Our subject, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, is a 24-year-old midfielder born on 13 March 2001 in the Republic of Korea. His primary assignment is as a central defensive midfielder for Karlsruher, sporting the number 8 jersey. On a physical note, Kwon stands tall at 6ft 2in (1.9m) and tips the scale at 12st 1lb (77kg). The South Korean national team has also had the pleasure of his talents.
As of the current appraisal, Kwon's market value hovers around the vicinity of £858k, as stated by Transfermarkt.
In January 2019, Kwon began his professional career with Busan I'Park, a club in the K League 2 in his homeland. During his debut season, the youngster managed to get onto the squad sheet twice for league matches. Kwon's on-pitch contributions grew steadily in following seasons, with 16 appearances and one goal in the 2020 season, and 20 appearances with a brace of goals in the 2023 season. His 2022 season, however, saw slightly less action with only five appearances.
March 2021 marked a significant milestone for Kwon, who secured a loan move to Gimcheon Sangmu in the K League 1. His performance there was commendable, earning him 14 first team appearances in league matches for the 2021 season, and 19 appearances the following season.
After his successful loan spell at Gimcheon Sangmu, Kwon returned to Busan I'Park in September 2022, where he continued to contribute to the first team through the 2023 season and his initial seasons stats of the 2019 and 2020 campaigns were matched.
July 2023 saw Kwon making a significant international move when he transferred to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership for a tidy sum of around £860k. However, his jaunt in the green-and-white hoops was not as extensive as one might have hoped, as he was loaned out to St. Mirren in January 2024, where he made eight first team appearances in league games for the 2023 - 2024 season.
August 2024 saw Kwon on the move again within Scotland, departing from Celtic and arriving at Hibernian on loan, where he managed a decent 21 first team appearances in the 2024 - 2025 season.
Celtic finally let go of Kwon in July 2025, transferring him to Nantes in France's Ligue 1 for a substantially lesser fee of £220k. The current 2025 - 2026 season at Nantes has seen Kwon making 12 first team appearances in league matches.
However, Kwon's journey didn't end in France. In February 2026, he found himself moving again, this time to Karlsruher in Germany's 2. Bundesliga. Details concerning the transfer fee remains unclear. So far, he has graced the pitch once in the current 2025 - 2026 season.
While Kwon's time at Celtic was relatively short and marked by loan spells, his overall career suggests a player of tenacity and potential, one always on the move and often finding a way to contribute on the pitch regardless of the league or country.
