SEOUL-- South Korean international midfielder Hwang In-beom signed a short-term contract with FC Seoul on Tuesday, shortly after his deal with a Russian team was suspended due to the country's invasion of Ukraine.
FC Seoul said Hwang will play for them through June this year. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Hwang, 25, had been playing for the top-division Russian club Rubin Kazan since 2020. But his future with the club was thrown into limbo in February, when Russia invaded Ukraine and was hit with a series of sanctions from the international community.
FIFA is temporarily allowing foreign players based in Russia to unilaterally suspend their contracts and play elsewhere. Hwang took advantage of that and decided to continue his career in his native land.
FC Seoul said if Hwang chooses to stay put in the K League, then they will retain him for the rest of the season. The K League 1 campaign will conclude in October.
Hwang has emerged as the go-to midfielder for the senior national team, a versatile playmaker armed with offensive instincts and defensive chops. He has collected 31 caps.
At the under-23 level, Hwang was a member of South Korea's gold medal-winning squad at the 2018 Asian Games.
Hwang made his club debut with Daejeon Hana Citizen in the K League 1 in 2015. He later spent two seasons with Vancouver Whitecaps in Major League Soccer before taking his talent to Russia in August 2020.
Hwang has been nursing a broken toe since late February and has already been in South Korea for a few weeks for treatment.
In a statement released by the club, Hwang said he expects to be ready by the end of this month or early next month.
"I don't know how many games I'll get to play, but I will try to help the team win every match at home in May and June," Hwang said. "I hope fans will be able to talk about me with pride. This is one of the biggest clubs in the country, and I can't wait to feed off our fans' energy at Seoul World Cup Stadium."
FC Seoul are in the relegation zone after seven matches this season, stuck in 11th place out of 12 clubs with six points from one win, three draws and three losses.
Source: Yonhap News Agency