A storm named "Ye-gun" is sweeping across the 2026 K League 1 season. The two figures behind it are Kim Ye-gun, an 18-year-old prospect at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, and Sung Ye-gun, a 21-year-old midfield engine at Bucheon FC 1995.
One has drawn the attention of European clubs as a technician, while the other, after dominating the college game, has landed smoothly in the K League 1 and quickly secured a starting role at Bucheon. The two players' performances have brought fresh energy to Korean soccer, whose mood had sunk after an early exit from the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America.
According to the Korea Professional Football League on the 23rd, it was Jeonbuk's Kim Ye-gun who drove the "Ye-gun wave" in the first half of the season. He is a striker who burst onto the scene at Jeonbuk this year. Born in August 2008 and recently turned 18, Kim appeared in eight games in his debut season and scored his first goal. In an away match against Ulsan HD on July 11 (a 3-1 Jeonbuk win), he scored his first professional goal at 17 years, 11 months and 4 days old, setting a record as the youngest ever winner of the "Goal of the Month." The previous record was held by Yang Min-hyuk (Tottenham), who was 18 years, 3 months and 10 days old when he scored for Gangwon FC against Jeonbuk on July 26, 2024.
Kim Ye-gun has captured soccer fans' attention with dribbling that outclasses the K League, off-the-ball runs, escaping pressure and creating space. As his highlight clips have spread widely on social media, his name comes up constantly online as well.
In recognition of that popularity and his performances this season, Kim is on the verge of a move to Europe, the stage of his dreams. He is set to transfer to Eastern European powerhouse Crvena Zvezda of Serbia, with only formal steps such as an agreement between the clubs and a medical test remaining. Zvezda is where national team midfield mainstay Hwang In-beom (Porto) played and where fullback Seol Young-woo currently plays. Regarded as Serbia's top club, Zvezda also serves as a bridge to the major European leagues.
Kim explained his choice of Zvezda: "Since this is my first move abroad, I looked for a team where I could build a platform to move on to other clubs while also adapting easily." He added, "I think the key to adapting is confidence," expressing confidence in his prospects on the European stage.
The "Ye-gun wave" in the second half of the season is being carried by Sung Ye-gun, three years older than Kim. Sung, who joined Bucheon this summer after playing for Hannam University, has quickly proven at the professional level the skills that dominated the college game, leading Bucheon's surge in the second half.
Standing at a commanding 183 centimeters with tireless work rate, Sung has perfectly filled the gap left by the departures of first-team players such as Yoon Bit-garam. In particular, he started in the "Ye-gun Derby" against Jeonbuk (a 3-2 Bucheon win) in Round 23 of the K League 1 at Bucheon Stadium on the 16th, roaming the midfield with relentless energy and shuttling between defense and attack. He opened the scoring in the 8th minute to drive his team's victory. After the match, Sung expressed strong confidence: "It would be a lie to say I wasn't aware of Kim Ye-gun, but I was able to win by focusing on my own game."
He also started against Pohang on the 22nd, playing the full 90 minutes and contributing to a 3-0 win that gave the team its first consecutive victories of the season. Sung has recorded two goals in seven games this year.
Promoted side Bucheon is on an unbeaten run of three wins and two draws in its last five games. Over that span, it earned the most points among the 12 K League 1 clubs, tied with Jeju SK (three wins and two draws). In its last two games, it scored three goals each. Once worried about the relegation zone, Bucheon has now climbed to a position within reach of Final A, the top six teams.
Bucheon faces runaway leader FC Seoul at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 25th. For Sung Ye-gun, it is a big match to firmly etch his name once again. On the same day, Kim Ye-gun's Jeonbuk plays an away game against bottom-half side Gimcheon.
