Hong Hyun-Seok made a speedy Bundesliga debut. Lee Jae-sung and Nahanhi started in a dramatic draw.

Mainz played Stuttgart to a 3-3 draw in the second round of the 2024-2025 German Bundesliga at the MHP Arena in Stuttgart, Germany, on Aug. 31 at 10:30 p.m. ET. Mainz, who have now drawn two matches in a row since the opening day, sit in 12th place with two points. Stuttgart remained in 15th place with a 1-1 draw.

The spotlight was on Hong Hyun-seok. Mainz announced the signing of Hong on the club’s social media accounts on September 29th. Mainz, who had already announced the signing of a new player on social media the day before, used an image from the globally popular Netflix series “The Squid Game” to announce the signing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but according to European media, the transfer fee was reportedly €6 million (approximately $8.9 billion) and a four-year contract. He was given the number 14 shirt.

Hong was initially linked with a move to Trabzonspor.

A person familiar with the European market said on Sept. 29, “Trabzonspor offered Hong a substantial salary, and I understand that the player was a little bit harsh on it. The league has a lower tax rate than most Western European countries,” the source said.

Hong was heavily linked with a move to Trabzonspor in the middle of this month. Reputable journalists and media outlets in both Belgium and Trabzonspor rushed to report the move. With one year left on his contract at Hent, rumors were rife that he would leave for a transfer fee of €4 million and a four-year contract.

When the public opinion among fans was that he was going to the Turkkiye League at a young age against his agent’s wishes, Hong Hyun-seok appeared in person and said, “I wanted to go because I wanted to go. My agent told me not to go,” he wrote on social media. It was a de facto ‘personalized’ transfer to Trabzonspor. His omission from the roster for Gent’s league match on Sept. 19 was a clear sign of the transfer. “Hong’s heart has already left Gent,” said Gent head coach Fromar Franken.

However, for some reason, there was no official confirmation of Hong’s upcoming medical with Trabzonspor.

In an article titled ‘Breaking news: 파워볼실시간 Trabzonspor’s Hong Hyun-seok signing canceled?’, the Turkic media ‘Kuzey Express’ reported on the 24th that ‘The transfer negotiations have hit a snag. The player and the club added a release clause (buyout) to the contract and demanded that the club pay the taxes owed to South Korea instead,” revealing the existence of the sudden change.

Trabzonspor are reported to be demanding €12 million for a buyout, with the player’s camp asking for half that amount, €6 million. With the disagreement showing no signs of being resolved, the possibility of a return to Ghent has been raised. The option of spending the rest of the year in Ghent and then joining the big leagues as a free agent next summer has emerged as an option.

According to sources, the move to Mainz took off on July 27. Mainz, who have been monitoring Hong Hyun-seok since last year when he was playing for Hent, offered to match Hent’s €4 million asking price. The German kicker reported €4 million, while Sky reported that the transfer fee was €6 million. The move was sparked by a change of heart from Hong, who had always expressed his desire to play in the big leagues. He chose the big leagues over a lucrative salary.

A left-footed attacking midfielder like Lee Kang-in,

Hong came up through the Ulsan HD youth ranks and has played overseas for Unterhaching, Juniorros, and LASK since 2018. In 2022, he moved to his current club, Gent, where he exploded for 16 goals in 97 appearances. Last year, he participated in the Hangzhou Asian Games and helped South Korea win the gold medal. Hong had scored two goals and provided three assists in seven games, including the cup, for Hent this season.

In joining Mainz, Hong will be joining forces with national teammate Lee Jae-sung, who has a history with the club. The Korean duo will follow in the footsteps of Koo Ja-cheol (now Jeju) and Ji Dong-won (now Suwon FC), who previously played together at Augsburg. Koo also played with Park Joo-ho (retired) at Mainz.

With Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and Jung Woo-young (Union Berlin), there are now four Koreans playing in the Bundesliga this season. Jung Woo-young joined Union from Stuttgart on July 27 on a season-long loan. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Henriksen said: “I’m happy with the signing of Hong Hyun-Seok. He is a great footballer. He has great strengths in contesting and pressing. I think he will do an excellent job for Mainz.”

Hong immediately won a starting spot in a 3-4-3 formation with Burkhardt up front and Lee Jae-sung and Hong on the left and right wings.

Mal was a flanker and practically a free-roamer. Mbene-Amari-Sano-Kashi was in the back four, while Hansch-Olsen, Bell, and Core formed the back three. Zentner was in goal.

Hong Hyun-seok and Lee Jae-sung were active in the attacking third with their usual flair. In the sixth minute of the first half, Hong made an interception that led to a header from Lee Jae-sung. The equalizer also came from the duo. In the 16th minute of the second half, with Mainz trailing 1-2, Hong intercepted a pass. The ball found its way through Lee Jae-sung to Mbene. Mbene’s cross was met by Hansch-Olsen, who headed the ball into the path of Burkhardt. It was the equalizer.

Hong Hyun-seok, who had been working hard throughout the match, was forced off in the 19th minute of the second half with leg cramps. Hong had 30 touches and completed 94.7 percent of his passes. He had one shot on goal. He had two interceptions. His rating was 6.34 on Fúscore.com. Lee Jae-sung also played 87 minutes. Lee had 34 touches for a passing success rate of 91.3%, with two key passes and one shot on target. In defense, he made two tackles and two clearances. His rating was 7.01.

The game was a back-and-forth affair.

Mainz’s defense broke down and conceded back-to-back goals in the first half to Enzo Miyo in the 8th minute and Rebelling in the 15th minute. Mainz found a way to get back into the game when Amiri converted a penalty kick in the 43rd minute. Burkhardt equalized in the 16th minute of the second half after a set piece by Hong Hyun-seok and Lee Jae-sung. A free kick to Reeder in the 42nd minute left the hosts in a bad spot, but in the 49th minute, a header from Bidmer was headed home by Reich for a dramatic equalizer.

With the schedule wrapped up, Lee Jae-sung will join Hong Myung-bok for three matches in Asia for the 2026 North and Central American World Cup against Palestine (home) and Oman (away). Hong Hyun-seok did not make the squad.