's Governor Kim Jin-sun announced a schedule for the foundation of the 15th professional football club to participate in the K League on April 28, 2008. A committee, the "Foundation of Football Club in Gangwon Preparation Committee", was organized on 18 June 18, 2008 to facilitate the foundation. Preparations had advanced sufficiently that by 17 November 2008, 14 players had joined Gangwon FC in a first nomination. On November 20, 2008, Gangwon FC organized its first full squad, a total of 23 players, including nine players from the 2009 K League draft. Gangwon FC was formally founded on 18 December 2008 in time to enter the 2009 edition of the K-League.
Debut season – 2009
Gangwon played its first ever K-League match against Jeju United on 8 March 2009, at Gangneung Stadium, winning 1–0 with a decisive goal from Yoon Jun-ha. With this victory, they became the first ever team to win their debut game in K League. Gangwon FC continued their winning start to the season with a further four victories on the trot and causing a sensation in the first half of 2009 K League. Unfortunately Gangwon was unable to maintain their initial success, and by round 19 had fallen into the lower half of the league table. By the conclusion of their first season in the K League, they placed 13th of fifteen clubs. In the 2009 Korean FA Cup, Gangwon entered the competition in the Round of 32 and defeated their first opponent Incheon Korail FC in a penalty shootout after a 2–2 draw. They then faced the Chunnam Dragons, losing 1–0. In the 2009 K-League Cup, Gangwon finished bottom of their group with only a single win.
Difficult period and relegation
Gangwon FC had a difficult season in 2010, even though first striker Kim Young-hoo scored 13 goals in the league. The club finished 12th out of 15 clubs. The 2011 season was the worst season since its establishment. Gangwon finished last in the league and the entire team only scored 14 goals in thirty matches. In the 2012 season, K League imposed a new promotion-relegation structure: bottom two teams in the top-tier league were to be relegated to second division. In the 43rd round, Gangwon managed to remain in the top-tier of K-League by Baek Jong-hwan's decisive goal that won the away game against Seongnam Ilhwa by 1–0. By one point, it avoided relegation. In the 2013 season of K League Classic, the first historical season in which K League imposed compulsory relegation of bottom three teams and where the team that finished third from the bottom had to play the promotion-relegation playoffs against the champion of 2013 K League Challenge, the second-tier league, Gangwon finished the season in the third place from the bottom inside the relegation zone, subsequently lost to Sangju Sangmu Phoenix over the two-leg relegation playoffs, and was relegated to the K League Challenge.
Players
Current squad
Out on loan
Captains
Youth team
On 13 September 2010, Gangwon FC U-12 team was established in Gangneung. On 2 November 2011, Gangwon FC made an agreement with Gangneung Jeil High School and Jumunjin Middle School.
