The K League 1 Wrap-Up: Jeju SK Stop Their Rut, FC Seoul Win Big, and Gimcheon Sangmu Have Jeonbuk's Number | OneFootball

After the first week of post-split action, columnist Nathan Sartain returns to wrap-up all of the talking points from round 34 of the 2025 K League 1 season.

Gimcheon Sangmu Beat the Champions Again

As Gimcheon Sangmu continue to stake their claim for being the second-best team in the country, a second away victory against new K League 1 champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the space of just over a month will certainly go a long way in solidifying it.

Initially, it was the hosts who were in control, with Lee Seung-woo’s tap-in giving Jeonbuk an early lead. This was followed by a fair bit of pressure from the Green Warriors which just lacked that final touch of quality, before Gimcheon equalised via striker Tiago Orobo heading a free-kick into his own net. Still, the parity didn’t last long, and a defence-splitting pass allowed Jeon Jin-woo to slot the Green Warriors back in front.

Early in the second-half, Gimcheon quickly took initiative. Swiftly getting back on level terms in the 49th-minute, Lee Dong-gyeong’s mazy dribble eventually resulted in a Song Bum-keun own goal, and Jeonbuk’s attacking response to conceding was well-matched by the military side. In time, Gimcheon would start to gain a stronger foothold too, and an excellent Lee Dong-gyeong free-kick put the visitors 3-2 to the good.

Helped by some excellent goalkeeping, Gimcheon held onto their slender lead for the three points, but will now have to prepare for life after Lee Dong-gyeong, along with several other key players who have massively helped the military side out over the duration of their loan spells.

Jeju SK Find a Lifeline

Last season, Jeju SK started life in Final B with back-to-back victories. It was a less stressful time for the club, of course, given they had generally evaded any threat of relegation, but it’s a pattern they’ll want to replicate in 2025 in their ongoing fight for survival.

In a 2-1 away win against Suwon FC, the Tangerines certainly put their best foot forward. Over the course of a physical contest, the Tangerines went ahead at the half-hour mark through a Yuri Jonathan header, capitalising on their sustained pressure in some style. The Brazilian was subsequently carded for celebrating into the camera, something misinterpreted as him taunting the home fans.

Somewhat against the balance of play, Suwon did equalise prior to half-time through Pablo Sabbag, with the Syrian forward getting on the end of a pinpoint Kim Tae-han cross. But once a Yuri Jonathan penalty put Jeju back in front, the result never really seemed in doubt, as the hosts failed to find much of an attacking rhythm.

Aside from commending Jeju for their strong performance, a priority is to hope for a swift recovery for Suwon goalkeeper Hwang Jae-yun, who felt the full force of an accidental kick to the face which resulted in a red card for Choi Byung-wook. In a statement from the club, they have noted that the young shot-stopper has been diagnosed with a concussion and cervical sprain after being taken to hospital.

FC Seoul Keep Their Top Four Hopes Alive

Coming from two goals behind to beat Gangwon FC 4-2, FC Seoul made sure they were able to maintain their ambitions of securing continental qualification for a second year in a row. In the first-half, the capital city side struggled to cope with the visitor’s pressing intensity, surrendering the ball in dangerous areas whilst being unable to impose themselves in the final third. Gangwon would duly bear fruit from their pressure too, with Kim Dae-won’s cutback across the box prodded into the net by the in-form Kim Gun-hee.

The second-half started with more of the same, and Mo Jae-hyun powerfully struck home a penalty that he himself earned to put the Bears further ahead. But as tired legs crept in, and changes were afoot for both sides, the script flipped. A quick-fire Jesse Lingard brace was followed up by a precise Ryu Jae-moon finish from outside the box, taking Seoul from behind to in front in the space of seven minutes. Not content to sit back and hold onto their lead, the attacks would continue with consistency, and in the 100th-minute Cheon Seong-hoon impressively sealed the win thanks to Moon Seon-min's unselfish assist.

Going forward, Kim Gi-dong’s men need to show more of that same purpose when in the opposition half, as they are a much better team when playing with greater urgency. Gangwon, meanwhile, need to rethink their approach to retaining leads, as their recent attacking improvements have came alongside dropping seven points from winning positions in their last three outings.

What Else Happened in Round 34?

Keeping their distance from danger, Gwangju FC leapfrogged FC Anyang into seventh-place with a 1-0 victory over the Violets. And, while the visitors did have some half-decent chances (including a stoppage time penalty), a scrappy game was well-managed by the Griffins who can rest a bit easier knowing they are realistically just another win or two away from guaranteeing their top-flight safety.

Unable to fully capitalise on Suwon and Anyang’s dropped points, Ulsan HD fought back to earn a 1-1 draw against Daegu FC, with Lee Chung-yong’s 95th-minute equaliser perhaps condemning the Sky Blues to relegation. Survival is of course still mathematically possible for the bottom-placed side, who sit seven points away from Jeju with four games remaining, but the mountain has gotten two points higher to climb this weekend, ahead of a round 35 trip to Suwon.

Finally, Daejeon Hana Citizen kept pace at the top-end of the table with a 2-0 home win against Pohang Steelers. Two first-half goals were enough for the Purples to secure this win, their fourth in five games, and almost guarantee themselves a top-four finish. In fact, as long as Daejeon earn a draw next weekend against FC Seoul, continental qualification is essentially secured, it just depends on what competition they'll be playing in.

That’s all for this week! K League action returns again next weekend with a full set of Saturday and Sunday fixtures.