A Mongolian professional football club is making waves with an all-Korean leadership team, including the owner, CEO, and head coach, marking a new chapter in the “Korean Wave” of football.
The club in the spotlight is Hunters FC, which has been competing in the Mongolian Premier League, the top tier of Mongolian professional football, since the 2024-2025 season. The owner is Kim Dong-geun, president of the Mongolia Christian Council of Churches, while Kim Won-seok, head of the sports ESG company Kookdae Co., has recently been appointed as the new CEO. Most of the club’s administrative staff are also Korean.
Leading the team on the pitch is head coach Mo Jeong-il, who previously managed Mokpo Jeil Middle School, the Goyang City Sports Council U-18 team, and Bhutan’s women’s football club RTC WFC.
Founded in 2019, Hunters FC began its remarkable rise when Kim Dong-geun took over in 2022. The club achieved an undefeated record in the Mongolian Second League (third division) in the 2022-2023 season, winning 15 matches and drawing three to secure promotion to the First League (second division). They repeated the feat in the 2023-2024 season, again going unbeaten with 15 wins and three draws, earning a direct promotion to the top-tier Mongolian Premier League.
After a challenging debut season in the Premier League, finishing seventh among 10 teams, Hunters FC has been working to build a more systematic club operation. The recent appointments of CEO Kim Won-seok and head coach Mo Jeong-il are part of this effort. Kim Won-seok, who brings extensive experience from the sports industry, plans to introduce advanced Korean training methods, tactical analysis, and marketing techniques to Mongolia. He also aims to provide new opportunities for Korean players who may have struggled to find their footing at home.
“Football is a powerful medium that transcends language and borders,” said CEO Kim. “We will create pathways for Korean sports talent to enter the Mongolian market.”