Hong Hyun-seok

In this Korean name, the family name is Hong.

Hong Hyun-seok (Korean: 홍현석; born 16 June 1999) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a central or attacking midfielder for French Ligue 1 club Nantes on loan from German club Mainz 05, and the South Korea national team.

Hong Hyun-seok

Hong in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth	(1999-06-16) 16 June 1999 (age 26)
Place of birth	Seoul, South Korea
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Nantes (on loan from Mainz 05)
Number	7
Youth career
2012–2017	Ulsan Hyundai[note 1]
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2021	Ulsan Hyundai	0	(0)
2018–2019	→ SpVgg Unterhaching (loan)	7	(0)
2019–2021	→ Juniors OÖ (loan)	52	(2)
2021–2022	LASK	27	(0)
2022–2024	Gent	70	(11)
2024–	Mainz 05	23	(0)
2025–	→ Nantes (loan)	0	(0)
International career‡
2014–2016	South Korea U17	9	(0)
2022–2023	South Korea U23	11	(3)
2023–	South Korea	14	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  South Korea Youth Olympic Games 2014 Nanjing Asian Games 2022 Hangzhou
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 15 October 2024

Club career

In January 2018, Hong moved from the youth team of Ulsan Hyundai to SpVgg Unterhaching.^[1] He made his professional debut for Unterhaching in the 3. Liga on 27 February 2019, coming on as a substitute for Lucas Hufnagel in the 84th minute against VfR Aalen.^[2]

After a loan spell at Juniors OÖ, Hong played one season in the Austrian Bundesliga for LASK before moving to Gent in the Belgian Pro League in August 2022 in the aftermath of an ACL injury suffered by Buffalos striker Tarik Tissoudali, becoming the first Korean to play for the club.^[3]

On moving to Belgium, Hong was brought into the Gent first team immediately, scoring a spectacular overhead kick goal 28 minutes into his debut away to Oostende on 12 August 2022, which Gent won 3–1.^[4][5] While adapting quickly at Gent in the first season, he had 5 goals and 5 assists in 31 Pro League matches,^[6] and 1 goal and 4 assists in 12 UEFA Europa Conference League matches.^[7] His rapid growth at Gent led him to join the senior national team.^[8]

On 29 August 2024, Hong joined Bundesliga club Mainz 05 on a four-year deal until 30 June 2028.^[9] He usually played as a substitute for main attacking midfielders Lee Jae-sung and Paul Nebel in his first season at Mainz.^[10]

On 30 July 2025, Hong was loaned by Nantes in France, with an option to buy.^[11]

International career

Hong was included in South Korea's under-15 squad for the boys' football tournament at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China.^[12][13] He started in all four matches earning a silver medal as runners-up.^[14]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 17 May 2025^[15]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
SpVgg Unterhaching (loan)	2018–19	3. Liga	7	0	—		—		7	0
Juniors OÖ (loan)	2019–20	Austrian 2. Liga	28	0	2	0	0	0	30	0
	2020–21	Austrian 2. Liga	24	2	0	0	0	0	24	2
	Total		52	2	2	0	0	0	54	2
LASK	2021–22	Austrian Bundesliga	24	0	4	0	12[a]	1	40	1
	2022–23	Austrian Bundesliga	3	0	1	0	0	0	4	0
	Total		27	0	5	0	12	1	44	1
Gent	2022–23	Belgian Pro League	37	6	3	2	14[b]	1	54	9
	2023–24	Belgian Pro League	30	5	2	1	11[a]	1	43	7
	2024–25	Belgian Pro League	3	0	0	0	4[a]	2	7	2
	Total		70	11	5	3	29	4	104	18
Mainz 05	2024–25	Bundesliga	23	0	0	0	—	23	0
Nantes (loan)	2025–26	Ligue 1	0	0	0	0	—	0	0
Career total			179	13	12	3	41	5	232	21

1. Appearances in UEFA Conference League
2. Twelve appearances and one goal in UEFA Conference League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

South Korea U17

• Summer Youth Olympics silver medal: 2014^[16]

South Korea U23

• Asian Games: 2022

Notes

1. Played for Hyundai Middle School [ko] from 2012 to 2014, and Hyundai High School [ko] from 2015 to 2017, which were academies of Ulsan Hyundai.