The K League 1 Wrap-Up: Suwon FC’s Resurgence Continues, Hong Chul Rolls Back the Years, and Gimcheon Go Second

As the 2025 K League 1 regular season draws closer to its climax, columnist Nathan Sartain returns to recap all of the action from round 24.

Gimcheon Sangmu's Steady Success

It may be going somewhat under the radar, but again Gimcheon Sangmu are having a great year. Yes, there’s always the caveat that the military side’s form is going to be at least partially dependent on the quality of players they have in their ranks (and right now they have an extremely reliable crop of talent), but manager Chung Jung-yong deserves credit for crafting a notable tactical identity for what is essentially a revolving door of loanees.

On Saturday, the now second-place Gimcheon’s 3-1 victory over Jeju SK kept their top-four ambitions firmly within reach, and was something of a one-sided affair. While the Tangerines struggled to muster much momentum, the military side were consistent in their front-footed approach, forging 18 shots, 12 of which were on target. And, though Jeju did keep Gimcheon at bay for the first-half, once Park Sang-hyeok’s headed rebound went in, the proverbial floodgates were opened, making Kim Hak-beom’s men powerless in avoiding their defeat.

These types of comfortable, confident outings could be crucial for the military side in the next few fixtures too, as three of their next five games come against sides occupying space in the bottom-half of the division.

[READ: The K League 1 Wrap-Up: A Midweek Goal Fest.]

Close, But No Cigar for Gwangju FC

As far as performances against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors go in 2025, Gwangju FC put up a strong fight in round 24. After going 1-0 behind from a Kim Jin-gyu effort born out of a pinball-like phase of play, the Griffins were patient in asserting themselves, making sure they moved higher up the pitch without sacrificing too much in the way of structure. Eventually, they would end up controlling most of the ball for good measure, pegging the Green Warriors back into a lower-block as they hunted down an equaliser.

However, for as resurgent as Ha Seung-un’s eventual leveller - in addition to the subsequent pressure applied in Jeonbuk’s defensive third - must have felt, Gwangju would soon find themselves on the receiving end of a sickening blow. In the 94th-minute, a Kwon Chang-hoon outswinging corner would be met by the head of Tiago Orobó and fly into the back of the net, in a winner that typifies title-winning mentality. After all, this was far from Jeonbuk’s finest performance this season, yet they still came away with all three points. Just a few weeks ago it sounded like a hyperbolic soundbite, but maybe the Green Warriors truly are currently unbeatable.

Is There a Way Back for Ulsan HD?

As much as football can bring us fairytales, it can bring heartbreak. With that in mind, it’s perhaps a cruel twist of fate for Ulsan HD boss Kim Pan-gon that Hong Chul, a player who once briefly plied his trade for the Horangi, brought about a 10th consecutive winless game in all competitions for the reigning champions via a fantastic 97th-minute free-kick. Truthfully, Gangwon FC were arguably the better side in this 2-2 draw anyway, but when under pressure as a manager you need to see games out, and it did appear that new signing Marcao’s brace would be enough to bring a positive result back to the East Coast, as well as grant a stay of execution for Kim Pan-gon.

Nevertheless, that wasn’t the case, and now more than ever Ulsan have a decision to make as to who will be at the helm going forward. Do they stick with Kim Pan-gon, believing that this is a transition year that has admittedly gone a tad off the rails? Or do you twist, trusting that someone else can bring fresh enthusiasm to a squad brimming with talent? The latter option certainly looks tempting now, especially should the Horangi still want to throw everything they can at potential continental qualification. 

What Else Happened in Round 24?

Suwon FC continued their hot-streak on Saturday night, edging past FC Anyang 2-1. Again, Kim Eun-jung found joy with setting his team up for quick transitions, utilising the dribbling skills of his wide players to progress further towards the opposition box. With that in mind, it should come as little shock to hear that Willyan scored again, his free-kick adjudged to have crossed the line prior to Kim Da-sol’s save. Now just four points away from automatic safety, maybe it’s time for Suwon fans to start believing in a strong end to 2025 that will make all the earlier woes worthwhile.

In Sunday’s other two games, it was penalties that made the difference. Firstly, Pohang Steelers striker Lee Ho-jae’s spot-kick condemned bottom-place Daegu FC to get another defeat as they fall deeper into a rut, one that is getting increasingly difficult to escape. Then, Jesse Lingard proved key to FC Seoul getting one over Daejeon Hana Citizen, keeping their own goals of a top-four finish alive.

That’s all for now! K League 1 action will return with a full fixture list on Friday 8th August, but for those needing something to tide them over, Ulsan HD will host Suwon FC next Saturday in a rescheduled round 20 contest.