SEOUL – Gimcheon Sangmu FC clinched a direct promotion to the K League 1, South Korea's top football division, following a tense final day in the regular season. The team's 1-0 victory over Seoul E-Land FC at Gimcheon Stadium in North Gyeongsang Province ensured their top position in the K League 2 standings with 71 points. The deciding goal was scored by Kim Hyeon-ug in the 37th minute of the match held on November 26, 2023.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Gimcheon, a unique military club comprising players serving mandatory military duties, achieved promotion after being relegated following the 2022 season. This swift return to the top tier continues their pattern of bouncing back immediately after previous relegations in 2013, 2015, and 2021.
Gimcheon's triumph was set against the backdrop of Busan IPark's simultaneous match against Chungbuk Cheongju FC. Busan, leading the table by one point before the final games, needed a win to secure the top spot but were held to a 1-1 draw, conceding a crucial equalizer in the second-half added time, moments before the final whistle.
This turn of events means Busan IPark, despite missing out on direct promotion, will still have an opportunity to ascend to K League 1 through the league's promotion-relegation playoffs. They will compete against the 11th-ranked team from K League 1 in a two-legged playoff scheduled for December 6 and 9.
The K League's promotion system also allows other teams, including Gyeongnam FC, Bucheon FC 1995, and Gimpo FC, who finished fourth, fifth, and third respectively, a chance at promotion through a series of playoffs culminating in a showdown with the 10th seed from K League 1.
Busan, who last appeared in the top division in 2020, along with Gyeongnam (2019), Gimpo, and Bucheon, who have never played in K League 1, will all be vying for a spot in next year's top-tier competition. The last-place team in the K League 1 will be directly relegated to K League 2, while the teams just above it faces the challenge of the playoffs to retain their position for 2024.
The climactic end to the regular season, with all matches commencing simultaneously, saw Gimcheon secure their narrow victory a few minutes before the conclusion of the match in Busan, leading to jubilant celebrations in Gimcheon and contrasting disappointment in Busan.