Korea National League

Korea National League

Countries	Korea Republic
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Founded	2003 (1964 as Korea Football League)
Number of teams	14
Levels on pyramid	2
Promotion to	K-League (no promotion)
Relegation to	Challengers League (no relegation)
Domestic cup(s)	Korean FA Cup
League cup(s)	Korea National League Championship
Current champions	Ulsan Mipo Dockyard (2011)
Website	http://www.n-league.org
2011 Korea National League

Korea National League
Hangul	내셔널 리그
Revised Romanization	Naesyeneol rigeu
McCune–Reischauer	Naesyŏnŏl rigŭ

The Korea National League is a semi-professional association football league, the second tier of the South Korean football league system. It consists of fifteen 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.

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 1964, 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.

On December 18, 2009, The league approved to join 2 clubs, Mokpo City FC & Yongin City FC, from the 2010 season.

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.

On November 2, new commissioner, Kwon Oh-Gab, announced to push implementing a promotion system with K-league within 3 years.

Members for 2011 season

Ansan

Busan

Changwon

Cheonan

Chungju

Daejeon

Gangneung

Gimhae

Goyang

Incheon

Mokpo

Suwon

Ulsan

Yongin

Location of teams in 2011 Korea National League

The following 14 clubs will compete in the Korea National League during the 2011 season.

• Ansan Hallelujah FC
• Busan Transportation Corporation FC
• Changwon City FC
• Cheonan City FC
• Chungju Hummel FC
• Daejeon Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power FC
• Gangneung City FC
• Gimhae City FC
• Goyang Kookmin Bank FC
• Incheon Korail FC
• Mokpo City FC
• Suwon City FC
• Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dolphin FC
• Yongin City FC

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. From 2010 season, Nowon Hummel FC moved to Chungju city in Chungbuk province & the name changed to Chungju Hummel FC.

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

Club	Duration	City
Ansan Hallelujah FC	2003 First Stage, 2004–Present	Ansan, Gyeonggi
Daejeon Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power FC	2003–Present	Daejeon Metropolitan City
Gangneung City FC	2003–Present	Gangneung, Gangwon
Goyang Kookmin Bank FC	2003–Present	Goyang, Gyeonggi
Incheon Korail FC	2003–Present	Incheon Metropolitan City
Chungju Hummel FC	2003–Present	Chungju, Chungbuk
Sangmu B	2003-2005	Icheon, Gyeonggi
Suwon City FC	2003–Present	Suwon, Gyeonggi
Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Dolphin	2003–Present	Ulsan Metropolitan City
Yesan FC	2003–2010	Yesan, Chungnam
Seoul City FC	2003 Second Stage	Seoul Metropolitan City
Changwon City FC	2005–Present	Changwon, Gyeongnam
Busan Transportation Corporation FC	2006–Present	Busan Metropolitan City
Hongcheon Idu FC	2007–09 First Stage	Hongcheon, Gangwon
Cheonan City FC	2008–Present	Cheonan, Chungnam
Gimhae City FC	2008–Present	Gimhae, Gyeongnam
Mokpo City FC	2010–Present	Mokpo, Jeonnam
Yongin City FC	2010–Present	Yongin, Gyeonggi

Defunct former clubs

• Seoul City FC (2003 Second Stage)
• Sangmu B (2003-2005)
• Hongcheon Idu FC (2007–09 First Stage)
• Yesan FC (2003–2010)

Previous winners

Titles By Season

Season	Winners	Runners-up
2003	Goyang Kookmin Bank FC	Sangmu B
2004	Goyang Kookmin Bank FC	Gangneung City FC
2005	Incheon Korail FC	Suwon City FC
2006	Goyang Kookmin Bank FC	Gimpo Hallelujah FC
2007	Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Dolphin	Suwon City FC
2008	Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Dolphin	Suwon City FC
2009	Gangneung City FC	Gimhae City FC
2010	Suwon City	Daejeon Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power
2011	Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Dolphin	Goyang Kookmin Bank FC

Titles By Club

Club	Winners	Runner-up
Goyang Kookmin Bank FC	3 (2003, 2004, 2006)	1 (2011)
Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard	3 (2007, 2008, 2011)
Suwon City	1 (2010)	3 (2005, 2007, 2008)
Gangneung City FC	1 (2009)	1 (2004)
Incheon Korail FC	1 (2005)
Sangmu B		1 (2003)
Gimpo Hallelujah FC		1 (2006)
Gimhae City FC		1 (2009)
Daejeon Hydro & Nuclear Power		1 (2010)

Notable players

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

Other Players

Cho Se-Kwon - Formerly of Goyang Kookmin Bank. Cho Won-Kwang - Cheonan City. Choi Chul-Woo - Formerly of Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard. Chung Yoo-Suk - Formerly of Gangneung City. Hwang Yeon-Seok - Formerly of Goyang Kookmin Bank. Jeon Sang-Dae - Formerly of Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard. Jung Suk-Keun - Formerly of Incheon Korail. Kim Han-Won - Suwon City. Kim Min-Soo - Formerly of Incheon Korail. Kim Yong-Hee - Formerly of Gangneung City.

Kim Young-Hoo - Formerly of Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard. Ko Ki-Gu - Daejeon Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power. Lee Do-Kweon - Formerly of Gangneung City. Lee Ho-Sung - Formerly of Goyang Kookmin Bank. Lee Kil-Yong - Formerly of Changwon City. Lim Ho - Formerly of Goyang Kookmin Bank. Nam Ki-Il - Formerly of Cheonan City. Park Jin-Seop - Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard. Park Yo-Seb - Formerly of Gangneung City. Sung Han-Soo - Formerly of Changwon City.

Yoo Hyun - Formerly of Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.

Sponsor

Year Sponsor 2003 Intermax AD 2004 Hyundai Motor 2005 Kookmin Bank 2006 STC Life 2007 Kookmin Bank 2008 2009 Kyobo Life Insurance 2010 Hanwha Daehan Life Insurance 2011 Samsung Life Insurance

Korea National League has been named after its sponsor, giving it the following names: Hyundai Motors K2 League (2003 1st Stage), sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company Intermax K2 League (2003 2nd Stage), sponsored by Intermax AD Hyundai Motors K2 League (2004), sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company Kookmin Bank K2 League (2005), sponsored by Kookmin Bank STC Korea National League (2006-2007 1st Stage), sponsored by STC Life Kookmin Bank Korea National League (2007 2nd Stage-2008), sponsored by Kookmin Bank Kyobo Life Korea National League (2009), sponsored by Kyobo Life Insurance Daehan Life Korea National League (2010), sponsored by Hanwha Daehan Life Insurance Samsung Life Korea National League (2011), sponsored by Samsung Life Insurance

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

External links

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