National League
2009 National League
Founded
2003
Nation
South Korea
Number of Teams
14
Higher Division
K-League
Lower Division
K3 League
Promotion / Relegation
None
League system
Two stages of thirteen matches each. The two stage winners and two runners-up progress to the post-season championship playoffs.
Cups
FA Cup National Championship
Current Champions (2008)
Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dolphin
Website
Official

The Korea National League is a semi-professional football league, the second tier of South Korean football league system, consisting of fourteen member clubs. The season is composed of two sections with the fourteen member clubs playing each other once in each section. The two section winners and the two runners-up from both stages progress to the post-season season playoffs to decide the league champion. In the event of the same team winning both sections, that team is pronounced champion without the need for the playoffs.

[edit] League History

The league was officially founded in 2003 as the K2 League, to raise the level of competition in Korea. Prior to that, various cup competitions were run by the governing body of semi-professional football. Competitions under the present body can be traced back to 1990, with the participants being mostly works sides of the major industries in Korea (banks, construction companies and the like). It was rebranded Korea National League at the beginning of 2006.

It had operated with a two stage season since its inception, with the two stage winners meeting in a two-legged championship playoff final at the end of the season before changing to a four team playoff in 2008. Kookmin Bank won the 2003 championship, and successfully defended their title in 2004. Incheon Korail claimed the title in 2005 before Kookmin Bank won it for a third time in 2006. Ulsan Mipo Dockyard won the championship in 2007.

[edit] Promotion Issue

Ever since the creation of the league, hopes had been high that a system of promotion and relegation would be implemented between the league and the K-League, the professional football league in Korea. In 2006, it was agreed that, subject to meeting certain financial requirements, the National League champions would be eligible for promotion. Goyang Kookmin Bank, who triumphed over Gimpo Hallelujah to win the 2006 title, were the first side eligible for promotion, however they controversially rejected the chance to return to the professional ranks.

The team received several threats from the National League ranging from being thrown out of the competition, to fines, to point deductions for the upcoming 2007 season. In the end the side received a points deduction penalty, to be split into ten point deductions in the first and second stages of the 2007 season.

Following the case involving Goyang, teams in the National League signed agreements indicating whether or not they would seek promotion to the K-League if they win the National League in 2007. Ulsan Mipo Dockyard, who won the championship in 2007, also rejected the chance to move up to the K-League despite previously indicating they would seek promotion.

In light of the issues surrounding the conditional promotion place in 2006 and 2007, the National League decided to end the system prior to the 2008 season.

[edit] Members for 2009 season

The following 14 clubs will compete in the Korea National League during the 2009 season.

• Ansan Hallelujah FC
• Busan Transportation Corporation FC
• Changwon City FC
• Cheonan City FC
• Daejeon Hydro & Nuclear Power FC
• Gangneung City FC
• Gimhae City FC
• Goyang Kookmin Bank FC
• Hongcheon Idu FC
• Incheon Korail FC
• Nowon Hummel FC
• Suwon City FC
• Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dolphin FC
• Yesan FC

[edit] All-time Member Clubs

There have been a total of 16 member clubs since the league was founded as the K2 League in 2003. Seoul City replaced Hallelujah for the second stage of the 2003 season after protests by radical Wonbuddhists forced the Christian club out of Iksan. Hallelujah returned to the league in 2004 after moving to Gimpo. Sangmu B withdrew their team from the league at the end of 2005 in order for the team, essentially the reserve side of K-League team Gwangju Sangmu Phoenix, to compete in the K-League reserve league.

Teams are listed with present-day names in the case of sides that have changed names or locations previously:

[edit] Previous Winners

[edit] Titles By Season

[edit] Titels By Club

[edit] Notable Players

[edit] Sangmu Players

• Cho Jae-Jin
• Cho Won-Hee
• Kim Sang-Rok
• Kim Sang-Sik
• Kim Young-Chul
• Kwon Jung-Hyuk
• Lee Dong-Gook
• Park Ho-Jin
• Park Jong-Woo
• Park Sung Bae
• Seo Deok-Kyu
• Seo Dong-Won
• Sim Jae-Won

[edit] Other Players

• Cho Se-Kwon - Formerly of Goyang Kookmin Bank.
• Cho Won-Kwang - Cheonan City.
• Choi Chul-Woo - Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.
• Hwang Yeon-Seok - Formerly of Goyang Kookmin Bank.
• Jeon Sang-Dae - Formerly of Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.
• Jung Suk-Keun - Incheon Korail.
• Kim Han-Won - Suwon City.
• Kim Min-Soo - Formerly of Incheon Korail.
• Kim Yong-Hee - Gangneung City.
• Kim Young-Hoo - Formerly of Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.
• Lee Do-Kweon - Gangneung City.
• Lee Ho-Sung - Formerly of Goyang Kookmin Bank.
• Lee Kil-Yong - Changwon City.
• Lim Ho - Goyang Kookmin Bank.
• Nam Ki-Il - Cheonan City.
• Park Yo-Seb - Gangneung City.
• Sung Han-Soo - Formerly of Changwon City.
• Yoo Hyun - Formerly of Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.

[edit] See also

• Korean National Football Championship
• Korean President's Cup National Football Tournament
• Korean National Championship
• Korean FA Cup
• K-League
• K3 League
• Korean football league system
• List of football clubs in South Korea

[edit] External links

• National League Official Homepage (Korean)
• National League at ROKfootball.com (English)