Jo Hyeon-woo switches clubs in career first

Korean international goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo has switched clubs for the first time in his K League career.

Ulsan Hyundai FC announced their signing of the 28-year-old without disclosing financial details. It spelled the end of Jo’s seven-season stint with Daegu FC, with whom he made his professional debut in 2013.

Jo has been named the best goalkeeper in the K League 1 in each of the past three seasons. In two years before that, Jo was recognized as the top custodian in the second-tier K League 2.

He has been a national team mainstay in the past couple of years. Most notably, Jo started every match for Korea at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Though Korea were eliminated in the group stage, they defeated defending champions Germany 2-0 in the final preliminary match, with Jo standing tall in net.

Later that same year, Jo was one of the overage players for the U-23 national team at the Asian Games in Indonesia and helped Korea to their second straight gold medal.

With Ulsan, Jo will be replacing his long-time national team rival Kim Seung-gyu, who signed with Japanese club Kashiwa Reysol earlier this month.

Ulsan finished in second place last year, falling to Pohang Steelers 4-1 in their season finale and wasting a chance to end their title drought at 14 years.

Yonhap