The K League 1 Wrap-Up: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Solidify Their Title Charge, Jeju SK Win Big, and Pohang Steelers Earn Another Comeback Victory | OneFootball

With one last weekend of K League 1 fixtures before the international break, columnist Nathan Sartain returns to recap all of the action from round 17.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Assert Themselves

There was a time under Gus Poyet when it felt Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors had to grind out results to get the team back on track. There’s no shame in doing that, as football is ultimately a results business, but it did perhaps signal that 2025 was going to be a year of the Green Warriors slowly learning their way back to the top. After a definitive 3-1 victory against familiar foes Ulsan HD, that feeling has now wholeheartedly changed.

Initially, it was the Horangi who gained the upper-hand on Saturday, with veteran Lee Chung-yong’s composed finish - one born out of his teammates' endeavour to press high to win the ball back - breaking the deadlock shortly following the 10-minute mark. However, Jeonbuk’s patience in finding their own opportunities would soon pay off, and a clever team move ultimately led to Song Min-kyu scoring a vital rebound to level proceedings up.

From here, momentum flitted between the two sides, with neither able to fashion that key breakthrough until Park Jin-seop found the net in the 87th-minute, the defensive midfielder capitalising on a frantic passage of play from a corner. Even more euphoric for fans, though, was Tiago Orobo’s goal in the dying seconds to secure all three points, capping off an excellent counter-attack, and a generally strong performance from the Green Warriors. Quite when this extended run of brilliant form will end is hard to guess, with Jeonbuk probably a tad disappointed they’ll have to wait until after the international break to continue their title charge.

As for Jeonbuk’s challengers, a Matheus Oliveira leveller meant Daejeon Hana Citizen could only come away with a 1-1 draw at FC Anyang, unable to put their disappointing midweek home defeat to Pohang Steelers fully behind them.

Jeju SK's Triumphant Seoul Away Day

It’s always a risk to set up with the intention of allowing your opposition significant territory, hoping that you’ll be able to catch them out on the counter. It’s even more of a gamble when coming into round 17 you’ve managed just five away goals across eight away matches. However, on Saturday, everything fell into place for Jeju SK as they triumphed 3-1 against FC Seoul. After keeping things tight and structured in the opening stages, the Tangerines gained the advantage through Yu In-soo, with the forward latching onto an inch-perfect pass from Nam Tae-hee to work his way into scoring.

Then, in the second-half Jeju would find more space to operate in, and more joy when Lee Chang-min’s long-range effort flew into the net. A while later a Yu In-soo header would somewhat fortunately result in another goal - Seoul goalkeeper Kang Hyun-moo was completely wrong-footed - to confirm the victory, and punctuate a near-perfect outing for Kim Hak-beom’s men (who will be disappointed they couldn’t keep a clean-sheet).

Nevertheless, this is a result which pulls Jeju closer to automatic safety, and something that helps alleviate fears the club were heading towards danger. For Seoul, it does the opposite, offering some level of confirmation a rethink is required going into the second portion of the regular season.

The Task at Hand for Daegu FC and Kim Byung-soo

Officially starting his tenure with Daegu FC this weekend, Kim Byung-soo oversaw a solid comeback 1-1 draw for his bottom-placed side against Gwangju FC. It was Bruno Lamas who got the equaliser for the Sky Blues, his penalty levelling proceedings following an earlier Jasir Asani spot-kick for the visitors. All in all, it’s a fairly positive start for the experienced manager, and something that can definitely be built upon.

The overall task, though, is one that poses a tough challenge for Kim Byung-soo. Currently, Daegu sit bottom of K League 1, nine points away from automatic safety, and four away from a promotion/relegation playoff spot. It’s not impossible ground to gain by any means, but it’s an uphill battle from the start, and it does indicate that the Sky Blues almost have to somewhat hit the ground running under their new boss. Historically, Kim Byung-soo has not provided that short-term boost.

When in charge of Gangwon, the 54-year-old may have won his first two games in charge (including a 7-0 thrashing against Incheon United), but he would then achieve just one victory in his next ten. At Suwon Samsung Bluewings, it was a similar story, with the eventually relegated side winning just two of Kim’s first 13 games with the club.

In short, just as much as Daegu will have to be patient with their new manager for potential long-term benefits, Kim Byung-soo himself will have to adapt to new surroundings, and find a different edge to grind out some positive results in the upcoming weeks. At the very least, he has an international break coming up to work on that formula.

What Else Happened in Round 17?

Pohang Steelers continued their resurgent form in round 17, with a comeback 2-1 victory over Gangwon FC cementing their place in the top four. After falling behind, the Steelers were unflappable in their patience, content to dominate possession and slowly work the ball into promising areas as opposed to trying to greatly up the tempo. That approach would pay off, with a Jorge header just before half-time bringing proceedings to 1-1, and a smartly-worked Lee Ho-jae winner in minute 69 enough to bring the spoils to the Steelyard.

Elsewhere, Gimcheon Sangmu were pegged back late by Suwon FC, with a 1-1 draw there providing neither team with a significant boost as they try to work towards their respective ambitions.

And that's all for this week. There’s plenty more K League 1 to come following the international break, with summer action now right around the corner.