Celtic will take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Suwon World Cup Stadium in South Korea this July as part of their summer tour of Asia.
The game on July 26 will see Korean striker, Oh Hyeon Gyu, face his fellow countryman, Hwang Hee Chan, who plays for the English Premier League side, and who was one of South Korea’s heroes from the recent World Cup in Qatar.
Celtic and Wolves have played in a number of friendly matches over the years, the most recent coming back in July 2011 when a Celtic side which featured Korean defender Cha Du-Ri lost 2-0 at home to the English side.
There are two other matches scheduled for the summer at the Incheon Asiad Stadium, starting with Wolves facing Jose Mourinho’s Roma side on July 29 before the Italian side take on local team, Incheon United on August 1.
These three matches are being brought to South Korea by a newly-formed partnership between Stadium X and Untouchable Sport Group (USG).
This consortium is made up of veterans who have had over a decade of experience working in various major football events in South Korea and Asia Pacific. Previous events include the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Final Rounds, AFC Champions League, AFC U23 Championship, AFC U19 Women’s Championship, HKFC CITI Soccer Sevens and more.
Stadium X/USG is keen to bring Korean national players back to their home country, giving them the perfect opportunity to introduce South Korea to their team-mates and to an international audience.
The matches will also provide the chance for fans to watch and cheer on their heroes in person, providing even more inspiration as members of the national team start their preparations for the qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Jaehyung AHN, a Tour Director and the CEO of USG said: “South Korean football is getting the recognition at a global level. More and more of our stars are playing in the various European football leagues and as an organization and a proud supporter of South Korean football, we want to do our part in getting even more awareness out there.
“The European teams and fans have embraced Hwang Hee Chan and Oh Hyeon Gyu and we want to invite their clubs to visit South Korea so that we can help our football heroes give their clubs an equally big welcome. And in doing so, we also hope we can help more of the world see and love the beauty and culture of South Korea.”
Seongho PARK, a partnership director and the CEO of Stadium X, added: “We are looking forward to creating a multi-match football festival to mark the start of a wonderful summer filled with unforgettable experiences for the fans.
"We would also like to express our gratitude to Suwon City and Incheon Metropolitan City for their great support and helping us fulfill our objectives and give fans the great opportunity to cheer on their football stars in person.”
