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.