Yang Min-hyeok of Gangwon FC acknowledges the crowd after his team's 1-0 win over Pohang Steelers in their K League 1 match at Gangneung Stadium in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Nov. 23. Yonhap

Korean teenage forward Yang Min-hyeok, having signed for Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, said Saturday he will join the Premier League club in December, a month ahead of schedule.

Yang, 18, revealed his plans after scoring in his final match for Gangwon FC, steering them to a 1-0 win over Pohang Steelers at Gangneung Stadium in Gangneung, 170 kilometers east of Seoul.

"I will leave (for England) on Dec. 16," Yang said in a televised interview. "Tottenham wanted me to come over early. So I will take some time off before heading over. I will focus on getting acclimated as soon as possible."

Yang couldn't have asked for a better finale with Gangwon. With Yang's goal, Gangwon finished the season in second place with 64 points, the highest position in club history.

Yang has been their offensive engine all season, and he ended the campaign with 12 goals and six assists, more than any other rookie in 2024. He ended up one goal behind Lee Sang-heon for the club lead.

While still in high school, Yang began the season on a semi-pro contract and became the youngest player ever to score a goal in K League history in March, just before turning 18. His deal was converted into a full contract in June.

Yang earned the Young Player of the Month award a record five times this season, and has earned nominations for both the MVP and the Young Player of the Year honors.

"This has been a year full of gratitude," Yang said. "I've been blessed with so many great coaches and teammates. They helped me finish the season on such a high note. I am so glad we won the last match of the season and finished in second place."

In July, Spurs signed Yang to a deal that runs until 2030, making him the youngest Korean player to join a Premier League side. Though Yang isn't expected to start playing for Spurs right away, the club decided they wanted to see the youngster early, and help him with his transition to the new country and the new league.

Having Korean superstar Son Heung-min as captain of Tottenham should also help Yang.

"Because I am joining Tottenham in the middle of their season, I will focus on physical recovery (after the K League season)," Yang said. "My football career is just beginning. I hope people will keep cheering me on." (Yonhap)