Aimed at broadening international perspectives among faculty and students and raising the standard of football talent development, a delegation from the School of Football visited Seoul, South Korea for a week-long academic exchange program from February 28 to March 6. The delegation immersed itself in South Korea's football development experience through site visits, exchange meetings, friendly matches, and observations of youth training programs.
During the visit, the delegation toured Incheon United FC's headquarters and home stadium, conducting a systematic review of the club's professional management structure. In meetings with the club's CEO and relevant management personnel, both parties engaged in substantive discussions on organizational structure, commercial operations, financial planning, and brand development. Incheon United FC elaborated on its established practices in player transfer mechanisms, commercial sponsorship models, and fan culture development, providing meaningful reference for the operational improvement of WHSU's football club.
During the youth academy exchange session, the delegation held extensive discussions with Incheon United FC's youth academy director and U19 coaching team, receiving a thorough overview of the club's academy development pathway from U12 to U18, including player selection mechanisms, training curricula, and the approach to integrating cultural and academic education. The delegation also observed an open training session on "offensive and defensive transition concentration training," gaining firsthand experience of South Korean youth development methods designed to enhance players' decision-making and execution under high-intensity match conditions.
As part of the study tour, the delegation played friendly matches against Songdo FC, Incheon Bupyeong High School, and several other teams, gaining direct exposure to the competitive style of South Korean amateur and school football. The group additionally toured Seoul World Cup Stadium and its football museum, obtaining a well-rounded understanding of South Korea's football development history, with special attention to the legacy of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. On-site review of the stadium's post-event operations and commercial management further deepened the delegation's grasp of the football industry's operational framework.
The study tour to South Korea, which integrated professional learning with experiential practice, gave faculty and students a comprehensive understanding of South Korea's football development model and talent cultivation philosophy, and further clarified the direction for future training and teaching reform. Faculty and students indicated their commitment to internalizing the outcomes of this exchange into concrete action aimed at enhancing professional competence and advancing the School of Football's development—drawing on a more pragmatic work ethic and evidence-based training methods to support the cultivation of high-level football talent and contribute to WHSU's "double first-class" development and high-quality advancement.
