New FC Seoul forward Hwang Ui-jo hoping to make impact in short loan stint

• Published date: 28 February 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

Having returned to his native Korea for a short stint following a disappointing stretch in Europe, new FC Seoul forward Hwang Ui-jo has set a lofty goal for himself.

At a preseason press conference in Seoul, Hwang said Wednesday he will try to score in double figures for his K League 1 club. That may not sound like much for a veteran scorer like Hwang, except that he is only here on a six-month loan.

Only 12 players scored 10 or more goals in the K League 1 last year, and 11 of them played in over 20 matches.

"No matter which league or which team I play at, my objective has always been to reach double digits in goals," Hwang said. "I will try to do just that with FC Seoul. I want to play a winning brand of football and entertain our supporters."

Hwang agreed to his move back to the K League 1 earlier this month, putting his European career on hold. After beginning this season with FC Girondins de Bordeaux in France, he signed with the Premier League club Nottingham Forest in August 2022. Nottingham immediately loaned him to Olympiacos FC in Greece, but the national team mainstay never found his way around there.

Hwang did not score in 11 matches in all competitions with Olympiacos. His last Greek league appearance was on Oct. 17.

It was a far cry from his successful stint in France, where he led Bordeaux in goals in 2021 and again in 2022.

FC Seoul forward Hwang Ui-jo speaks at a press conference in Seoul on Feb. 22, in this photo provided by the Korea Professional Football League. Yonhap

FC Seoul forward Hwang Ui-jo speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, before departing for Kagoshima, southwestern Japan, for training camp, Feb. 6. Yonhap

Under FIFA rules on player transfers, Hwang wasn't eligible to...