Gwangju FC

Gwangju FC was founded in December 2010, becoming the 16th club in the K League, with Choi Man-hee appointed as the first manager. They finished their first season in 11th place. The club was relegated to the newly-formed second division K League Challenge (now K League 2) the following season after finishing in 15th place. In 2014, they were promoted back to the top tier for the 2015 season.

The club oscillated between the first and second tiers, winning the second division championship in 2019 and 2022.

In the 2023 K League 1 season, Gwangju achieved its best-ever performance under the leadership of Lee Jung-hyo, finishing third in the league and earning a spot in the AFC Champions League Elite for the first time. Under Lee's attacking playing style, Gwangju upset J1 League sides Yokohama F. Marinos 7–3 and Kawasaki Frontale 1–0 in their debut continental matches in the 2024–25 edition, qualifying for the knockout stage as the only South Korean club. After losing 2–0 in the first leg of the round of 16 against Vissel Kobe, they secured a 3–0 victory at home and advanced with a 3–2 aggregate score, becoming the first citizen club to reach the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League.

After guiding Gwangju to the 2025 Korea Cup final, the club's first ever major cup final (which they lost 2–1 to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Lee left the club for Suwon Samsung Bluewings at the end of the season.