Ulsan HD Unilaterally Backs Out of Deal; Seoul FC Officially Accuses Them of Breach of Faith

On July 23, K League team Seoul FC released a statement on social media explaining the stalling of the transfer deal and condemning Ulsan HD for breaching faith, which is unbecoming of a leading K League team.

The exchange of Lee Tae-seok (Seoul) plus cash for Won Dou-jae (Ulsan) was one of the most anticipated transfer rumors in this summer window of the K League. Multiple media outlets had already announced “here we go,” and in the Korean Cup match between Pohang and Seoul on July 17, Seoul benched Lee Tae-seok, involved in the transfer, making it seem like the deal was as good as done.

However, an official announcement was delayed, and the transfer deal eventually took a turn. Ulsan explained, “Due to head coach Hong Myung-bo’s sudden announcement that he would be coaching the national team, the situation changed. Without a formal head coach in charge, the team had no choice but to cancel this transfer deal.”

Today, Seoul released a statement condemning Ulsan for distorting the facts and breaching faith. “All participating teams in the K League engage in intense competition, and while feelings may sometimes be hurt due to heated competition, everyone competes on the premise of trust, within the rules, and with mutual respect. However, Ulsan’s unilateral withdrawal from the transfer deal is a complete breach of faith. They voided the agreement reached by both parties with flimsy and unsatisfactory reasons, causing harm to both players. This is unprecedented behavior that we do not wish to see in the future. Particularly on July 17, the team and some media outlets released a public statement. The content and form of this statement are difficult to believe as an official statement. It contained distorted facts, causing serious misunderstandings, which we deeply regret.”