Ulsan HD appoint Kim Pan-gon as new manager

Ulsan HD has appointed Kim Pan-gon as the club's twelfth head coach. Kim Pan-gon, who is already well-known in the football world as a former player, coach, and administrator, has taken the helm at the Munsu.
Image via Ulsan HD press release

Kim Pan-gon has demonstrated his leadership abilities over the past 20 years by alternating between managing domestic club teams and national teams of other countries. This year, he will make his K League head coaching debut with his former team, Ulsan.

Sharing his thoughts on his appointment, Kim Pan-gon said, "I will present a game model that suits Ulsan’s current situation and strengths, and establish a unique playing style to quickly ensure performance and results".

Kim added, "This is my first time as a head coach in the K League. I feel both nervous and excited. Although it feels like it’s been a long journey to get here, I want to give a sufficiently mature performance to Korean football fans."

Ulsan Football Club considered not only Kim Pan-gon's managerial history but also the stories within it when making their decision to appoint him.

The club highly valued Kim’s ability to not only achieve results but also foster the growth of individual players and lead the overall development of the team from a macro perspective. The club offered him the head coach position with the belief that he could prepare Ulsan for the Club World Cup next year and continue the club's upward trajectory.

Kim Pan-gon already has experience wearing the Ulsan shirt, having played for the club for four seasons from 1992 to 1996.

In 1996, Kim left his mark as a member of the championship-winning team when Ulsan lifted their first league trophy, before moving to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors the following year. He then paused his playing career after the 1997 season.

Kim Pan-gon took his first steps as a coach at Jungkyung High School in 1998. The following year, he led the team to victory in the Baekrokgi National High School Football Tournament, delivering the championship trophy just three years after the team's founding.

Following this, Kim continued to lead on the professional stage. At the same time, he once again put on his football boots for a brief period.

First, in 2000, he was a league runner-up and FA Cup winner while playing for Instant-Dict in the Hong Kong Pro League, before becoming a player-coach at Double Flower. Based on this experience, he was appointed player-manager for Hong Kong Rangers FC, which was the weakest team in the league at the time. The result was a great success. In his first year, he led the team to first place in the first half of the season. He was named in the league's Best XI as both the best manager and player of the season.

In 2005, Kim Pan-gon made a triumphant return to South Korea and began his career as a professional coach with Busan IPark. Initially appointed as assistant coach, he served as both assistant coach and acting head coach until 2008, playing the role of both a leader and a pillar for the team.

In 2008, Kim returned to Hong Kong as the head coach of the South China team, achieving victory in the league and reaching the AFC Cup semi-finals. Based on these successes, the following year, as well as being head coach of his club team, he was appointed head coach of the national team and the U-23 age group team. Until 2010, Kim Pan-gon concurrently led South China, the Hong Kong national team, and the U-23 team, securing a victory over North Korea in the EAFF second-round qualifier and winning the gold medal at the East Asian Games.

Following a brief stint as assistant coach at Gyeongnam FC, Kim Pan-gon returned to Hong Kong in 2012. He resumed his role as the national team coach while also serving as a director, establishing a system for the age group national teams, and continued to build his coaching legacy.

In 2018, Kim, recognized for his extensive football knowledge, continuous player development, and administrative abilities, temporarily set aside his coaching duties and returned to his home country to build his administrative career. He took on the role of Chairman of the National Team Selection Committee at the Korea Football Association, where he contributed to developing a long-term roadmap for the advancement of Korean football.

In 2022, Kim Pan-gon left his office and returned to the field. Appointed as the new head coach of the Malaysian national team, he achieved significant success within five months. During the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, he secured Malaysia's place as runners-up in Group E, leading the team to their first automatic qualification for the Asian Cup in 43 years.

With this, Kim Pan-gon concluded his nearly 28-year journey as a player, coach, and administrator, and has now returned to his former team.

Kim Pan-gon will return to Korea tomorrow, Monday 29th, and join Ulsan Football Club to start coaching the players. He will hold an inauguration press conference at 11 a.m. on Monday, August 5th, at the first-floor auditorium of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. Furthermore, his official K-League head coaching debut will take place on Saturday, August 10th, in the 26th round of the Hana Bank K-League 1 against Daegu FC at Munsu Football Stadium.