Hyunseok Hong joins 1. FSV Mainz 05

1. FSV Mainz 05 have signed South Korean midfielder Hyunseok Hong from KAA Gent. The 25-year-old has put pen to paper on a long-term contract with the 05ers until 2028. Hong has been actively playing in Europe since U19 level. 

Hong’s career took him from Ulsan HD FC to SpVgg Unterhaching and then LASK, before he joined KAA Gent in 2022. The attacking midfielder has featured in 104 competitive games (18 goals, 20 assists) for the Jupiler Pro League side. He was able to gather experience playing on the international stage at LASK and in Belgium, having featured a total of 42 times (5 goals, 10 assists) across the UEFA Conference League, as well as qualifying matches in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League. He won gold at the Asian Games with South Korea’s Olympic team in 2023, which was also the year that he made his senior debut for his country (12 caps so far). Hong had previously worked his way up through the ranks of the country’s youth sides from U17 level onwards. 

“Hyunseok Hong is a variable and creative attacking midfielder, who can not only pose a threat on goal but can also play at a number of positions. You’d think that running was his great passion, as he regularly covers a lot of ground in every game and is therefore a perfect fit for our high-intensity style of play. His friendly nature will make it easy for him to fit into our dressing room immediately,” said FSV board member for sport Christian Heidel. 

Asked about the move, Hong said, “It’s a dream come true for me to be able to play in the Bundesliga, one of the biggest leagues in the world, in the future. Of course I spoke with Jae-sung Lee before making the move; he was very happy for me and warmly welcomed me to Mainz. As a player, my ability to run hard is what defines me – I feel most confident in the role of the playmaker when I have the ball at my feet. I’m really looking forward to taking the next step in my career in Mainz and to meeting the Mainz fans, who I’ve heard are fantastic.”