are many similarities between these stadiums. Food and drinks (including alcoholic beverages) can be bought in the concourse and can be consumed in the stands. Prices for food and drink are reasonable and will cost a little more than if they were purchased at a regular convenience store. The busiest times to buy food and drinks are just before kick-off and at half time, but even during these peak times I've never had to wait more than 5 minutes to get a drink.

The food is unfamiliar compared to the snacks sold at football games in England. Snacks on offer are usually kimbap, and dried squid - a far cry from the usual pie and chips.

Toilet access is very convenient in the large World Cup Stadiums, and due to the small crowd sizes you often don't have to queue (I'm speaking from a male point of view, I cannot comment for the female toilets).

Seoul World Cup Stadium

Tenants: FC Seoul, and the Korean National Team

Capacity: 66,806
Opened: 2001
Average Attendance (2013): 16,607
Average Attendance % by Capacity (2013): 24.85%
Average K-League Attendance (2013): 7,652

Subway Directions: Take Line 6 to the World Cup Stadium station. Exit 1 or 2.

The 2002 World Cup left a legacy in Korea with the main testimony to this being the stadiums that were left behind. The largest of those within the capital region is the Seoul World Cup Stadium. The population of the Republic of Korea is an estimated 50 million people and with half of those people residing in the capital region this generates a huge potential of football fans. Unfortunately for the current inhabitants, FC Seoul only manage to quarter fill the ground.

Domestic games often draw crowds of around 16,000 fans and mid-week continental games draw in less. Despite this, the loyal fans still create a good amount of noise and sing throughout the 90 minutes. For those fans who want to mingle among the louder, more vocal fans should buy a ticket in the north stand. For those who wish to sit for the duration of the match should opt for the quieter east or west stands. Away fans usually occupy the south stand.

The other occupiers of this stadium are the Korean national team. They played their last international friendly before the 2014 World Cup against Tunisia. For that game the attendance was 57,112, a huge increase on the usual FC Seoul faithful. For that particular game there were pre and post-match shows as the country prepared for the World Cup in Brazil. International games are usually of better quality in terms of playing ability, atmosphere, and as a general spectacle, and this was obvious to see. The Korean players that represent their country often play overseas and to have them back playing on home soil you could feel the national pride as they took to the field. It was a great experience but the added quality is represented in the match-day ticket price. 

FC Seoul Tickets: General admission adult tickets cost ₩12,000, more lucrative seats can be purchased. There are discounted tickets for juniors, and complimentary tickets are available for senior citizens over 65, the handicapped, and pre-schoolers accompanied by an adult.

Republic of Korea Tickets: Tickets for international games may vary due to the status of the game. For friendlies tickets range from ₩30-100,000 for an adult ticket, and competitive international games are likely to be more expensive. 

Tancheon Stadium

Tenants: Seongnam FC

Capacity: 16,250
Opened: 2002
Average Attendance (2013): 2,825
Average Attendance % by Capacity (2013): 17.38%
Average K-League Attendance (2013): 7,652

Subway Directions: Take the Bundang Line to Yatap Station. Exit 3. Walk straight out of exit 3 until you reach the river, turn left and cross the bridge. The stadium is about a 10 minute walk from the station.

The stadium is a short walk from the station but when I visited I had no directions so I asked the locals how to find it. I asked (in my best Korean) 'where is the football stadium?' (I actually, begrudgingly, said soccer as Koreans prefer the use of American English, but that's another issue). My question was met with puzzled faces as none of the people I asked knew of any stadium in the local area. I asked for directions in a local convenience store, that happened to be about 500m from the ground, and again I received no directional guidance. It's not difficult to find if you follow the directions shown above.

As the most decorated team in Korea my expectations were raised when I visited the Tancheon Stadium, the home of Seongnam FC. The arena is very eerie. When you enter you walk through long corridors that feel more like a run-down conference centre rather than football stadium. In the stands, you have access to the entire stadium. You can move freely to any part of the ground. The fans are spread so there's not really a place to specify the area to sit for the best atmosphere. This was the first football ground that I'd been to that had a running track around the pitch, you are a distance from the action on the pitch.

For football fans who seek a more modest stadium distant from the larger World Cup stadiums, then this is for you. 

Tickets: General admission adult tickets cost ₩10,000. Junior tickets can be purchased for ₩6,000, and tickets for disabled fans cost ₩3,000.

Suwon World Cup Stadium

Tenants: Suwon Bluewings FC
Capacity: 43,959
Opened: 2001
Average Attendance (2013): 17,689
Average Attendance % by Capacity (2013): 40.24%
Average K-League Attendance (2013): 7,652

Subway Directions: Take the Bundang Line to Suwon Station. Exit 1, 5, or 6. Take a taxi from there to the stadium, the taxi journey will take about 5-10 minutes and will cost around ₩5,000-6,000.

The Suwon World Cup Stadium, nicknamed the Big Bird Stadium, is by far my favourite stadium that I have visited in Korea. There is charm to the ends not being covered, and there is so much colour it adds character that can draw your attention away from the game. 

I first visited this arena during Korea's monsoon season, there was torrential rain throughout the game. As the ends of the stadium are not covered this forced a lot of fans to seek cover at the back of the stand. This led to a concentration of singing supporters. The crowd were fantastic, singing throughout. If you want mingle among the louder fans then you should buy a ticket for the north end. Highly recommended.

There were a couple of 'footballing firsts' for me at this ground. I had never before seen football fans wearing rain macs, nor had I seen football fans using umbrellas. Umbrellas are very much taboo in English football after their association with Steve "The Wolly with the Brolly" McLaren.

Suwon can boast the largest average crowd in the K-League. My experience of this stadium was very pleasurable. The game, the crowd, and the facilities were all excellent. Add to that the unpredictability of the game due to the amount of rain. 

After the game there was just as much excitement. The ground staff turned the pitch watering jets on to the crowd and drenched them. Most of the supporters were already wet from the rain, but some were shielding from the jets of water behind their umbrellas. They seemed to enjoy the tomfoolery and it brought a smile to those in the other stands. As the fans exited the stadium many congregated outside to carry on their support of the team. You can see in the video below that the fans were very happy with the result of that particular game.

If you wish to attend any of the stadiums on this list my recommendation would be to the Suwon World Cup Stadium. A must-do for any football fan living in Suwon. 

Tickets: General admission adult tickets cost ₩12,000. Junior tickets cost ₩6,000, and pre-schoolers are free. There is a discounted price for disabled fans.

Incheon Football Stadium

Tenants: Incheon United FC
Capacity: 20,891
Opened: 2012
Average Attendance (2013): 7,077
Average Attendance % by Capacity (2013): 33.88%
Average K-League Attendance (2013): 7,652

Subway Directions: Take Line 1 to Dowon station. Exit 1.

The stadium was built to replace the much larger World Cup stadium where Incheon United previously played their home games. The Incheon Football Stadium was built to host some of the football games that are due to be played during the 2014 Asian Games.

As you exit Dowon station you can immediately see Incheon Football Stadium. The stadium has a unique design as 3 of the four stands have covers which leaves one end open, this end is nearest to the station giving you a full view of the inside of the ground. 

As we walked closer to the arena we walked through a children's clothes market. There were dozens of stalls just outside the ticket box. It was very odd, and seemed unimaginable compared to a match day in England. 

The stadium has only been opened for a few years and is very modern. It is unassuming but there is beauty in it's simplicity. The south stand is where the 'ultras' are located and this stand even has a standing area - this I loved. 

The pitch was in good condition and the football on the day was exciting as Incheon United ran out triumphant winners. Incheon United cannot compare to the other teams in this guide but this does not mean that their facilities are lacking. The United ultras cheered throughout the game but they were less vocal than other teams but this is probably due to the lower attendance. 

Incheon United cannot compare their crowd size or on-field success to some of the other surrounding teams but you can still enjoy a day at the football there. A visit to Incheon Football Stadium should be must if you live close by.

Tickets: General admission adult tickets cost ₩10,000. Junior tickets cost ₩6,000. There are further discounts for disabled fans and pensioners. 

Things Korean People Say and Other Racism

I always see videos or articles online that are titled something like “stupid things white people say” or “if Asians said the things white people say” and they kind of seem one sided. There are white people that ask silly questions but I think the vast majority of these people aren’t asking questions to offend, they are curious about other people and cultures. But these mildly offensive misjudgements do not just hail from white people, they are global. Having spent some time in Korea these are some of the occasions I have noticed that would probably be considered inappropriate, in the UK at least.

“That’s too spicy for you…”

I hear this one all the time, whether it’s from people that I’m dining with or the waiter, Asians are concerned about the spice of my meal choice. I like spicy food, nothing too extreme so that it becomes more of an endurance that enjoyable but spice is good. Koreans throw this one out there like Korean food is the equivalent of fire eating, it’s not. It becomes annoying very quickly and when you’ve heard it from the waiter 100 times you start to think “just bring the fucking food out.”

“White teachers are good for business…”

I work as an English teacher (as most foreigners do in Korea), and during a staff meeting our director was very honest with the recruitment of the teachers at our school. He said that Koreans don’t want to learn English from non-white foreigners, I was stunned into silence. He went as far as saying “we have 3 white teachers, that’s good for business”. Just wow.

Koreans are unintentionally rude

My classes start at 7am from Monday to Friday, hardly my favourite time of the day. Often when I come in at that time some student will feel the need to express how shit I look. “Teacher, you look tired today”. I am tired, I don’t need reminding.

Upon meeting one of my girlfriend's friends, he was kind enough to buy me a gift. I was truly moved, I had never met him before but he was generous to think of giving me a gift. I unwrapped it (oh yeah, he wrapped it!) and it was deodorant and sun cream. I looked a little puzzled as I turned to him and said "thank you". He explained that white people burn easily and they smell bad when they sweat. Thanks, I suppose. 

Another example of this came from another teacher I know. He is a bit larger than average and his size provoked a conversation with his director. The boss told him that he should seek the help of the other foreign teacher as he studied Physical Education at university. I have been told that Koreans aren’t trying to be rude, they apparently feel the need to point out the obvious so that you can address the issue.

You’re British? Alright, guvna!

“I love The Beatles.”
Great, so does everyone.
“Do you know the Queen?”
No.
“What about David Beckham?”
No.
“Do you eat fish and chips?”
Occasionally.

These silly questions are the same as asking Chinese people “Are you good at kung fu?” or to black people “What’s your favourite food, after fried chicken?”  

Another one is “I hear English food is really bad, how bad is it?” Well, food is subjective. Some people will like it others won’t. If you ask me my personal opinion I would say English food is delicious, but then I’m biased.

These aren’t limited to Koreans, I get this from anyone not from the United Kingdom.

A black man doing martial arts. See, we're all equal.

Can you change your accent?

This is the only one that actually offended me. “I can’t understand you, can you speak with an American accent?” No, and fuck you. I’m English, so I will speak with an English accent. Koreans need to realise that English is not limited to American English. I will spell colour with a U and I won’t change my accent. English is used by so many different nationalities, they have different language rules and none of them are wrong. English used by the British is different to the Americans, and they are different to the Australians. They use different words, different slang, and different spelling. Unless you’re Canadian and you have multiple correct spellings. Grey or gray? Come on Canada, pick a side!

Is it OK for a foreigner to date a Korean?

I asked this question to some of my adult students and they all united in agreement. The said “It’s OK for a foreigner to date a Korean if the foreigner is from a more developed country than Korea”. Sometimes it’s best to avoid these. Next question.

Koreans are racist against Koreans

Koreans do things that would cause an uproar if the same was done by the English in England. Often at special events; festivals, night clubs, and the like, Koreans will have two different prices for different people. The different people being Korean nationals and foreigners. I have been in these situations when going into a night club where my Korean friends will have to pay an entrance fee and I stroll in for FREE! If that was done in the UK The Sun and The Daily Mail would have a field day. I think I heard the reason for this is to encourage tourism but does offering a ₩10,000 (£6) discount really make that much of a difference?

This foreigner discount is also very shady as I hear that the concession usually only applies to white foreigners. That’s racist racism.

Whiteys

My girlfriend refers to white people as "whiteys". Some white people might consider this an offensive term but I would think most whiteys wouldn't be bothered if that's how the race of white people are known. I tried my utmost to explain that her abbreviation of 'white people' should not be applied to 'black people'.

OK, they're not wrong on this one

As I'm white all Koreans assume that I can't speak Korean, I mean they're correct but they're wrong to think that. When you walk down the street, no one hands you flyers, no one stops you to get you to sign up to make a charitable donation, no one talks to you because everyone assumes you can't speak the lingo. 

In the UK, equal rights and anti-discrimination are drilled into you, and although I love having no one bother me as I walk carefree through the streets of Korea I can't help but feel I'm being discriminated for the way I look. Maybe I can't support my argument very well here but I know of foreigners who can speak Korean and they get treated the same way. In contrast, I know of people of Asian descent here in Korea who cannot speak Korean. When they are approached by Korean speakers it takes them a while to process that a Korean looking person can't speak Korean.

Maybe I shouldn't worry and just enjoy this one.

While white people will say silly things it is universal from my experience. People just want to know about you and the different ways you have. Most people should engage their brain before they speak though. 

My Dirty Weekend Away with the Missus

OK, I’ve been getting lazy with this blog. I’ve gone from writing two a week to one every couple of weeks…sometimes. The last few weeks here in Korea have been unbearably hot and humid. Yesterday it reached 34°C but, with the humidity it supposedly felt like 40°C. I’m not sure how they work that out, temperature is fairly definitive. There are no added clauses on a thermometer but, at some time this week a Korean has said that it currently feels 40°C and I’m not going to argue with an Asian who deals with numbers.

Last weekend we went to the 17^th Boryeong Mud Festival, an event that I’m sure you can work out what happens from the title. People come from far and wide to cover themselves from head to toe in mud. My dirty weekend away with the missus got off to a terrible start. As she is Korean, I left her to organise the accommodation, travel, all the important organisational stuff. She just told me where to be at what time. “Meet at 10:20 at the Express Bus Terminal Station, Nambu Terminal”. OK, easy enough, I’ve been to that station plenty of times.

I met a few friends for some drinks the day before on Friday. After some drinks that afternoon I met some other friends and we went to a house party organised by some people we met at Korea Burn a few weekends before. A few too many drinks later I headed home. As I woke very hungover, I realised that I was late. I had to gain consciousness, evaluate my life, pack a bag, and get the subway to EBT Station. As I was packing I realised I didn’t have my wallet. Fuck! Where is it?! It turned out that I’d left it at the party, and Somi had messaged me to tell me that she picked it up as she left. Good and bad news, at least I haven’t lost my wallet but, now I don’t have a wallet for the weekend. I searched around my apartment and found ₩2,000 (£1.20), enough money to get the subway to meet Angie. As I evaluated my life I was at a low point, I was enduring a violent hangover and I felt that I was going to be sick at any moment. I put a plastic bag in my back pocket in case of any impromptu vomiting on the subway. Always thinking.

I arrived at Express Bus Terminal Station (no vomit) on time but couldn’t find the Nambu terminal. I searched for ages but finally had to ask. The lady at the information desk told me it was two stations down the line. Bollocks. I’m at the wrong station. No time, no wi-fi, no wallet, no money, no idea. The low point hit lower. Finally, I got wi-fi and told Angie. All the guys we were travelling with made the coach but Angie had to go and meet her clueless boyfriend. I asked her if she was angry, she said no but she definitely was.

We got a coach from EBT and headed for Boryeong. We arrived and it was time to get muddy. I had heard that the festival was just filled with boozy foreigners, and not to let the reputation down it was time to start drinking again. The last hangover had just worn off but I had a feeling I was in the process of starting a new one. The festival was fun; obstacle courses, mud slides, mud wells, a music stage, and all the events were beside the beach.

We got a lot muddier but I think we were all too muddy to operate a camera. Never mind.

We went back to the pension and spent the evening playing drinking games. So many drinking games I can’t even remember them all. We also played the longest game of Ring of Fire that I ever witnessed. We played the entire game, as the last card drawn was the 4^th King. We played so long that we actually ran out of alcohol. An impressive feat.

After the drinking games we went down to the beach. As we frolicked on the sand and watched the fireworks I had one of the most random moments of my trip so far. Sometimes on your travels things just start to become normal. Living in Korea isn’t weird anymore, it’s just normal life. But at 3am on Boryeong beach I was watching middle-aged Korean couples doing the waltz, as someone blared classical music from their car. I had an “oh shit, I’m in Korea” moment.

It was a fun weekend all round.

The following weekend Karl and I went indoor fishing. I didn’t even know that was a thing. We had discussed going fishing for a while but in this intense heat you want to spend more time inside enjoying the delights of air conditioning. 

We went in and the room was dark, this was to stop fisherman targeting the larger fish as the fish were electronically tagged and by catching the larger ones you could win a prize. It wasn’t long before we were both baited and had our rods in the water (that’s not a euphemism). It took all of about 15 seconds before there was a fish on the end of my line. I felt a mix of joy and accomplishment by catching a fish, I was hardly a match for Jeremy Wade or David Seaman but, still. But as I pulled the fish out of the water it started splashing and I felt terrified, and began squealing at the thought of unhooking the fish. Luckily there was no one else there to judge our lack of manliness. Karl plucked up the courage to touch it and we released it back in the water.

I think I liked the idea of fishing but in reality I’m too much of a coward to deal with a harmless fish. It’s one of my believies.

I was catching so many fish it was becoming unpleasant, the repetition of joy followed immediately by terror. I said at one stage “oh bollocks, I’ve caught another one!” something that has never been said in the history of fishing.

A while into our indoor fishing nightmare 3 Korean guys joined the party. Before long they were catching fish too but they weren’t squealing. These were obviously real men. I was too ashamed to catch any fish in front of them and decided to stop baiting my hook. Unsurprisingly and thankfully, I didn’t catch any more fish.

Despite spending the afternoon panicked and petrified I did have a fun time. Another fun weekend in the Land of the Morning Calm.