The K League 1 Wrap-Up: Suwon FC and FC Seoul Earn Vital Victories, While Gimcheon Sangmu Triumph Over Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

Columnist Nathan Sartain returns to recap all of the talking points from round 30 of the 2025 K League 1 season, where some big talking points presented themselves around other more standard affairs.

Gimcheon Sangmu's Jeonju Success

In large part thanks to a strong first-half showing, second-place Gimcheon Sangmu earned an impressive 2-1 away victory against league leaders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on Saturday.

Pressing with real intensity, the military side enjoyed the end-to-end game they helped mould, content to ride their luck just as much as they attempted to fashion clear-cut chances. Then, when Gimcheon had a foothold, a stunning curling effort from Kim Seung-sub landed just underneath the crossbar to separate the two sides, before Park Sang-hyeok would hook the ball into the back of the net from a corner to allow for a two-goal advantage heading into halftime.

Unsurprisingly, Jeonbuk were in full control for most of the second period, and a neatly struck Kim Jin-kyu effort from outside the box offered a lifeline just past the hour mark. Yet Gus Poyet’s men could not find enough high quality opportunities, and even had to rely on Song Bum-keun’s excellent penalty save to stay in proceedings, though the Green Warriors do still remain 17 points clear at the top of the table despite this defeat.

[READ: K League in 2025-2026 AFC Champions League Match Day 1 Recap.]

Suwon FC Fight For Survival

After three consecutive losses, Suwon FC came into Sunday’s home fixture with Gangwon FC needing a win. And, while it might have came courtesy of a Marko Tuci own-goal, Kim Eun-jung’s men deserved this, creating plenty of chances - largely via Pablo Sabbag - while staying both calm and resolute when facing their own pressure.

Given the amount of late goals the team have conceded recently, Suwon will be pleased at their sharper game management, which led to a first clean-sheet in four months, but know there’s still a long road ahead. Currently in 10th place, there are now just eight games left to secure automatic safety, and players will know they can’t afford to slip into another spell of inconsistency, particularly post-split. This is a victory that has to be built on, starting with an away trip to the side one place below them in Jeju SK next weekend.

Final A for FC Seoul?

In what has been something of a stop-start season, FC Seoul may well feel reenergised after thrashing Gwangju FC 3-0.

This was much better from the capital city side, who used the attacking potential shown in glimpses over recent weeks as a catalyst, generally had the momentum, and settled into proceedings as they went on. Once the breakthrough came courtesy of a venomous Marko Dugandzic half-volley from a corner, Kim Gi-dong’s men took control, and two goals in the final 15 minutes from Lee Seung-mo and Moon Seon-min respectively wrapped-up this victory.

Now returning into the top-half, Seoul need to ensure they stay there. And what better way to do that then make a statement next Saturday night against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors?

What Else Happened in Round 30?

Getting back to winning ways with a 3-2 victory against Daegu FC, Daejeon Hana Citizen remain in the hunt for an AFC Champions League Elite place. Despite going three goals down, the bottom-place Sky Blues did cause some issues for the home side, dominating possession in the second-half and totalling 25 shots across the game, but their fight back didn’t lead to anything tangible, and chances were taken too late in the day. Meanwhile, Daejeon were content to show their quality at the right times, capitalising on a couple of defensive errors, and using their opposition's franticness against them.

Unable to use a midweek Champions League victory to reignite their domestic campaign, Ulsan HD remained in ninth following a 0-0 stalemate with FC Anyang. Utilising transitions well, it was the visiting Violets who had the more frequent chances here, continuing their solid form, and perhaps they will feel they could have snatched all three points. Still, a stalemate is what both teams will have to settle for, as each remain close to both the top-half and a promotion/relegation playoff spot.

Finally, Lee Ho-jae scored his 13th league goal of the season to give Pohang Steelers a narrow 1-0 win over Jeju SK. Admittedly, most of the Steelers’ best efforts came in the first-half, and a 55th-minute breakthrough switched the incentive into making sure the Tangerines didn’t get a foothold back in the game. They didn’t, and as such the struggling Jeju will worry about the fact they have lost three games in a row during such a crucial period. Next week’s home clash with Suwon FC is the final time Kim Hak-beom’s team face a bottom-half team until the split, making it an essential six-pointer.

That’s all for another weekend! The K League season, and by extension this column, returns next week.