[Official] No 'Division 2-Division 3' promotion/relegation playoff in K League history; five K3 League clubs fail to obtain K League 2 license

*This content was translated by AI.

The first-ever K League 2-K3 League promotion/relegation playoff between the bottom-ranked K League 2 club and the K3 League champion will not be held this year.

The Korea Professional Football League announced on the 23rd that it decided not to grant licenses to five K3 League clubs—FC Gangneung, Daejeon Korail FC, FC Mokpo, Siheung Citizen FC, and Chuncheon Citizen FC—following the 2027 K League 2 license review.

As a result, the core requirement for holding the K League 2-K3 League promotion/relegation playoff, which was "a K3 League champion holding a K League 2 license," could not be met, and no promotion or relegation between K League 2 and K3 League will take place this year.

Had a club holding a K League 2 license topped the K3 League, a single-match promotion/relegation playoff would have been held between the 17th-place team, the lowest-ranked in K League 2, and the K3 League champion. Depending on the result, there could have been a historic first case of a K3 League team being promoted to K League 2 or a K League 2 team being relegated to K3 League.

Regarding the decision not to grant licenses to all five K3 League clubs, the league explained, "The K League Club Qualification Review Committee evaluated that each club is operating stably based on its region, but determined that additional improvements are needed for certain mandatory criteria required for participation in K League 2."

According to the review committee, the five clubs need to further strengthen the foundations required for professional team operations, including securing minimum budgets, establishing full-time administrative offices, and formulating medium- to long-term business plans. It was consistently confirmed that stable financial foundations and organizational management systems are necessary for participation in the professional league.

For example, Siheung Citizen FC was found to need improvements across the facilities of its home stadium, Jeongwang Stadium. Daejeon Korail FC faces the need to secure a replacement stadium for the auxiliary field currently used at Daejeon World Cup Stadium, alongside efforts to establish the club as an independent legal entity. For FC Mokpo, independent legal entity establishment was highlighted as a major task.

FC Gangneung and Chuncheon Citizen FC were each assessed as having the necessary conditions for K League 2 participation in terms of facilities, as they currently use the stadiums of Gangwon FC as their home grounds. However, strengthening financial self-sufficiency and expanding operational revenue were identified as future challenges.

The league, however, evaluated that this review of K3 League clubs itself is significant as the first case of thoroughly examining the requirements for K League 2 participation.

The league stated, "We provided each club with a review report to help them establish specific improvement directions. The report includes items that need to be addressed to obtain a K League 2 license, such as securing budgets, formulating business plans, organizing organizational systems, improving stadiums, and promoting legal entity establishment."

It further added, "The reports will be used as reference materials as each club prepares the foundations for professionalization. The league plans to continue supporting K3 League clubs' preparations for professionalization together with the Korea Football Association and to provide ongoing guidance for obtaining K League 2 licenses."

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*This content was translated by AI.