Korea National League

The Korea National League was a semi-professional football league, the third tier of the South Korean football league system. It was held from 2003 to 2019.

Korea National League
Founded2003 (2003)
First season2003
Folded2019
CountrySouth Korea
Level on pyramid2 (2003–2012)
3 (2013–2019)
Domestic cup(s)Korean FA Cup
League cup(s)National League Championship
Last championsGangneung City (2nd title)
Most championshipsHyundai Mipo Dockyard (7 titles)
Websiten-league.net
Korea National League
Hangul
내셔널리그
Revised RomanizationNaesyeneol rigeu
McCune–ReischauerNaesyŏnŏl rigŭ

History

The league was officially founded in 2003 as the K2 League to raise the level of competition in Korea. Prior to that, Korean National Semi-Professional Football League was 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 work sides of the major industries in Korea (banks, construction companies and the like). It was rebranded as the 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.

At the end of 2019, the Korea National League was absorbed into the K3 League after the final season was finished.[1]

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 KB 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 point deduction penalty, to be split into ten point deductions in the first and second stages of the 2007 season.[2]

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 won the National League in 2007. Hyundai 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.[3] 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.

All-time clubs

There have been a total of 16 member clubs since the league was founded as the "K2 League" in 2003. Seoul City replaced Iksan Hallelujah for the second stage of the 2003 season after protests by radical Wonbuddhists forced the Christian club out of Iksan. Hallelujah FC returned to the league in 2004 after moving to Gimpo. Icheon Sangmu, essentially the reserve side of K League team Gwangju Sangmu, withdrew from the league at the end of 2005 in order to compete in the Reserves League. In the 2010 season, Nowon Hummel moved to Chungju city in Chungbuk province, and the club's name changed to Chungju Hummel.

Clubs in bold are founding members of the K3 League.

Iksan
Gimpo
Ansan
Goyang
Incheon
Uijeongbu
Icheon
Seoul
Chungju
Suwon
Ulsan
Seosan
Yesan
Hongcheon
Yongin
Location of National League teams
Club Season City
Iksan Hallelujah
Gimpo Hallelujah
Ansan Hallelujah
Ansan H FC[lower-alpha 1]
2003[upper-roman 1]
2004–2006
2007–2011
2012
Iksan, Jeonbuk
Gimpo, Gyeonggi
Ansan, Gyeonggi
Ansan, Gyeonggi
Daejeon KHNP
Gyeongju KHNP
2003–2012
2013–2019
Daejeon
Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk
Gangneung City 2003–2019 Gangneung, Gangwon
Gimpo Kookmin Bank
Goyang Kookmin Bank
Goyang KB Kookmin Bank[lower-alpha 2]
2003[upper-roman 1]
2003[upper-roman 2]–2005
2006–2012
Gimpo, Gyeonggi
Goyang, Gyeonggi
Goyang, Gyeonggi
Incheon Korail
Daejeon Korail
2003–2013
2014–2019
Incheon
Daejeon
Uijeongbu Hummel
Icheon Hummel
Nowon Hummel
Chungju Hummel[lower-alpha 1]
2003–2005
2006–2007
2008–2009
2010–2012
Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi
Icheon, Gyeonggi
Seoul
Chungju, Chungbuk
Icheon Sangmu[lower-alpha 3] 2003–2005 Icheon, Gyeonggi
Suwon City[lower-alpha 1] 2003–2012 Suwon, Gyeonggi
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard[lower-alpha 2] 2003–2016 Ulsan
Seosan Citizen
Seosan Omega
Yesan FC
2003–2006
2007
2008–2010
Seosan, Chungnam
Seosan, Chungnam
Yesan, Chungnam
Seoul City[lower-alpha 2] 2003[upper-roman 2] Seoul
Changwon City 2005–2019 Changwon, Gyeongnam
Busan Transportation Corporation 2006–2019 Busan
Hongcheon Idu[lower-alpha 2] 2007–2009[upper-roman 1] Hongcheon, Gangwon
Cheonan City 2008–2019 Cheonan, Chungnam
Gimhae City 2008–2019 Gimhae, Gyeongnam
Mokpo City 2010–2019 Mokpo, Jeonnam
Yongin City[lower-alpha 2] 2010–2016 Yongin, Gyeonggi
  1. Professionalized and promoted to K League 2
  2. Defunct club
  3. Moved to R League
  1. First stage
  2. Second stage

Winners

Titles by season

Season Winners Runners-up
2003
Goyang Kookmin Bank Icheon Sangmu
2004
Goyang Kookmin Bank Gangneung City
2005
Incheon Korail Suwon City
2006
Goyang Kookmin Bank Gimpo Hallelujah
2007
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Suwon City
2008
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Suwon City
2009
Gangneung City Gimhae City
2010
Suwon City Daejeon KHNP
2011
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Goyang KB Kookmin Bank
2012
Incheon Korail Goyang KB Kookmin Bank
2013
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Gyeongju KHNP
2014
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Daejeon Korail
2015
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Gyeongju KHNP
2016
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Gangneung City
2017
Gyeongju KHNP Gimhae City
2018
Gyeongju KHNP Gimhae City
2019
Gangneung City Gyeongju KHNP

Titles by club

Club Winners Runners-up
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard 7 (2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
Goyang KB Kookmin Bank 3 (2003, 2004, 2006) 2 (2011, 2012)
Gyeongju KHNP 2 (2017, 2018) 4 (2010, 2013, 2015, 2019)
Gangneung City 2 (2009, 2019) 2 (2004, 2016)
Daejeon Korail 2 (2005, 2012) 1 (2014)
Suwon City 1 (2010) 3 (2005, 2007, 2008)
Gimhae City 3 (2009, 2017, 2018)
Icheon Sangmu 1 (2003)
Gimpo Hallelujah 1 (2006)

Sponsorship

Year Sponsors League name
2003 Hyundai Motor Company Hyundai Motors Cup 2003 K2 League (First stage)
Intermax AD Intermax Cup 2003 K2 League (Second stage)
2004 Hyundai Motor Company Hyundai Motors Cup 2004 K2 League
2005 KB Kookmin Bank KB Kookmin Bank Cup K2 League
2006 STC Company STC Cup 2006 National League
2007 STC Cup 2007 National League (First stage)
KB Kookmin Bank KB Kookmin Bank 2007 National League (Second stage)
2008 KB Kookmin Bank 2008 National League
2009 Kyobo Life Insurance Kyobo Life 2009 National League
2010 Korea Life Insurance Daehan Life 2010 National League
2011 Samsung Life Insurance Samsung Life 2011 National League
2012 Shinhan Bank Shinhan Bank 2012 National League
2013 Shinhan Bank 2013 National League
2014 Samsung Life Insurance Samsung Life 2014 National League
2015 Incheon International Airport Corporation Incheon International Airport Corporation 2015 National League
2016 Incheon International Airport Corporation 2016 National League
2017 Incheon International Airport Corporation 2017 National League
2018 Hanwha Life Insurance Hanhwa Life 2018 National League
2019 Kyobo Life Insurance Kyobo Life 2019 National League

Logo history

See also

References

  1. 한국형 디비전시스템의 '허리' K3·4리그 본격 출범 (in Korean). Sports Chosun. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  2. 'K-리그 포기' 국민은행 징계 미뤄...내셔널리그 퇴출도 유예 (in Korean). Sports Chosun. 7 March 2007. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  3. 울산 현대미포조선, K-리그 승격 포기 결론 (in Korean). Sports Chosun. 12 December 2007. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
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