Newcastle United’s summer slide just got steeper. The Magpies suffered their third consecutive pre-season defeat, falling 1-0 to a K-League XI in their first-ever outing on South Korean soil.

⚽ K-League XI 1–0 Newcastle United
📍 Suwon World Cup Stadium
🕒 Goal: Jin-Kyu Kim (36’)

After a 3-2 defeat to Arsenal and a loss to Celtic, Eddie Howe’s squad couldn’t find their footing in Suwon. Local hero Jin-Kyu Kim fired home the decisive goal in the 36th minute, coolly slotting past Nick Pope as Newcastle struggled to handle the sweltering 30+°C heat — and the clinical K-League stars.

Pre-season form: Ice cold.
South Korea: Blistering hot.

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Not Much Magpie Magic in Suwon

Newcastle came close early, with Anthony Gordon volleying wide and Joe Willock forcing a smart stop from K-League keeper Hyeon-woo Jo. New boy Anthony Elanga, fresh off a debut goal vs Arsenal, was again lively but couldn’t convert his chances.

Meanwhile, new signing Seung-soo Park made a cameo in front of his home fans, and Max Thompson, who joined Newcastle as a boy, made his senior debut in goal — but neither could turn the tide.

Osula’s near-misses kept fans hopeful, but the Magpies never found the net, ending the match with more questions than answers.

Magpies Starting XI:

Pope (Thompson 73’), Lascelles (c), Tonali (Hernes 77’), Gordon, Krafth (Ashby 73’), Osula (Park 82’), Elanga, Livramento, Willock (Harrison 90’), Murphy, Miley

Unused subs: Vlachodimos, Ruddy, Gillespie, Trippier, Hall, Schär, Joelinton, Barnes, Targett, Murphy, Burn, Bruno, Munda, Neave

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What’s Next?

Newcastle need to regroup — and quickly. With the Premier League season fast approaching and the Isak situation looming, Howe’s men must rediscover their spark… or risk a rocky start to 2025/26.