There is a stadium in Seoul you’ve probably never heard of. It was built to host international football. It did, but it doesn’t anymore. Nowadays, it is forgotten beneath the skyscrapers and towers of the capital.
Let me tell you about Hyochang Stadium.
When people think of Korea’s most famous football stadiums, three usually come to mind.
There’s the Seoul World Cup Stadium, the national team’s nominal home ground, and venue for the opening ceremony of the 2002 World Cup.
Next comes the Olympic Stadium, which hosted the national team before the opening of Seoul World Cup Stadium. And, finally, there’s Dongdaemun, demolished in 2008 to make way for a Design Plaza and park.
In the beating heart of Seoul, within walking distance of Yongsan and Seoul Station, sits Hyochang Stadium. A small, mostly uncovered gem nestled into the side of a park, at the bottom of a hill.
Most of the roads around Hyochang are one-way. Even though it is in bustling Yongsan District, the surrounding buildings are residential. It is quiet.
Roads meander and bend around its old walls. Hyochang has that neighborhood vibe mostly associated with Latin America and parts of Europe.
In fact, buses descending the hill, before the road swerves to avoid the white walls, have a perfect view of the stands and the pitch. Over the tiny roof covering the main stand, Seoul Tower is clearly visible.
Behind one goal rises the impressive glass skyline of Yongsan before the land falls away towards the Han River.
There is nothing to hate about Hyochang. It is forgotten, and hidden, and yet it is gorgeous. Hyochang played a hugely significant role in Korean football’s post-war era, but they don’t really tell you about it.
I returned to Hyochang in early July for the first round of the Korea Cup. Seoul-based Yangcheon TNT moved from their traditional home to welcome K4 outfit Pyeongchang FC. This isn’t unusual. Amateur clubs in the capital often relocate to Hyochang to start their domestic cup dreams.
Pyeongchang won 2-1, but that’s not why we’re here.
It took 12 months to build Hyochang. Even though Dongdaemun existed nearby, a new stadium was needed to host international matches and tournaments. Seoul won the rights to the 1960 AFC Asian Cup, and thus set about constructing a modern facility.
Dongdaemun, opened under Japanese occupation in 1925, was deemed inappropriate. Hyochang would have a capacity of 30,000. It has a running track, a common feature in Korea, but this isn’t an Olympic standard track. The distance between stands and pitch is quite short.
There were early objections to the planned stadium. “At first, the government planned to relocate patriots’ tombs in the area elsewhere to build the stadium, but the work was stopped due to stiff opposition.”
Fortunately, those tombs weren’t moved, and you can visit them today.
The Asian Cup got underway in October 1960 and one thing sticks out immediately – the opponents. This was the second edition of the tournament, so it obviously lacked the prestige it has today.
Israel (now competing in UEFA), South Vietnam, and Taiwan joined the hosts. Korea won all three matches, scoring nine goals and conceding just one. They were back-to-back champions. Unbelievably – given their power and strength – the title in 1960 remains their most recent success.
According to local reports, close to 100,000 supporters attempted to gain entry to the second match against Israel. Although official records show a capacity crowd of 30,000, it is estimated 60,000 squeezed into Hyochang.
The inevitable crush sadly took the life of one young boy.
Grainy footage from the Taiwanese match shows how much – and how little – has changed. The stadium is identical, from the layout to the pitch side design. The roof over the main stand is new, but otherwise Hyochang today looks remarkably similar to the stadium of more than 60 years ago.
What is unmistakably different is the surroundings. Beyond the stadium walls, fans found vantage points on small hills. There were no skyscrapers, apartments, or towers. Seoul is unrecognizable.
Since those heady days, Hyochang has gone through several renovations. The old charms still exist – the orange gates hidden behind shrubs and bushes on street level.
The bare concrete steps, bleachers, and the white wall. The small shacks visible in 1960 are still there, especially on the corner of the main stand. This is a stadium with charm and history pouring from every block, every drop of paint, and every piece of rust.
Hyochang later hosted an inter-continental playoff between Korea and Yugoslavia for the 1962 World Cup. That was the beginning of the end. Dongdaemun was renovated before the 1988 Olympic Stadium took the mantle of primary home ground.
What a shame, then, that nowhere within its sacred walls is there even an ounce of information. No photos, no plaques, no essential reading. At half time, I found myself in dark hallway under the main stand. There were empty picture frames on the walls.
Another pity is that the stadium can’t be used for professional football today. The floodlights operate at well below 50% capacity. The bulbs are angled sharply downwards. The stands are cloaked in complete darkness when the sun sets.
This is because of the surrounding apartments. Residents, understandably, don’t want lights shining through their windows. Now capable of holding just 15,000 spectators, Hyochang would be a perfect size for Seoul E-Land of K League 2.
Yangcheon’s loss means Hyochang won’t be hosting Korean Cup football for at least another year. It reverts back to amateur and schoolboy football.
The trophies may now gather dust in museums, but the stadium where Korea became champions of Asia still stands. Hidden beneath the skyline of modern Seoul, Hyochang remains one of the most important places in Korean football history—even if far too few people remember it.
Leave a Reply