FC Seoul fire veteran defender for alleged drunk driving

FC Seoul terminated defender Hwang Hyun-soo's contract on Tuesday for allegedly driving a vehicle whilst drunk and not reporting it to the team, the K League 1 club announced Tuesday.

Hwang Hyun-soo, center, celebrates scoring a goal during a 2024 Korea Cup match between FC Seoul and Seoul E-Land at Mokdong Sports Complex in western Seoul in a photo shared on FC Seoul's official Facebook account on April 17. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

FC Seoul terminated defender Hwang Hyun-soo's contract on Tuesday for allegedly driving a vehicle whilst drunk and not reporting it to the team, the K League 1 club announced Tuesday.

“With a heavy heart, we have to let fans know that Hwang drove while drunk,” FC Seoul said in a statement shared on the club’s official Instagram page on Tuesday. “After confirming that Hwang Hyun-soo was drunk whilst driving, the club reported the case to the K League to start an official investigation.

“The club has decided to terminate Hwang's contract for not reporting the incident to the club immediately and for causing trouble for the club at an important time. We made the call considering the severity of the situation and the fact that drunk driving is an act that requires strict punishment.”

The details surrounding the incident remain unclear as of press time, and there has been no police statement or mention by the club that police are involved in the case.

Korean newspaper Sports Seoul reported Tuesday that FC Seoul officials found out about the incident through an external source on Monday evening, when Hwang was in team training.

FC Seoul manager Kim Gi-dong reportedly was told after training finished, prompting Hwang to admit to the crime. FC Seoul has not confirmed this version of events.

Hwang, 28, is a one-club player, having made 160 appearances for the capital side since his pro debut in 2014.

He has never been called up to the senior Korean squad, but he has made 13 U-23 caps during which he won a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games and earned a military exemption.

The termination of his contract comes as FC Seoul struggle in the top tier, sitting in seventh place on the 12-team table.

The capital side recently cut a five-game winless streak in the K League 1 on June 22 with a 3-0 win over Suwon FC, but have not been a strong league title contender so far in the 2024 campaign.

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