28 of 29 approved… Gimcheon Sangmu denied K League 1 license · Chungbuk Cheongju conditionally approved

In the 2027 K League 1 license review, Gimcheon Sangmu was the only one of 29 clubs denied, because its partnership agreement with Gimcheon City ends. Chungbuk Cheongju and Gimpo FC passed with conditions.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

Three-line summary

The league's Club Qualification Review Committee approved 28 of the 29 clubs that applied for 2027 K League 1 licenses
Gimcheon Sangmu was the only club denied a license, because its partnership agreement with Gimcheon City ends at the end of 2026
Chungbuk Cheongju was approved on condition of a stadium renovation plan, and Gimpo FC on condition of a redone external audit

"Currently, given Gimcheon City's circumstances, it is difficult to pursue a citizen-run professional football club." That is what Mayor Bae Nak-ho said at a press conference on September 29, 2026. Fifteen days later, the result came out. The Korea Professional Football League announced its 2027 K League 1 license review results on October 14, and among the 29 clubs that applied, only Gimcheon Sangmu was turned away. It was not about results on the field but about ties to the home city.

Gimcheon Sangmu license denied: the only one of 29 clubs

Gimcheon Sangmu had played in Gimcheon under a partnership agreement among the league, the Armed Forces Athletic Corps, and Gimcheon City since 2021. On December 1, 2025, the league drew a line at its board meeting: whether a Gimcheon citizen club or a new home-city club of the Armed Forces Athletic Corps participates in 2027, it would start in K League 2.

The ball now sits with Gimcheon City. The city conducted face-to-face interviews with 800 residents over 9 days starting August 26. Support led opposition by only 6.0 percentage points (37.7%−31.7%), and 'don't know' reached 30.7%. The money question had a clearer answer: 47.3% called the city's budget support 'excessive,' about 1.9 times the 25.4% who called it 'appropriate,' according to Newspim reported.

At the September 29 press conference, Mayor Bae said, "This decision halts the transition to a professional club, not the development of football in Gimcheon," according to Gyeongbuk Maeil reported. The partnership agreement ends December 31.

On October 12, the Club Qualification Review Committee held a meeting. According to Ilgan Sports, the decision was approval for 28 clubs and denial for Gimcheon. The reason for denial was that the partnership agreement with Gimcheon City ends after the 2026 season. The 28 approvals were 96.6% of the 29 applications (28÷29), 3.4 percentage points lower than the 100% approval of all 26 clubs in the previous 2026 season review.

Comparison of 2026 and 2027 K League 1 License Reviews (2026 season per league announcement)

Category	2026 season review	2027 season review
Applicant clubs (count)	26	29
Unconditional approvals (count)	25	26
Conditional approvals (count)	1 (Chungnam Asan)	2 (Chungbuk Cheongju, Gimpo)
Denials (count)	0	1 (Gimcheon)

Conditional approvals for Chungbuk Cheongju and Gimpo FC, with two conditions attached

Chungbuk Cheongju FC received its condition because of its home stadium. Safety problems were found at Cheongju Stadium, and parts of the seating and entrances are temporarily closed. For the 2027 season, the club must submit a renovation implementation plan no later than 30 days before the home opener. The committee will check compliance at that point and reconsider approval for home matches. Reports differ on the stadium's completion year, giving 1965 and 1979.

Gimpo FC's problem was its accounts. According to Money Today, the external audit report Gimpo regularly submitted did not reflect key financial matters, including embezzlement allegations reportedly arising from 2023. The committee required the club to redo its external audit as a condition. It did not rule on the embezzlement allegations themselves, since judicial proceedings and a special Gimpo City audit are still underway.

The 'conditional' tag is no small matter. Clubs denied a license cannot be promoted to K League 1 next season even if they meet promotion requirements through this season's results. If the two clubs fail to meet their conditions, their promotion path could be blocked, so their final eligibility is not yet confirmed.

Sangmu's new home city undecided; 2027 K League 1 to have 14 teams

The league landscape is changing too. According to Headline Jeju, the league board decided to expand the 2027 K League 1 from 12 to 14 teams, playing 39 rounds. Gimcheon will be dropped from K League 1 regardless of its standings, and a new home-city club would start in K League 2.

The remaining issue is Sangmu's new home city. The league and the Armed Forces Athletic Corps must find one, but as of October 14, no candidate city has surfaced, and it has not been decided whether Sangmu will remain in K League 1 or K League 2. I could not find the league's original press release on its official site, so I cross-checked it against media reports.

Related official sites

K League official website (Korea Professional Football League) — check league announcements and official club standings
K League competition rules (official) — check promotion-relegation format and league operating rules

Representative image · stock photo · not a live photo from the match in the article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Haena96), CC0