Beginnings Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors' predecessor was founded in January 1993 under the name Wansan Pumas. Oh Hyung-keun was the founder of the team, the first to be named after its home location in
K League history. However, they failed to raise enough funds and the club went bankrupt before they could take their place in the K League. Many people wanted to keep the club and Bobae Ltd., a local alcohol producer, offered financial support to the club. In 1994, they joined the K League after renaming as
Chonbuk Buffalo, but ran into financial problems and were dissolved after the final match of the
1994 season. In 1994, South Korea was in the campaign to host the
2002 FIFA World Cup, so
Hyundai Motors, who was in the process of building Hyundai Jeonju Plant, took over the Buffaloes' players and formed a new club called Chonbuk Dinos on 12 December 1994. The K League's official policy is that Chonbuk Buffalo and Chonbuk Dinos (later renaming as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) are two different clubs.
Domination in K League and success in Asia (2005–2021) Since 1994, Jeonbuk had not seriously challenged for the K League title, often languishing in mid-table. as well as
Ulsan Horang-i, the South Korean champions, in the semi-finals. They then triumphed 3–2 on aggregate over
Al-Karamah, the champions of Syria, in the final. As AFC Champions League winners, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors qualified for the
2006 FIFA Club World Cup. They lost their first game 1–0 to
América in the quarter-finals on 10 December, however, they defeated
Auckland City 3–0 on 14 December and finished fifth in the tournament. They repeated the feat in 2011 and won their second domestic title after defeating Ulsan Hyundai 4–2 in the final. The same year, they also reached the AFC Champions League final, where they lost to
Al-Sadd after a
penalty shoot-out. is the all-time top scorer for Jeonbuk and the K League With significant investment from its parent company, Jeonbuk completed its state of the art Yulsori Clubhouse (club training center) in nearby
Wanju County in 2013. Hyundai's generous support and Choi Kang-hee's aggressive play style led to the club dominating the K League for the next several years, with the club winning the
2014 and
2015 titles. 2016 was a tumultuous year for Jeonbuk. The club won their
second AFC Champions League title after defeating
Al-Ain 3–2 on aggregate, but the team came under fire in the domestic front for allegedly bribing referees through a scout. The club was fined and had nine points deducted from their
2016 league campaign, resulting in rivals
FC Seoul claiming the title. Despite being champions of Asia, the club's participation in the
2017 AFC Champions League was revoked due to this incident. The club continued to enjoy success in the K League, securing the next five consecutive titles. Additionally, they won the
2020 Korean FA Cup, defeating rising rivals Ulsan over two legs to mark their first-ever domestic double.
Decline (2022–2024) The
2022 season marked the beginning of Jeonbuk's decline, dramatically losing the title to now chief rivals Ulsan by three points. The club, however, won the
2022 Korean FA Cup. The following year led to even poorer results, with the club finishing fourth in the
2023 season, their lowest league finish since 2008. Jeonbuk also failed to win a second consecutive FA Cup, being defeated by
Pohang Steelers in the
2023 final. The fourth-place finish and failure to win the FA Cup meant the club was unable to participate in the rebranded
2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite. Jeonbuk's decline escalated in the
2024 season, with the club finishing tenth and flirting with relegation for the first time in its history. The club narrowly avoided relegation to
K League 2 by defeating
Seoul E-Land in the promotion-relegation play-offs.
Return to power (2025–present) In December 2024, Jeonbuk appointed Uruguayan manager
Gus Poyet in a bid to achieve its former glory. In the club's first competitive match under Poyet, they defeated Thai side
Port FC 4–0 away in the
2024–25 AFC Champions League Two, including two goals by new signing
Andrea Compagno. Under Poyet's leadership, Jeonbuk decisively won the
2025 K League 1 with five games to spare to clinch their record-extending tenth title and the first since 2021. During the season, they went on a 22-match undefeated streak, which is tied for the third-longest run in K League history. Jeonbuk also won the
2025 Korea Cup after defeating
Gwangju FC in the final, securing their second double and first since 2020. However, two days after the final, Poyet stepped down as manager after his assistant
Mauricio Taricco received a suspension. Jeonbuk won its first trophy under new manager
Chung Jung-yong when it defeated
Daejeon Hana Citizen in the 2026
K League Super Cup, which was held for the first time since 2006. == Supporters and rivalries ==