The K League 1 Wrap-Up: Derby Day Draws, Suwon FC Leapfrog Daegu FC, and Kim In-gyun Comes in Clutch | OneFootball

With lots to dissect from a noteworthy couple of days, columnist Nathan Sartain returns to recap round 12 of the 2025 K League 1 season.

Although it brought less goals than Friday night football, Monday afternoon’s Children’s Day games still warrant some specific mention. If nothing else, it’s further cemented how competitive the league has been this year, particularly regarding the teams in and around the Final A positions.

Firstly, Gwangju FC edged a 1-0 win over Gimcheon Sangmu, with Oh Hoo-seong’s 16th-minute penalty - the awarding of which disallowed a Lee Seung-won headed effort for Gimcheon in the process - the difference maker. Overall, it was a game of few chances, with the Griffins’ winner actually one of their only attempts on goal, while the military side could only fashion sporadic opportunities of any real threat. At any rate, it’s a promising victory for Lee Jung-hyo’s men, who give themselves some breathing room inside the top-half places, and stay in the hunt for a potential AFC Champions League Elite spot.

Continuing, in the second East Coast Derby of 2025, nothing could separate Ulsan HD and Pohang Steelers as they played out an entertaining 1-1 draw. Inside the first 10 minutes, the Steelers went ahead thanks to a deft Oberdan finish inside the box, making it three goals in as many games for the Brazilian midfielder. Nevertheless, Ulsan were ready to fight back, and the Horangi saw their sheer endeavour rewarded prior to the interval thanks to a coolly dispatched Darijan Bojanic rebound.

In the second-half, both Ulsan and Pohang had their respective spells where it looked they could take all three points. But it was the away side who came closest, winning a penalty in stoppage-time which, when eventually taken, was comfortably saved by Jo Hyeon-woo. So a stalemate it was, leaving Ulsan in third, and the Steelers settled in mid-table.

Jeonbuk and Daejeon's Late Show

Coming into round 12, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Daejeon Hana Citizen were the top two teams in the division. That fact remains, but for the Green Warriors in particular they may come away from Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with the Purples feeling like they have missed an opportunity.

Generally, the game itself wasn’t a classic, with both sides having some early chances to test each other without showing much of a clinical edge, before a feeling of “must not lose” seemed to linger as proceedings progressed. Still, Jeon Jin-woo had other ideas, sweeping in behind Tiago’s takedown to calmly slot the ball into the bottom corner, and put Jeonbuk ahead. At that stage, it appeared perhaps Daejeon’s lead at the top of the table was about to be firmly sliced into, until the ball broke to Kim In-gyun inside the box, where it was subsequently slotted under the legs of Song Bum-keun to level it up for the Purples.

Ultimately, Daejeon maintain their five-point lead at the top of the table, and continue to set the pace by mirroring Jeonbuk’s form over the last five matches (three wins bookended by two draws).

How Far Can Gangwon's Defensive Improvements Take Them?

It’s fair to say Gangwon FC have had something of a consistently inconsistent start to 2025. For every performance full of promise, there has been one where things haven’t clicked in the final third. And, although plenty of players have had individually strong campaigns, it just hasn’t felt like the Bears have found their feet just yet.

One thing Gangwon have achieved, however, is notable improvements in their defence. Last year, while the Bears boasted the league’s joint-best attack (62 goals scored), they actually also had the third-worst defence (56 goals conceded). So, with the loss of key attacking players Yang Min-hyeok and Hwang Mun-ki, starting 2025 by addressing your frailties in conceding goals is a reasonable - and necessary - beginning. After 12 games played, Jung Kyung-ho’s men have seen some benefits from this way of thinking too, conceding the fewest goals in the top-flight so far (9).

With that being said, where can this get Gangwon to? Recently, unlike in some European leagues for example, having a better attack has meant more in the K League than tightening your defence. In the last three seasons, the lowest scorers have always been relegated automatically, despite the fact in two of those years those teams have had better defences than some of their contemporaries. Even just from a Gangwon perspective, their most efficient season in terms of goals conceded (in 2023, the Bears shipped just 41 goals) saw them finish 10th, because they could only manage to score 30 times. Whereas their best attacking campaign, 2024, lifted them right the way to second despite some leaky patches. This year, the Bears have went scoreless in 50% of their games, and have managed just 10 goals (the joint-fewest), which is bound cause some concern amidst their praiseworthy solidity.

So perhaps the answer to the question above is: only as far as the balance you strike. If you’re going to switch focus towards a more defined structure, and nullifying your opposition threat, you’ll have to back it up with more performances like this round’s clinical 3-0 away win over Jeju SK, or at the very least take a leaf out of the Tangerines’ own book, given they survived comfortably in 2024 courtesy of resolute, strong-willed victories (10 of their 15 wins last season involved clean-sheets). At the very least, it’ll be interesting to see where Gangwon finish come season’s end with their tweaked tactical system, and whether manager Jung Kyung-ho keeps his sturdy faith in it.

Suwon FC Are Off The Bottom

Coming into the last couple of rounds, Suwon FC will have known they needed positive results. Away at Gangwon in round 11, the 0-0 was solid enough, and at least gave Kim Eun-jung a base to work off. In midweek action, though, their 2-1 win over Daegu FC will feel euphoric, not automatically because of the performance itself, but for the fact they have leapfrogged the Sky Blues, and can now think of potential safety.

For the most part, Suwon handled the occasion well here, playing some comfortable stuff, and importantly keeping Daegu at bay. Clearly buoyed by Anderson’s early opener, Kim Eun-jung’s men were keen to get a second goal throughout the match, and when a goalkeeper parry landed in front of Pablo Sabbag, they earned it. Towards the end, Daegu did get themselves a way-in via a Caio Marcelo header from a corner, but follow-up threat was minimal, and overall well-managed.

With a trip to Pohang Steelers next up, the challenge for Suwon is to push themselves further towards automatic safety, as it is by no means out of reach. On other hand, Daegu need to prepare for a clash with FC Anyang, and aim to move away from bottom as quickly as conceivably possible.

Seoul Come Back to Draw With FC Anyang

In a game aided by a lively, engaged crowd, FC Anyang earned their first draw of the season with a 1-1 against rivals FC Seoul.

During the first-half, it was a proverbial cagey clash of two teams wanting the upper-hand, with plenty of Seoul possession leading to half-chances, and Anyang content to stay structured in the hunt for quick transitions. Yet an overruled penalty for the hosts did liven things up, adding a bit of extra needle to proceedings heading into the break.

From there, Anyang grew in confidence, and found themselves in the lead when Matheus Oliveira made a line-breaking run, before angling a shot into the far corner. The Violets maintained their momentum as well, appearing settled amidst Seoul’s growing need for a breakthrough. Fortunately for the capital city side, Moon Seon-min would find their goal, as his unmarked header clawed the game back for Kim Gi-dong’s men. Towards the end of the match, Lucas Silva and Jesse Lingard would have more chances for Seoul, but the turnaround could not be completed.

For Anyang, this draw means they sit just outside the Final A positions, whereas for Seoul, this result keeps them only three points clear of the promotion/relegation spots. The capital city side are now winless in six matches (three draws, three losses), and are feeling the effects of often going behind in games.

And that just about wraps up this column. It was a busy round of fixtures, and one which has led to plenty of talking points. With more to come at the weekend, and lots of potential for the table to continue changing, the 2025 K League 1 season certainly feels like it’s heating up as we head towards the summer.