There was a lot to eat at the famous party. Indeed, it was like a ‘luxury derby’ representing the K-League. Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai, ‘Hyundai rivals’ competing for the K League 1 championship cup, played a hot game from the official opening match to announce the start of the 2023 season. ‘Goddess of Victory’ raised Ulsan’s hand, but Jeonbuk also showed off an upgraded destructive power compared to last year, clearly proving the K League 1 ‘second round’ system.
On the 25th, when the two teams played, 28,039 spectators visited Ulsan Munsu Stadium. It is the largest audience since the Corona 19 pandemic. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was an ‘A-match level heat’. On the morning of the game, I could feel it from the Ulsan KTX Station. As if proving that both Ulsan and Jeonbuk are ‘nationally popular teams’, countless fans from other regions got off the train wearing both teams’ uniforms.The Ulsan club started booking tickets for the opening game at noon on the 22nd, but all seats on the 1st and 2nd floors were sold out in less than 4 hours. There are 27,000 pre-orders alone. The reporter arrived at the stadium at 11:00 a.m., three hours before kickoff, and there were already tens of thousands of fans. The Ulsan club obtained permission to use the canteen at Munsu Stadium from the Ulsan Facilities Corporation this season. Ulsan, which had the right to operate the concession stand and the right to profit, ambitiously operated 13 stores, including F&B service and gift shops, which attracted attention with long lines. 메이저놀이터
A large number of Ulsan and Jeonbuk fans sang cheering songs and cheered them up. One fan said, “It seems like you are in a European soccer field.” Ulsan general manager Kim Kwang-guk, who walked around the outside of the stadium to check the preparations and responded to taking pictures with some fans, said, “This is the day the largest number of spectators are looking for in my 9th year as a general manager. Feelings are new. I will do my best as one of the K-League members to continue this heat,” he laughed.
Cloud spectators flocked not only because of the symbolism of the opening game. The rivalry between the two teams, which have been reborn as leading clubs not only in terms of performance but also in public relations and marketing, is getting hotter and hotter. In this season, even an interesting story was put on, and Hyundai ignited the war early. The starting point was that Jun Amano (Jeonbuk, Japan), who played as the main agent when Ulsan stopped Jeonbuk’s 6th consecutive league challenge last year and won the championship after 17 years, became an ‘enemy’. Another ‘Ulsan Man’ Lee Dong-jun and Kim Gun-woong also became members of the Jeonbuk Green Corps. Jeonbuk coach Kim Sang-sik proudly put three players in the starting lineup. Cho Kyu-seong, the “World Cup star,” was also at the forefront. In Ulsan, Joo Min-gyu, who scored the most points in the country for two consecutive years, returned to his home team and played a comeback match.