"Relegated Regardless of Standings"… Gimcheon Avoids Last Place, Relegation Playoff Confirmed After 1-1 Draw
Gimcheon, which drew 1-1 with Gwangju, ruled out the possibility of finishing last with 35 points. Hosting the relegation playoff is confirmed, but Gimcheon's relegation remains unchanged regardless of its standing.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
"Gimcheon Sangmu will be relegated regardless of its final K League 1 ranking, as its regional partnership agreement with Gimcheon City ends this year." Korea Professional Football LeagueThis is the sentence from the October 27 announcement. Four days later, on the 31st, Gimcheon drew away at Gwangju, ruling out the possibility of finishing last. They avoided last place, but relegation stands. Instead, this single draw has triggered the relegation playoff.
Gwangju vs. Gimcheon Result 1-1, 13-Point Gap Maintained
On October 31 at Gwangju World Cup Stadium, in Round 34 of K League 1, Gwangju FC and Gimcheon Sangmu drew 1-1. Sports Chosun reports and Gimcheon's official match result both list the same score.
The gap after the match was 13 points. Media descriptions differed. Newspim wrote that Gimcheon "widened the gap to 13 points," while Star News reported that it was "maintained at 13 points." Since the two teams each took one point in the same match, the gap remains unchanged.
Gimcheon at 35 points; Gwangju would finish with 34 even if they win all 4 remaining games
| Rank | Team | Points | Matches played | Point gap with Gwangju |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Jeju | 46 | 33 | 24 |
| 8 | Anyang | 43 | 33 | 21 |
| 9 | Pohang | 42 | 33 | 20 |
| 10 | Gimcheon | 35 | 34 | 13 |
| 11 | Bucheon | 32 | 33 | 10 |
| 12 | Gwangju | 22 | 34 | - |
Gimcheon and Gwangju each have 4 matches left, and the maximum points they can gain by winning out is 12. If Gwangju wins all of its remaining matches, it reaches 34 points (22 plus 12); even if Gimcheon loses all of its matches, it keeps 35 points. Even if Gwangju wins to the end, it falls 1 point short. Gimcheon therefore avoided last place regardless of the remaining results.
The surprising number is the draws. Yonhap News According to the table, Gimcheon has 5 wins, 20 draws, and 9 losses, while Gwangju has 3 wins, 13 draws, and 18 losses. Gimcheon drew 20 of its 34 matches, a draw rate of 59%.
Relegation playoff conditions: 12th place and the loser of the K League 2 playoff
The framework of the rules was already set out on October 27. The league announced that if Gimcheon is not in last place, the 12th-place K League 1 team and the loser of the K League 2 playoff will compete in the relegation playoff. The rules also state that if another team finishes last, that team will be given a chance to remain in the league.
The draw on the 31st met this condition. Star News reported that with Gimcheon's possibility of finishing last gone, the hosting of the relegation playoff is confirmed. However, confirming the hosting of the playoff, confirming the participating teams, and confirming actual relegation are separate stages. So far, only the first has been confirmed, and which two teams will meet has not yet been determined.
The wording about Gwangju also needs careful reading. Newspim wrote that Gwangju was facing a "direct relegation crisis," but under league rules, the last-place team other than Gimcheon goes to the relegation playoff. In other words, finishing last does not automatically mean relegation.
Sports Chosun reported that if Bucheon wins its November 1 match, Gwangju's last-place finish will be confirmed. This standing is a fixed snapshot taken after the October 31 matches ended, so the results of the November 1 match are not reflected.
According to the league schedule, the K League 2 semifinal playoff will be held on December 2 at 19:00 and the playoff on December 5 at 16:30 (Korea time), and the loser of the latter match will advance to the relegation playoff. Detailed schedules for the relegation playoff will be announced later.
Related official sites
- Korea Professional Football League official competition rules — verify the original competition rules, including the relegation playoff
- K League official match schedules and results — check schedules and results by round
- Gimcheon club official match schedules and results — check Gimcheon's remaining matches and results
- Gwangju FC official match schedule — check Gwangju's remaining 4 matches
Representative image · Archival photo · Not an on-site photo of the current match described in the article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Michael Howe-Ely), CC BY 2.0
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