Kwon Chang-hoon

Kwon Chang-hoon
Kwon with Jeju SK in 2026
Personal information
Full name Kwon Chang-hoon
Date of birth (1994-06-30) 30 June 1994 (age 32)
Place of birth Seoul, South Korea
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Positions
Team information
Current team
 Persija Jakarta
Number 13
Youth career
2007–2009 Joongdong Middle School [ko]
2010–2012 Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2016 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 90 (18)
2017 Dijon B 3 (2)
2017–2019 Dijon 61 (13)
2019–2021 SC Freiburg 35 (2)
2021 SC Freiburg II 1 (0)
2021–2023 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 11 (1)
2022–2023 → Gimcheon Sangmu (draft) 41 (2)
2024–2025 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 31 (2)
2026 Jeju SK 13 (0)
2026– Persija Jakarta 6 (1)
International career‡
2009–2010 South Korea U17 9 (2)
2011–2013 South Korea U20 17 (6)
2015–2021 South Korea U23 25 (11)
2015– South Korea 43 (12)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  South Korea
AFC U-23 Championship
Runner-up2016 Qatar
AFC U-19 Championship
Winner2012 United Arab Emirates
EAFF Championship
Winner2015 China
Runner-up2022 Japan
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 8 November 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 28 November 2022
Kwon Chang-hoon
Hangul
권창훈
Hanja
權昶勳
RRGwon Changhun
MRKwŏn Ch'anghun
IPA[kwʌn.tɕʰaŋ.ɦun]

Kwon Chang-hoon (Korean: 권창훈; born 30 June 1994) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Indonesian Super League club Persija Jakarta and the South Korea national team.

Early life

Kwon started playing football when he was attending Seoul Yangjeon Elementary School. After he graduated from Joongdong Middle School, he entered Maetan High School, which had the under-18 team of K League club Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

Club career

Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Kwon was promoted to the senior team of Suwon Samsung Bluewings during the 2013 K League draft. On 3 April 2013, he came on as a 79th-minute substititue in a 6–2 AFC Champions League defeat to Kashiwa Reysol, making his professional debut. On 6 April, he made his K League 1 debut in a 3–1 win over Daegu FC. On 30 April, he scored his first goal for Suwon in a 2–2 Champions League draw with Guizhou Renhe.

Kwon was a substitute of Suwon until 2014, but became a key player after changing his position from central midfielder to attacking midfielder in 2015. That year, he scored 10 league goals and was selected for the league's Best XI. On 26 October 2016, he led Suwon to the Korean FA Cup final by having one goal and one assist in the 3–1 semi-final win over Ulsan Hyundai. On 3 December, he lifted the FA Cup trophy after the team defeated FC Seoul 10–9 on penalties in the final.

Dijon

In January 2017, Kwon joined Ligue 1 club Dijon on a 3.5-year deal. The transfer fee paid to Suwon was estimated at €1.5 million. In the 2017–18 season, he scored 11 league goals, taking charge of Dijon's attack with striker Júlio Tavares, who scored 12 goals. However, he injured his Achilles tendon in the last league match of the season, and showed a decline in his ability due to the aftereffect as well as being absent from the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

SC Freiburg

On 28 June 2019, Kwon transferred to Bundesliga side SC Freiburg. On 24 August, he scored his first goal for Freiburg, while making his Bundesliga debut in a 3–1 win over SC Paderborn. He played 35 league matches including 28 matches as a substitute for two years at Freiburg due to his frequent injuries. He returned to his country at the end of the 2020–21 season to prepare for his military duty.

Return to Suwon

Enlistment in Gimcheon Sangmu

Kwon rejoined Suwon Samsung Bluewings on 26 May 2021, and played for them before enlisting in K League 1's military team Gimcheon Sangmu in December. In 2022, he showed poor performances without a goal while playing 33 league matches for Gimcheon. He did not bring out a different side of him in the relegation play-offs, where the club lost 6–1 on aggregate to Daejeon Hana Citizen. On 22 April 2023, he suffered an Achilles injury again in a K League 2 match against Seoul E-Land, starting to take a rest.

Discharge from Gimcheon

On 26 June 2023, Kwon was discharged from Gimcheon Sangmu, coming back to Suwon Samsung Bluewings. He attempted to transfer to a European club during the summer transfer window, but did not receive an offer. He had remained at the club, but did not feature for Suwon due to persistent injuries until the club was relegated to the K League 2 at the end of the 2023 season. Following the expiration of his contract, it was reported that he would leave for league rivals Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Suwon fans, who had not been able to meet him throughout the season, were disconcerted by the sudden news, and their confusion was converted into fury over him after it was confirmed. He was guaranteed the club's highest salary and received support from the club to overcome long-term injuries, whereas he did not visit the stadium to greet their fans until their relegation was decided. He apologized to the fans on Instagram just before the announcement of his transfer, but was eventually criticised for pursuing his own interests only without consideration for the club and fans.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

On 7 January 2024, Kwon joined K League 1 club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on a free transfer. On 17 August, he made his debut for Jeonbuk as a 60th-minute substitute in a league match against Pohang Steelers, playing on the field for the first time in 483 days. He also scored the winning goal in stoppage time before the match ended in a 2–1 win. In 2025, he started to be used as a left-back by manager Gus Poyet. He played as a substitute for Jeonbuk, but his positional change helped the team win the Double.

Persija Jakarta

Kwon played for fellow K League 1 side Jeju SK between March and May 2026 after receiving an offer from Sérgio Costa, their new manager and former assistant coach of the South Korea national team. On 17 July, however, he moved to Super League club Persija Jakarta, managed by Shin Tae-yong, the former South Korea manager and another of his mentors.

International career

Kwon at the 2016 Summer Olympics

As a youth international, Kwon participated at the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship and the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and won the former tournament.

Kwon was called up to the South Korea national team for the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup. He made his international debut in a 2–0 East Asian Cup win over China. On 3 September 2015, he scored his first and second international goals in a FIFA World Cup qualifier against Laos, where South Korea won 8–0.

While Kwon played for South Korea under-23 team at the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship, his winning goal in the 3–1 semi-final win over Qatar led them to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics. During the Summer Olympics, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Mexico, which sent the team to the quarter-finals.

Kwon became one of South Korea's key players after manager Shin Tae-yong was promoted from the under-23 team to the senior team in August 2017. He was named in their preliminary 28-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup as expected, but his Achilles tendon injury in Dijon's last match of the season excluded him from the squad for the tournament.

Kwon was called up as an overage player to the South Korea under-23s for the 2020 Summer Olympics. He was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Summer Olympics for the second consecutive time after a 6–3 loss to Mexico.

Kwon steadily played for South Korea under manager Paulo Bento, but his call-up was criticised by fans, who regarded other players as better players than him. Despite their criticism, Bento continuously trusted him until the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In a 3–2 loss to Ghana, he made his World Cup debut, but the assessment about him was not overturned.

Career statistics

Club

As of 17 May 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2013 K League 1 8010—21—111
2014 K League 1 20100———201
2015 K League 1 351010—71—4311
2016 K League 1 27741—41—359
Total 901861—133—10922
Dijon B 2016–17 National 3 32————32
Dijon 2016–17 Ligue 1 800000——80
2017–18 Ligue 1 34111010——3611
2018–19 Ligue 1 1923110—11244
Total 61134120—116815
SC Freiburg 2019–20 Bundesliga 23200———232
2020–21 Bundesliga 12021———141
Total 35221———373
SC Freiburg II 2020–21 Regionalliga Südwest 10————10
Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2021 K League 1 111————111
Gimcheon Sangmu (draft) 2022 K League 1 33010——20360
2023 K League 2 8210———92
Total 41220——20452
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2024 K League 1 8200—3110123
2025 K League 1 23040—40—310
Total 31240—7110433
Jeju SK 2026 K League 1 130————130
Persija Jakarta 2026–27 Super League (Indonesia) 000000——00
Career total 28640183202044133048
  1. 1 2 3 Appearances in AFC Champions League
  2. ↑ Appearance in Ligue 1 relegation play-offs
  3. 1 2 Appearances in K League promotion-relegation play-offs
  4. 1 2 Appearances in AFC Champions League Two

International

Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kwon goal.
List of international goals scored by Kwon Chang-hoon
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
13 September 2015Hwaseong Stadium, Hwaseong, South Korea Laos3–08–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
26–0
38 September 2015Saida Municipal Stadium, Sidon, Lebanon Lebanon3–03–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
424 March 2018Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland Northern Ireland1–01–2Friendly
510 October 2019Hwaseong Stadium, Hwaseong, South Korea Sri Lanka8–08–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification
65 June 2021Goyang Stadium, Goyang, South Korea Turkmenistan4–05–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification
77 September 2021Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon, South Korea Lebanon1–01–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification
815 January 2022Mardan Sports Complex, Antalya, Turkey Iceland2–05–1Friendly
921 January 2022Mardan Sports Complex, Antalya, Turkey Moldova3–04–0Friendly
101 February 2022Rashid Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Syria2–02–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification
1114 June 2022Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea Egypt4–14–1Friendly
1220 July 2022Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Japan China2–03–02022 EAFF Championship

Honours

Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

Persija Jakarta

South Korea U20

South Korea U23

South Korea

Individual

Notes

  1. ↑ Played for Maetan High School [ko], which was an academy of Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
  1. ↑ Includes six appearances and one goal as an overage player (four appearances in Summer Olympics, two appearances and one goal in friendlies).

References

  1. ↑ "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Squad list: Korea Republic (KOR)" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 17. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Kwon Chang-hoon" (in Korean). KFA. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  3. ↑ 출향인 2세 권창훈 선수 올림픽 축구 8강 견인 (in Korean). Yecheon Newspapaer. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 권창훈, 수원과 U-20 대표팀에서의 활약 기대된다 (in Korean). OhmyNews. 19 May 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "AFC Champions League 2013 Group Stage, Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 2-6 Kashiwa Reysol (JPN)". AFC. 3 April 2013. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Guizhou Renhe 2-2 Suwon Bluewings". AFC. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  7. ↑ 서정원 감독이 직접 밝힌 권창훈의 '득점행진' 이유 (in Korean). InterFootball. 13 September 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 K리그 대상 이동국 MVP·이재성 영플레이상 수상. Naver (in Korean). Seoul Broadcasting System. 1 December 2015.
  9. ↑ October 26, 2016 FACUP Semifinals Ulsan vs. Suwon Highlights (in Korean). Suwon Samsung Bluewings. 27 October 2016. Event occurs at 6:40. Retrieved 18 July 2026 – via YouTube.
  10. ↑ [FA컵] 수원, 승부차기 끝에 서울 꺾고 우승…6년 만에 정상(종합). Nate (in Korean). News1. 3 December 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Transfert : le Sud-Coréen Kwon Chang-hoon à Dijon (officiel)". L'Équipe (in French). 18 January 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "Dijon FCO 2017-18 French Ligue 1 Squad". ESPN. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  13. 1 2 "South Korea's World Cup hopes dented by Kwon Chang-hoon's Achilles injury". ESPN. 20 May 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "2019 Tavern Summer Transfer Roundup Part 1: Freiburg Frenzy". Tavern of the Taeguk Warriors. 30 June 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Changhoon Kwon wechselt an die Dreisam". SC Freiburg (in German). 28 June 2019. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  16. ↑ "S. Korean midfielder signs with German Bundesliga club Freiburg". Yonhap News Agency. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  17. ↑ Dream Debut for South Korea International Changhoon Kwon - 1st Shot - 1st Goal. Bundesliga. 28 August 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2026 – via YouTube.
  18. ↑ "Chang-hoon Kwon Club Matches: Bundesliga". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "Streich schwärmt von Kwon - und könnte ihn bald ganz verlieren" (in German). kicker. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "Kwons Transferpläne: Was Streich eigentlich meinte" (in German). kicker. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  21. ↑ 권창훈, 수원 복귀…짧은 6개월 ‘친정’에 복덩이 될까 (in Korean). Kyunghyang Shinmun. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  22. ↑ 권창훈-강윤성-김지현-이영재 김천상무 합격... 27일 입소 (in Korean). Gimcheon Sangmu FC. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  23. ↑ '잘나가는 선임' 조규성-'축구생활 꼬인 후임' 권창훈, 그들의 정반대 2022[대표팀 초점]. Daum (in Korean). Sports Hankook. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  24. ↑ K리그 김천, 한 시즌 만에 2부로…'해결사' 부재에 부침 (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 29 October 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  25. ↑ [현장목소리] 성한수 감독, "권창훈 미세한 아킬레스 부상으로 제외". Naver (in Korean). Sportalkorea. 30 April 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  26. ↑ Suwon Samsung Bluewings [@suwonsamsungfc]; (26 June 2023). "WELCOME BACK 창훈!" (in Korean). Retrieved 19 July 2026 – via Instagram.
  27. ↑ 권창훈 수원 복귀 초읽기…'권창훈-카즈키-고승범' 최강 중원 탄생?. Naver (in Korean). KBS. 11 August 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  28. 1 2 Park, Ji-hwan (8 January 2024). "Kwon Chang-hoon joins Jeonbuk after Bluewings relegation". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  29. 1 2 권창훈 전북 입단에 '배신자 논쟁' 후끈…"반드시 보답하겠다". Nate (in Korean). Xportsnews. 7 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  30. 1 2 [기자수첩] 수원 팬들은 왜 권창훈에게 등을 돌렸나 (in Korean). Sports Hankook. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  31. ↑ 권창훈, 전북으로 이적…'배신자 논란' 비난 (in Korean). Global Economic. 7 January 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  32. ↑ 483일 만에 돌아온 권창훈, 극적골로 존재감 알렸다 (in Korean). News1. 17 August 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  33. ↑ 빅리그 출신 권창훈이 풀백 겸업하게 된 사연은? "생존 위해 선택한 수단이죠". Nate (in Korean). Sports Donga. 12 September 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  34. ↑ '3G 무승' 전북 현대... '풀백' 권창훈 맹활약은 돋보였다 (in Korean). OhmyNews. 4 October 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  35. ↑ 국가대표 출신 MF 권창훈 영입... '세르지우 코스타 감독의 1호 픽' (in Korean). Jeju SK FC. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  36. ↑ "PERSIJA DATANGKAN KWON CHANG-HOON, EKS PENGGAWA TIMNAS KOREA SELATAN" (in Indonesian). Persija Jakarta. 17 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  37. ↑ -아시아U19축구- 한국, 이라크 꺾고 8년 만에 우승(종합) (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  38. ↑ "FIFA U-20 World Cup: Iraq 3-3 Korea Republic (5-4 pens)". AFC. 8 July 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  39. ↑ "Son Heung-Min nets hat trick for South Korea, Shinji Kagawa seals Japan win". ESPN. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  40. ↑ "AFC U23 Championship SF: Qatar 1-3 Korea Republic". AFC. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  41. ↑ "Defending men's soccer gold medalists Mexico eliminated by South Korea in group play". The Washington Post. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  42. ↑ 신태용호, 숨겨진 '핵심' 권창훈·이재성 (in Korean). Sports World. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  43. ↑ 첫 골 기대한 권창훈까지… 신태용호 또 날벼락 (in Korean). Hankook Ilbo. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  44. ↑ '두 번의 탈락' 권창훈, 누구보다 더 크게 다가오는 아쉬움 (in Korean). Goal. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  45. ↑ '벤투 양아들' 비판 권창훈-나상호, 필요한 건 '애국자 모드'. Nate (in Korean). Newsen. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  46. ↑ '비판에 쇼앤프루브' 나상호 이어 권창훈도 빛날까. Daum (in Korean). Goal. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  47. ↑ 이강인 대신 나선 '35G 0골' 권창훈, 비난바꿀 반전 못이뤘다[월드컵 쓴소리]. Nate (in Korean). Sports Hankook. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  48. ↑ "Kwon Chang-Hoon". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  49. ↑ "Chang-hoon KWON - Football : la fiche de Chang-hoon KWON (Dijon)". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  50. ↑ "Kwon, Chang-Hoon". National Football Teams. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  51. ↑ Stokkermans, Karel; Zlotkowski, Andre (29 November 2018). "South Korea 2015". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  52. ↑ "Persebaya Juara Piala Presiden 2026 usai Tekuk Persib via Adu Penalti". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 6 August 2026.
  53. ↑ Di Maggio, Roberto (5 November 2014). "Asian U-19 Championship 2012". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  54. ↑ "AFC U-23 Championship 2016 - Finals". AFC. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  55. ↑ Di Maggio, Roberto (14 July 2016). "East Asian Championship 2015". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  56. ↑ [K올스타전 생생리뷰] '염기훈 MVP' 팀 최강희vs팀 슈틸리케, 3-3 무승부. (in Korean). InterFootball. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  57. ↑ "Tottenham Hotspur 6-3 K-League XI". Tottenham Hotspur. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  58. ↑ '득점왕' 정조국, K리그 MVP 수상. Naver (in Korean). Seoul Broadcasting System. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2020.