'It's art!'
Jeonbuk Hyundai secured a 3-1 comeback win against Ulsan Hyundai in the Korea Professional Football League's (K League 1) Round 17 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on the 31st of last month.
With this victory, Jeonbuk recorded 10 wins, 5 draws, and 2 losses, totaling 35 points, claiming first place.
In particular, Jeonbuk recorded its first full-capacity crowd in the rivalry against Ulsan and Hyundai. The audience that came to watch the modern derby on that day filled the stadium with 31,830 spectators, marking a sell-out. Before the match, Jeonbuk announced that the showdown with Ulsan was sold out. The stadium was packed with fans and the players did their best.
Jeonju World Cup Stadium, built for the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, renovated all its seating in 2020.
The width of the existing seats, which was 48 cm, was expanded to 55 cm, allowing spectators to watch the match comfortably without bumping into others. The newly remodeled seats feature space for fans to place drinks, similar to a cinema, where spectators can bring in cups or water bottles.
Of course, while the seats have become wider, the seating capacity has decreased from about 42,000 to around 30,000. However, with an improved viewing environment, spectators now have more space to enjoy the matches.
Additionally, Jeonbuk introduced customer relationship management (CRM) marketing to attract spectators to the stadium. Since implementing CRM marketing in 2022, it has achieved significant success. The club also revamped its website and app and built an integrated platform. As a result of consistent efforts, Jeonbuk has more than quadrupled its total members.
Jeonbuk Hyundai initiated the successful implementation of this marketing technique with the revamp of the club's website and app and the construction of an integrated platform in '22. The number of home game ticket buyers has more than doubled, providing the club with data to carry out CRM marketing. Based on this data acquisition, the club has efficiently expanded online bookings, steadily increasing the rate of re-bookings through the club channels.
Of course, the most important aspect is performance. The team's performance, which had not met expectations in recent years, changed completely this season. Following the adjustment period under coach Gus Poyet, Jeonbuk was leading the K League 1 solo before this match. With an overwhelming performance compared to previous years, the number of spectators has also steadily increased.
Through the rivalry with Ulsan, Jeonbuk recorded its first full capacity attendance since its establishment. The stadium had no empty seats. It was already completely sold out, and the stadium was filled with spectators. More than 30,000 fans filled the stadium with cheers. Ulsan's away fans also filled their designated section. The crowd was as full as during a national team match, leading to a complete phone service outage.
When Ulsan's Lee Chung-yong scored the opening goal, the away fans erupted in cheers. However, the home fans quickly hid their joy. Song Min-kyu equalized, and Park Jin-seop scored the comeback goal. The situation of Park Jin-seop's comeback goal stunned the audience with a fantastic bicycle kick from Lee Seung-woo, who had been substituted in the second half.
In stoppage time of the second half, Jeonbuk secured a thrilling comeback win when Tiago scored a decisive goal after receiving a pass from Lee Seung-woo during a counterattack.
With victory in sight, Jeonbuk fans shouted Ulsan’s signature cheer, "Goodbye." This was a reflection of the joy of their victory. The win was exhilarating, and the modern derby concluded with a full-capacity crowd at Jeonju Sports Complex.
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