Kim Hye-ri (, or ; born 25 June 1990) is a South Korean footballer who plays as a defender for Suwon FC and the South Korea national team.
Kim was interested in football from a young age, asking her mother to buy her a football for her sixth birthday, and started playing competitively while attending Sangwon Elementary School in Seongnam. At Oju Middle School, Kim trained in the girls' football academy alongside Ji So-yun. As the team dominated successive domestic U-15 tournaments, Kim and Ji were recognised as generational talents, with Kim sometimes referred to as the 'female Hong Myung-bo'. Having served as captain at Oju Middle School, Kim went on to play at Seoul Dongsan I.C.T. Industry High School and later, Yeoju Institute of Technology.
Kim was selected by Seoul City Amazones WFC in the first round of the 2011 WK League draft. She made her league debut in the opening game of the 2011 season, establishing herself as a key part of Seoul's defensive line. After completing her three-year contract in the capital, Kim was signed by Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels ahead of the 2014 season as the club sought to defend their first league title. Kim played for Incheon from 2014 to 2024, lifting the WK League trophy in ten consecutive seasons. Kim's individual performances saw her named the league's best defender by the Korean Women's Football Federation in 2023 and 2024. She was also nominated for the Women's Player of the Year award at the 2023 AFC Annual Awards.
After the end of the 2024 season, Kim announced her move to Chinese side Wuhan Jiangda, becoming the first South Korean woman to play in the Chinese Women's Super League. Shortly after her arrival in Wuhan, the city hosted the final knockout stages of the inaugural season of the AFC Women's Champions League. Kim was a key member of Jiangda's squad, playing all 120 minutes of the final against Melbourne City, which finished as a draw. Wuhan Jiangda won the penalty shoot-out that followed to win the tournament, making Kim the first South Korean woman to lift the AWCL trophy. The victory earned Wuhan qualification for the 2026 FIFA Women's Champions Cup, the inaugural edition of the competition. Wuhan became the first ever team to win a match at the FIFA Women's Champions Cup when they beat Auckland United FC, with Kim providing an assist for the only goal of the match.
Kim was captain of the South Korean squad that came in third place at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, becoming the first South Korean national team to finish third in a FIFA tournament. The achievement was considered a milestone in the country's football history and brought a flurry of media attention to the women's game in South Korea.
Kim went on to represent her country at the Women's World Cup in 2015, 2019 and 2023. She became South Korea's captain in 2019, succeeding Cho So-hyun in the role as the squad underwent a period of reorganisation following the departure of former manager Yoon Deok-yeo.
When Kim made her 100th international appearance in a 2022 friendly match against Canada, the Canadian Soccer Association honoured her with a pre-match ceremony alongside three Canadian players marking the same milestone. Kim provided an assist against Chinese Taipei in South Korea's final match at the 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship, helping the team claim the title for the first time in 20 years.
Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels
Wuhan Jiangda
South Korea U-20
South Korea
Individual