Wolverhampton’s gaze on Hwang Hee-chan (27) is warm.
Wolverhampton posted two photos of Hwang’s goal in the A-League match against Singapore on its official social media (SNS) on Aug. 18 (KST). “Hwang scored a goal in front of the home fans,” the club wrote under the caption. He also added an emoji of the Korean flag.
Hwang started the first leg of the 2026 FIFA North America Confederations Cup Asia Second Qualifying Round match between South Korea and Singapore at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on June 16. Hwang scored a header off a cross from Cho Kyu-sung in the fourth minute of the second half to give South Korea a 1-0 lead.
It was Hwang’s 12th goal of the tournament. Immediately after the goal, Hwang ran to the corner flag and jumped with a clenched fist, looking at the Red Devils and giving them a slight colossus salute. This is one of Hwang’s recent gestures. He explained, “It means that I want to reach a higher place.”
This is the second consecutive game that Hwang has scored a goal, following his one goal and one assist against Vietnam in a friendly A match on March 17. He made his A-League debut in 2016 and has already scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists in 58 appearances. He has scored at key moments, including the game-winning goal against Portugal in the third round of group play at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Hwang spoke to the media after the match against Singapore and said, “In the first half, they dropped their defense a lot. It was frustrating not to score a goal. In the second half, I could see that they were getting tired. We kept trying to score and it paid off. I think the players gained confidence and gave a good performance for the fans.”
On the circumstances of his own goal, he added: “I was expecting it. It was one of our plans. I told the players to stay calm. When the second goal came, it gave us some space. I’m glad I could help the team.”
This season, he’s been on a tear for Wolverhampton. He has six goals and two assists in 12 English Premier League (EPL) games. Five of his six goals have come in home games. He has scored in every home game except for a 2-1 win against Tottenham in Round 12.
The team is scheduled to play away to China on Nov. 21. “I’m going to rest well and think about the game against China,” Hwang said. “When we play Asian teams, our goal is to get both performance and results. We will work hard for that.”
Klinsmann’s Korean team will depart for China on the morning of the 19th via Incheon International Airport. The Korea-China match will take place at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center at 9 p.m. on the 21st.
After the match, the team will travel to England to face Wolverhampton. Wolverhampton will play Fulham on Nov. 28 and Arsenal on Nov. 3.