# Hong Hyun-seok

Hong Hyun-seok (Korean: 홍현석; born 16 June 1999) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a central or attacking midfielder for Bundesliga club Mainz 05 and the South Korea national team.

## Club career

In January 2018, Hong moved from the youth team of Ulsan Hyundai to SpVgg Unterhaching. 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.
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.
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. While adapting quickly at Gent in the first season, he had 5 goals and 5 assists in 31 Pro League matches, and 1 goal and 4 assists in 12 UEFA Europa Conference League matches. His rapid growth at Gent led him to join the senior national team.
On 29 August 2024, Hong joined Bundesliga club Mainz 05 on a four-year deal until 30 June 2028.

## 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. He started in all four matches earning a silver medal as runners-up.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 31 January 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| SpVgg Unterhaching | 2018–19 | 3. Liga | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 |
| Juniors OÖ | 2019–20 | Austrian 2. Liga | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 0 |
| Juniors OÖ | 2020–21 | Austrian 2. Liga | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 |
| Juniors OÖ | Total | Total | 52 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 2 |
| LASK | 2021–22 | Austrian Bundesliga | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | — | — | 40 | 1 |
| LASK | 2022–23 | Austrian Bundesliga | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 |
| LASK | Total | Total | 27 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 1 |
| Gent | 2022–23 | Belgian Pro League | 37 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 1 | — | — | 54 | 9 |
| Gent | 2023–24 | Belgian Pro League | 30 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 1 | — | — | 43 | 7 |
| Gent | 2024–25 | Belgian Pro League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 7 | 2 |
| Gent | Total | Total | 70 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 18 |
| Mainz 05 | 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 172 | 13 | 12 | 3 | 41 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 225 | 21 |
* 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
* ↑ Twelve appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa Conference League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League

## Honours

South Korea U17
* Summer Youth Olympics silver medal: 2014
South Korea U23
* Asian Games: 2022