Where does Bucheon FC 1995's playoff triumph stand in K League history? | OneFootball

Bucheon FC 1995 made history, not only by winning promotion for the first time in the club's history, but also by becoming the first K League 2 side to win Promotion-Relegation Playoff 2. In other words, they became the first K League 2 side to knock off 10th in K League 1.

Finishing third also means they are only the fourth team to finish outside the top two in K League 2 and win promotion, the others being Gwangju FC (4th) in 2014 and Suwon FC (3rd) in 2015, and Gangwon FC (4th) in 2016.

What's also noteworthy about Bucheon's promotion is that they became only the third team to win both legs. But, where do Bucheon's achievements stand in the history of the playoffs? The Promotion-Relegation Playoffs began in 2013, and Sangju Sangmu were the first team to win promotion via the playoffs, while Gangwon were the first team to be relegated by them.

There have been 16 total K League 2 versus K League 1 ties (2020 had only a promotion playoff due to Sangju moving to Gimcheon). The team that won the first leg has gone on to win the tie overall on nine occasions (56%), showing just how important the first leg is.

On five occasions, this was the K League 2 team - Sangju in 2013, Gwangju in 2014, Suwon FC in 2015, Daejeon in 2022, and, of course, Bucheon in 2025.

Only two teams have won both legs before Bucheon those being Suwon FC in 2015 and Daejeon in 2022.

History of first-leg, second-leg record

Key: Green = K League 2 team win, orange = draw, red is K League 1 team win

Only on three occasions has the K League 2 team won the first leg and gone on to lose the tie, those being Daejeon in 2021, Busan in 2023, then Daegu last year.

But to really hammer home how special Bucheon's playoff triumph is, in the last four seasons, six out of the eight K League 1 teams have survived. Overall, seven K League 2 teams have been promoted, and nine K League 1 teams have survived.

Being only one of four teams to win promotion that finished outside the top two is no mean feat either. What history tells us about the promotion chances of the teams that don't finish first or second is that it's extremely rare.

Fifth Place

Fifth only became a playoff spot in 2022 following the extension of the playoffs, from one spot to two. That year, Gyeongnam beat Bucheon but were knocked out by Anyang. In 2023, Bucheon were the away side and drew with Gyeongnam, so they were eliminated. Last year, Busan drew 0-0 away to Jeonnam and were knocked out. This season, Seongnam became the first fifth-place team to knock off fourth but were eliminated in the next phase, and no team has won promotion from fifth.

Teams promoted: 0/4

Fourth Place Since 2022

In 2022, Bucheon finished fourth, the second-to-last playoff spot, and faced Gyeongnam but lost 3-2. The following year, it was roles reversed as Gyeongnam finished fourth and Bucheon with a 0-0 draw for the Roses enough to advance, only to lose to Gimpo. Last year, Jeonnam hosted Busan and advanced via a 0-0 draw, and this year, Seoul E-Land lost 1-0 to Seongnam. No team has been promoted from this position.

Teams promoted: 0/4

Last Playoff Place Pre-2022

Jeonnam Dragons finished in the last playoff spot in 2021 and went to Daejeon needing to win to advance. The game ended 0-0 and it was Daejeon who went through, eventually beating Anyang before losing to K League 1 Gangwon FC over two legs.

In 2020 the playoffs were a bit different, due to the Sangmu team moving from Sangju to Gimcheon. This meant two teams were guaranteed to go up - the K League 2 champions and the playoff winners. Daejeon finished fourth that year but drew with Gyeongnam and so were knocked out.

From 2014 to 2021, only Gwangju in 2014 went up as the lowest-ranked team in the playoffs. Seoul E-Land (2015), Busan IPark (2016), Seongnam FC (2017), Gwangju (2018), Bucheon (2019), and Jeonnam (2021) all failed to do so.

Teams promoted: 1/7

Second-highest Ranked Playoff Spot

The second-highest ranked playoff spot would usually be third from 2014 until 2021, then fourth from 2022 onwards, and this is where Bucheon come in. From 2014 until this year, only two teams went up from this position. Suwon FC in 2015 and Gangwon in 2016. Bucheon are, therefore, one of only three teams out of 12 to finish in the second-highest playoff spot and win promotion. Gangwon (2014), Asan Mugunghwa (2017), Daejeon Citizen (2018, 2021), FC Anyang (2019, 2022), Gyeongnam (2020), Gimpo (2023), and Seoul E-Land (2024) all failed.

Teams promoted: 3/12

Highest-ranked Playoff Place

Since 2022, finishing runner-up has meant a direct playoff with 11th in K League 1. Before that, runners-up got what the third-placed team gets now - home advantage in the K League 2 playoff final. So far, only Busan IPark (2019), Suwon FC (2020), and Daejeon (2022) have won promotion from the highest-ranked playoff spot. Ansan Police (2014), Daegu (2015), Bucheon (2016), Busan (2017, 2018, 2023), Anyang (2021), Chungnam Asan (2024), and Suwon Bluewings have all failed.