In the New Year of the Year of the Cat, the competition between Ulsan and Jeonbuk, the two biggest rivals in the K-League, is expected to be fiercer than ever.

The two teams’ race to the top has been on fire since the winter transfer window.

Reporter Heo Jae-won reports.

[Reporter]
Last year, Ulsan stopped Jeonbuk from winning the championship for 6 consecutive years and reached the top of the K-League in 17 years.

Although they missed the league championship, Jeonbuk kept their pride by lifting the FA Cup trophy.

In the New Year of the Year of the Cat, the competition between Hyundai and its rivals to occupy the K-League throne is expected to become even more intense.

The race between Ulsan and Jeonbuk started in the winter transfer market.

Ulsan, who had no significant reinforcement in the early days of the transfer market, embraced veteran striker Joo Min-gyu, who scored 17 goals last year, for the first time in four years.

[Ju Min-gyu / Ulsan striker: 안전놀이터 I know the team’s goal well, and I personally prepare well to reach that goal, so I hope this season will be a season that brings more championship trophies.]

Jeonbuk won last year’s Ulsan championship Japanese midfielder Jun Amano, who led the team, was recruited, and players from Ulsan were brought in one after another, including Lee Dong-jun and Kim Gun-woong.

[Lee Dong-jun / Jeonbuk striker: (Ulsan) was a team that was grateful to me, and I received a lot of love from the fans. Now I think I have to play for Jeonbuk Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai fans.]

Ulsan and Jeonbuk were reconvened side by side on the 3rd and started winter training in preparation for the new season.

Ulsan is in Portugal from the 21st to the 11th of next month. Jeonbuk plans to continue their hardening in Spain from the 16th to the 15th of next month, and

the competition between the two teams to reach the top of the K League is already heating up.