Hyeok-kyu Kwon, born on the 13th of March 2001, is a Korean footballer plying his trade as a central defensive midfielder for Karlsruher. Standing at an impressive 6ft 2in (1.9 metres) tall and weighing in at 12st 1lb (77kg), Kwon wears the number 8 jersey and possesses a physical presence on the field. In addition to his club career, he has also had the honour of representing the national team of his homeland, the Korea Republic.
As per the statistics mentioned on Transfermarkt, he currently holds a market value approximately around £845k.
Kwon began his professional journey at Busan I'Park, a club participating in the K League 2 in Korea Republic. He initially joined them in January 2019, making a negligible splash with only two league appearances in his debut season. However, he gradually rose to prominence over the subsequent seasons, showcasing his developing prowess on the field, including scoring three goals in the 2020 and 2023 seasons.
In an intriguing move, Kwon's services were procured on loan by Gimcheon Sangmu of the K League 1 in March 2021. During his stint at Gimcheon Sangmu, that spanned across the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Kwon continued to gain significant experience, making 33 first team appearances in league matches.
Upon completion of his loan, Kwon returned to Busan I'Park in September 2022, adding a bit more to his footballing directory before his eventual move to Celtic.
The transaction that brought Kwon to the shores of Glasgow happened in July 2023, with Celtic paying approximately £860k for his services. While his stint at Celtic was brief, the Parkhead faithful were able to watch him display his skills in the green and white jersey.
During this tenure at Celtic, he experienced the thrill of Premiership football through loan spells to fellow Premiership clubs St Mirren and Hibernian, in January 2024 and August 2024 respectively. He made a good account of himself in these periods, garnering a total of 29 first team appearances.
The Parkhead tenure concluded in July 2025 when Kwon was transferred to FC Nantes in France's Ligue 1 for an approximate fee of £220k. He put in a diligent effort at his new club, playing in 12 league matches in the 2025-2026 season.
Kwon's career took him to Germany in February 2026, where he joined Karlsruher in the 2. Bundesliga for an undisclosed fee. In the ongoing season, he has appeared on the field thrice for his new club.
Despite not having a lengthy stay in the Hoops outfit, Kwon remains a familiar figure to the Celtic followers, with his journeys across different clubs and leagues enhancing his experiences and honing his abilities as a tenacious central defensive midfielder.
