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Suwon Samsung Bluewings looking to convert 1st chance at promotion back to top football league

Published: 02 Dec. 2025, 11:06

Suwon Samsung Bluewings players and coaches celebrate their 2-0 win over Chungbuk Cheongju FC in the clubs' K League 2 match at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 1. [YONHAP]

After spending two seasons in the second division of Korean football, the once-mighty Suwon Samsung Bluewings will take their first crack at earning a promotion back to the top flight this week.

Suwon Samsung, as the runners-up in the K League 2, will face Jeju SK FC, the second-to-last club in the K League 1 this year, in one of the two promotion-relegation playoff series. Suwon Samsung will host the first of this home-and-away matchup at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, some 30 kilometers south of Seoul. The return match will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Jeju World Cup Stadium in Seogwipo on the southern island of Jeju.

The other playoff series will see Suwon FC, the third-to-last team in the K League 1, play Bucheon FC 1995, who won a K League 2 playoff to reach this point.

Their first meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Bucheon Stadium in Bucheon, and the return leg will be 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Suwon Stadium in Suwon.

Suwon Samsung, the four-time K League 1 champions, also with five Korea FA Cup titles and two Asian club trophies, were relegated after the 2023 season by finishing dead last among 12 K League 1 clubs. Since the league introduced the current promotion-relegation system in 2013, Suwon Samsung's direct relegation was by far the most stunning development.

Jin Si-woo of Gwangju FC, left, and Pablo Sabbag of Suwon FC battle for the ball during their clubs' K League 1 match at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 30 in this photo provided by the Korea Professional Football League. [YONHAP]

They finished sixth in the K League 2 with 56 points in 2024, falling well short of winning the league and earning direct promotion as many pundits had predicted. They didn't even qualify for the K League 2 playoffs, open to teams ranked from third to fifth, with the winner advancing to the promotion-relegation playoffs.

This year, Suwon Samsung finished in second place with 72 points, six behind the champions Incheon United but good enough to grab a ticket to the promotion-relegation playoffs. They led the K League 2 with 76 goals, led by 13 each from Stanislav Iljutcenko and Matheus Serafim. Kim Ji-hyun netted 12 goals, making Suwon Samsung the only team in the league to have three players reach double digits in goals.

Jeju last played in the K League 2 in 2020. They won the second division title that year to be promoted back up to the K League 1. They had stayed safely above the relegation zone until this year, when they scored the second-fewest goals with 40 and the second-worst goal differential at -13.

Oh Jae-hyeok, second from left, and Jang Min-gyu of Jeju SK FC celebrate their team's 1-0 win over Ulsan HD FC in a K League 1 match at Munsu Football Stadium in the southeastern city of Ulsan on Nov. 30. [YONHAP]

Suwon FC also haven't been in the K League 2 since 2020. They survived the promotion-relegation playoffs in 2023 after finishing in 11th place in the K League 1. They then posted a fifth-place finish in 2024 but dropped to 10th place this year.

Their forward Pablo Sabbag won the K League 1 scoring title with 17 goals and finished third in MVP voting, but no other Suwon FC player scored in double figures. Their leaky defense conceded 58 goals, the second-highest total in the league.

Bucheon FC 1995 have never reached the K League 1 since joining pro football in 2013. They will play in their first promotion-relegation playoffs after losing in the K League 2 playoffs in 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Their top-five offense was led by Rodrigo Bassani's career-high 14. The Brazilian forward played for Suwon Samsung in 2023, the year they got relegated, and will now look to take his new club to uncharted territory.

Bucheon FC 1995 players and coaches celebrate after eliminating Seongnam FC in a K League 2 playoff match with a goalless draw at Bucheon Stadium in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 30. [YONHAP]

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