Haunted by the ghosts of their glorious past, Seongnam FC have slid into K League mediocrity. As the club struggles to find an identity, reminders of their golden age are never far away.

There were seven minutes on the clock when Park Gyu-nam’s face appeared on the big screen at Tancheon Stadium before last Friday’s K League 2 meeting with Gimhae FC.

That number was significant.

Park served as a founding member and chairman of what we now know as Seongnam FC for more than 25 years. On May 25, aged 89, he passed away.

He was one of the most important figures in the history of Seongnam FC and Korean football in general.

The club was founded as Ilhwa Chunma in 1989. Their first home was Dongdaemun Stadium in Seoul. Like all K League clubs at the time, they were affected by the league’s decentralization policy, which moved Ilhwa Chunma from the capital in late 1995.

They relocated to Cheonan in 1996 before moving to Seongnam, a satellite city of Seoul, in time for the 2000 season. The club was renamed Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and retained that identity until 2013, when Park stepped away.

In total, the club he loved won a then-unprecedented seven K League 1 titles, hence the seven-minute applause. That was not all. They also claimed three Korea Cups and two AFC Champions League titles.

They were truly a powerhouse of Asian football.

Twelve years after Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma rebranded as Seongnam FC, the club has won nothing. They have been relegated twice, most recently in 2022, and have remained in K League 2 ever since.

The trophies Park helped bring to the club have not been scrubbed from history or consigned to a dusty cupboard somewhere.

Instead, they are immortalized on the inner walls of the East Stand, in full view of the pitch. Every time Seongnam FC take the field at home, they are reminded of the legends who came before them.

Friday’s match with Gimhae, and the applause for Park, felt especially significant. Gimhae are new to K League 2, having spent previous seasons in the semi-professional national leagues.

The club was founded in 2008, just two years before Seongnam won the last of their AFC Champions League titles. In 2026, however, they are Seongnam’s equals. The two sides shared a 1-1 draw, much to the frustration of the home supporters.

A crowd of 2,500 attended this final K League 2 fixture before the World Cup break. Naturally, no Seongnam players will be participating in the tournament in North America this summer.

That was not always the case.

Shin Tae-yong, arguably the club’s greatest player, represented South Korea 23 times. To this day, supporters still wear shirts bearing his name.

Shin won six league titles and was part of the side that won the 1995 Asian Club Championship before returning as manager to guide Seongnam to AFC Champions League glory in 2010.

He is a god in Tancheon.

All of this makes Seongnam a fascinating experience. Despite spending more than three seasons stumbling through the second division, the club does not hide from its magnificent past.

The all-black home kit is arguably the finest in Korea, while the simple magpie crest is the club’s most recognizable feature.

Tancheon Stadium itself might not look especially impressive, but supporters clearly love their home ground. The club store even sells fridge magnets featuring the stadium.

If you visit, buy a ticket in the East Stand. Arrive early and spend some time with the history display on the walls, reflecting on the club’s glory years. Then take your seat and watch the sun set behind the beautiful Cheonggyesan to the west.

Take another glance at the display. The setting sun casts long shadows across the honours boards one final time.

The temporary North Stand features an illuminated magpie that rises and descends at various points during the match. Take it all in. Korean football has nothing quite like it.

Only then should you watch the football.

Because it is at that moment you realise just how far Seongnam FC have fallen. The club that Park Gyu-nam built into a continental powerhouse isn’t even a sleeping giant anymore.