Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors players celebrate Song Min-kyu’s goal against FC Seoul during their quarterfinal match of the Korea Cup at Seoul World Cup Stadium in the capital on July 2, 2025, in this photo provided by the Korea Football Association. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Already in first place in the top domestic football league, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors moved a step closer to winning the nation’s largest tournament Wednesday.
Jeonbuk defeated FC Seoul 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the Korea Cup at Seoul World Cup Stadium in the capital, keeping their domestic double hopes alive.
Song Min-kyu scored the match’s lone goal in the 87th minute, after the two sides traded a few chances throughout the tightly fought contest.
Jeonbuk are leading the top-tier K League 1 this season with 45 points, three more than their total from last year and 10 ahead of second-place Daejeon Hana Citizen FC.
They are now two wins away from capturing their sixth Korea Cup title, which would tie them with Pohang Steelers for most in the tournament’s history.
In the two-legged semifinals, Jeonbuk will take on Gangwon FC on Aug. 20 and 27, after Gangwon knocked off Daegu FC 2-1 on Wednesday.
Goo Bon-cheol put Gangwon on the board in the 43rd minute at DGB Daegu Bank Park in Daegu, some 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul, before Kim Gun-hee doubled their lead three minutes after the restart.
Cesinha scored a penalty for Daegu in the 59th minute but couldn’t get any closer.
Gangwon FC players (in red) celebrate after scoring against Daegu FC during their quarterfinal match of the Korea Cup at DGB Daegu Bank Park in Daegu, some 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on July 2, 2025, in this photo provided by the Korea Football Association.(Yonhap)
Also Wednesday, Gwangju FC edged out 10-man Ulsan HD FC 1-0 at Gwangju World Cup Stadium in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul.
Gwangju FC have never been to a Korea Cup final. They had lost to Ulsan in the semifinals of last year’s Korea Cup.
Ulsan went down a man when defender Kim Young-gwon picked up his second yellow card of the night in the 43rd minute with a hard tackle on Jasir Asani. Gwangju still had trouble breaking through Ulsan’s defense, and then Cho Seong-gwon’s 75th minute header ended up being the difference.
In the semifinals, Gwangju will face Bucheon FC, who prevailed over Gimpo FC 3-1 in a battle between K League 2 clubs.
Bucheon got goals from Choi Jae-young and Kim Dong-hyun in the first half. Their defender Lee Sang-hyeok was charged with an own goal 10 minutes into the second half, but Jefferson Galego netted Bucheon’s third goal during stoppage time.
(Yonhap)
