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K-League's new promotion-relegation system leaves community-owned clubs worried, but it's good for Korean football in the long term
A major overhaul of the Korean top flight was announced on Monday, but there's plenty of concerns about the changes in the short term, despite lofty long-term plans
Jan 18, 2012 11:00:00 AM
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COMMENT
By Ben Somerford | Asian Football Editor
The K-League Association announced an overhaul of the Korean top flight on Monday, with promotion-relegation to be introduced to the competition over the next few years. It's a major change for domestic football in Korea and one which has been a long time coming, but it hasn't pleased everybody. Far from it.
The K-League's new system will see two clubs relegated in both 2013 and 2014, with no clubs promoted in the meantime, as a second division is formed using clubs demoted, National League (the current second tier) outfits and expansion teams.
Initially it was proposed that four clubs would be relegated in 2013, leaving the K-League to be a 12-team competition, however that idea was fiercely opposed by a group of community-owned top flight clubs. And it's these very clubs who seem to be getting the short straw in this whole overhaul as for them suddenly their sheer existences are no longer assured with concerns about what relegation could do to them.
Firstly, though, it's important to point out what has instigated these series of changes. Chief among the reasons was the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) demands on the K-League, whereby the region's governing body has insisted on promotion-relegation systems being put in place throughout domestic leagues. It's odd to think the K-League, as a competition entering its 30th year, still hadn't done so.
In addition, late last year the K-League lost one of its automatic qualification spots for the 2012 Asian Champions League despite Korean clubs having dominated the competition in recent seasons in a sure sign that action was required.
In conjunction with that, the emergence last year of a major match-fixing scandal in Korea has prompted the K-League Association into action. The idea of relegation adds an incentive for players and clubs previously tempted by fixing matches where the result meant little. It's hoped this new system will help in the fight to eliminate match-fixing from Korean football.
In this context, the implementation of the promotion-relegation system makes a lot of sense in the long term. However, in the short term it's going to cause several of the K-League's current clubs some issues.
Indeed, the squads most likely to face relegation in 2013 or 2014 are the ones most concerned. Typically in Korea it is the community-owned clubs which struggle and it was Incheon United, Gyeongnam FC, Gwangju FC, Daejeon Citizen, Gangwon FC and Daegu FC who all opposed the move to relegate four clubs in 2013. (Meanwhile military outfit Sangju Sangmu's future is up in the air with the AFC stating they don't meet the criteria for a top flight club)
These community-owned teams simply can't compete with financially-strong outfits like Jeonbuk Motors or Ulsan Hyundai (owned by car manufacturers/heavy industry company Hyundai), Suwon Bluewings (electronics corporation Samsung), Pohang Steelers (Iron and Steel company POSCO) or FC Seoul (Korean conglomerate GS Group).
The K-League's response to the community-owned clubs' fears was to relegate two in 2013 and two in 2014, and to drastically reduce licencing fees too. However, unfortunately for those outfits, the reality is Korean football has reached a point where it needs to introduce promotion-relegation.
The problem for those that are community-owned is once they are relegated they won't be able to generate revenue through their usual streams, such as merchandise, ticket sales or TV, as they simply won't be as attractive as a second division team. These clubs fear that situation will lead to their demise and that's an understandable concern.
There is the argument that the threat of relegation could lead to clubs being forced to improve their business models and becoming better run. Naturally, the cream will rise to the top, so in many ways that's good for Korean football.
However, the new system isn't without its problems, there is a genuine concern that a Korean second division won't be viable and that is the big unknown.
As well, several National League clubs may not meet the criteria for promotion for a variety of reasons which may make the system dysfunctional while licensing fees for expansion clubs on entry to the second division remains an issue for the K-League Association to resolve with failures from the past.
The K-League's goal is to have promotion-relegation working by 2015 and they hope to expand again to 14 clubs in 2020 and 16 by 2025. However, in the short term, as they implement the new season, there's many challenges to tackle.
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Follow Goal.com Asia onand 
By Ben Somerford | Asian Football Editor
The K-League Association announced an overhaul of the Korean top flight on Monday, with promotion-relegation to be introduced to the competition over the next few years. It's a major change for domestic football in Korea and one which has been a long time coming, but it hasn't pleased everybody. Far from it.
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The K-League's new system will see two clubs relegated in both 2013 and 2014, with no clubs promoted in the meantime, as a second division is formed using clubs demoted, National League (the current second tier) outfits and expansion teams.
Initially it was proposed that four clubs would be relegated in 2013, leaving the K-League to be a 12-team competition, however that idea was fiercely opposed by a group of community-owned top flight clubs. And it's these very clubs who seem to be getting the short straw in this whole overhaul as for them suddenly their sheer existences are no longer assured with concerns about what relegation could do to them.
Firstly, though, it's important to point out what has instigated these series of changes. Chief among the reasons was the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) demands on the K-League, whereby the region's governing body has insisted on promotion-relegation systems being put in place throughout domestic leagues. It's odd to think the K-League, as a competition entering its 30th year, still hadn't done so.
The emergence last year of a major match-fixing scandal in Korea has prompted the K-League into action. The idea of relegation adds an incentive for players and clubs previously tempted by fixing matches where the result meant little |
 |
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In addition, late last year the K-League lost one of its automatic qualification spots for the 2012 Asian Champions League despite Korean clubs having dominated the competition in recent seasons in a sure sign that action was required.
In conjunction with that, the emergence last year of a major match-fixing scandal in Korea has prompted the K-League Association into action. The idea of relegation adds an incentive for players and clubs previously tempted by fixing matches where the result meant little. It's hoped this new system will help in the fight to eliminate match-fixing from Korean football.
In this context, the implementation of the promotion-relegation system makes a lot of sense in the long term. However, in the short term it's going to cause several of the K-League's current clubs some issues.
Indeed, the squads most likely to face relegation in 2013 or 2014 are the ones most concerned. Typically in Korea it is the community-owned clubs which struggle and it was Incheon United, Gyeongnam FC, Gwangju FC, Daejeon Citizen, Gangwon FC and Daegu FC who all opposed the move to relegate four clubs in 2013. (Meanwhile military outfit Sangju Sangmu's future is up in the air with the AFC stating they don't meet the criteria for a top flight club)
 |
K-LEAGUE BOTTOM TWO Community-owned struggles |
| 2011 |
Daejeon & Gangwon FC |
| 2010 |
Sangju Sangmu & Daegu FC |
| 2009 |
Jeju United & Daegu FC |
| 2008 |
Daejeon & Sangju Sangmu |
| 2007 | Busan & Sangju Sangmu |
| 2006 |
Sangju Sangmu & Jeju Utd |
The K-League's response to the community-owned clubs' fears was to relegate two in 2013 and two in 2014, and to drastically reduce licencing fees too. However, unfortunately for those outfits, the reality is Korean football has reached a point where it needs to introduce promotion-relegation.
The problem for those that are community-owned is once they are relegated they won't be able to generate revenue through their usual streams, such as merchandise, ticket sales or TV, as they simply won't be as attractive as a second division team. These clubs fear that situation will lead to their demise and that's an understandable concern.
There is the argument that the threat of relegation could lead to clubs being forced to improve their business models and becoming better run. Naturally, the cream will rise to the top, so in many ways that's good for Korean football.
However, the new system isn't without its problems, there is a genuine concern that a Korean second division won't be viable and that is the big unknown.
As well, several National League clubs may not meet the criteria for promotion for a variety of reasons which may make the system dysfunctional while licensing fees for expansion clubs on entry to the second division remains an issue for the K-League Association to resolve with failures from the past.
The K-League's goal is to have promotion-relegation working by 2015 and they hope to expand again to 14 clubs in 2020 and 16 by 2025. However, in the short term, as they implement the new season, there's many challenges to tackle.
Follow Ben Somerford on
Follow Goal.com Asia on
and for the latest in Asian footballing news, features, and analysis
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| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
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