Ulsan 'examining' Seol Young-woo move to Red Star Belgrade

Ulsan HD manager Hong Myung-bo says that the K League club is “examining” allowing Ulsan fullback Seol Young-woo to move to Red Star Belgrade.

Ulsan HD fullback Seol Young-woo celebrates scoring a goal during a 2023-24 AFC Champions League quarterfinal against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on March 12. [YONHAP]

Ulsan HD manager Hong Myung-bo says that the K League club is “examining” allowing Ulsan fullback Seol Young-woo to move to Red Star Belgrade.

Seol, 25, has been linked to the Serbian side since early this year ahead of the start of the 2024 K League 1 season in March, but the transfer did not go ahead reportedly because Hong did not want to lose the defender before the new campaign.

It is unclear whether Ulsan and Red Star have held advanced talks over the transfer since then, but Hong told Korean media on Sunday ahead of a game between Ulsan and FC Seoul that he does not know how much progress the two clubs have made, but that the two parties are examining the transfer.

Serbian media reported last week that a deal between Red Star and Ulsan had been completed, although Korean media refuted the claim a day later.

Hong’s remarks come after the end of the 2023-24 Serbian Super Liga season and ahead of the transfer window in Serbia that is set to open on June 27.

Seol was previously linked to Premier League side West Ham, who in January were rumored to be looking at a possible transfer while Seol was with the Korean national team at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar.

After Korea crashed out of that tournament in the semifinals, Seol told reporters in a mixed-zone interview that he “always had a dream of playing in Europe” but “was told by [Ulsan] that they cannot allow the move."

Seol has proven a versatile player, slotting in as a fullback or on either wing, and has accurate crosses, dribbling and pace in his arsenal.

He has made 156 appearances for Ulsan since making his professional debut with the club in 2020. He won the AFC Champions League in 2020 and K League 1 twice in 2022 and 2023 — the team’s first league title defense.

The Ulsan fullback has also been a regular defender pick in the senior national team since last year with 16 caps under his belt.

Seol will be free to pursue a career in Europe uninterrupted as he has already earned a military service exemption by winning a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.

If Seol does make it to Serbia, he could overlap with a couple other Korean players, including Red Star's Hwang In-beom, the 2023-24 Serbian Superliga Player of the Year — though he has picked up interest from more powerful clubs. Korea's You Ji-un, 19, is on loan to FK Cukaricki from the K League 1's Daegu FC until Dec. 31.

Seol has established himself as a national team regular and was part of Korea’s gold medal-winning squad at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games last October, earning a military exemption that will allow him to pursue a career abroad uninterrupted — though he was left out of this month’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers due to his shoulder surgery.

Red Star Belgrade's Hwang In-beom, left, controls the ball during a UEFA Champions League group stage match agaubst Young Boys at the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern, Switzerland on Nov. 28, 2023. [AFP/YONHAP]

The transfer window in Serbia will close on Sept. 13, while the 2024-25 Super Liga campaign will kick off on July 20.

The absence of Seol for Ulsan in the summer will leave the club to find a replacement in the middle of a K League 1 season. A K League 1 season runs from March to December of the same calendar year.

K League teams can register additional players from the summer transfer window running from Thursday to July 31.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN AND MARY YANG [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]