The 2018 K League 2 was the sixth season of the K League 2, the second-highest division in the South Korean football league system.

Asan Mugunghwa once again grabbed an opportunity for promotion by winning its second K League 2 title (officially first title after Ansan era), but its owner Korean Police Agency did not recruit new players who could meet clubs' requisite for maintenance before the end of the season. Asan Mugunghwa, which was in the process of being dissolved, was finally disqualified from promoting.

Runners-up Seongnam FC directly qualified for the K League 1 instead of Asan Mugunghwa, and the third, fourth, and fifth-placed team advanced to the promotion playoffs.

Teams

Team changes

Relegated from K League Classic

Promoted to K League 1

Stadiums

Ansan GreenersFC AnyangAsan MugunghwaBucheon FC 1995Busan IPark
Ansan Wa~ StadiumAnyang StadiumYi Sun-sin StadiumBucheon StadiumBusan Gudeok Stadium
Capacity: 35,000Capacity: 17,143Capacity: 19,283Capacity: 34,545Capacity: 12,349
Daejeon CitizenGwangju FCSeongnam FCSeoul E-LandSuwon FC
Daejeon World Cup StadiumGwangju World Cup StadiumTancheon StadiumSeoul Olympic StadiumSuwon Sports Complex
Capacity: 40,535Capacity: 40,245Capacity: 16,146Capacity: 69,950Capacity: 11,808

Personnel and sponsoring

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

TeamManagersKit manufacturerMain sponsor
Ansan GreenersSouth Korea Lee Heung-silKelmeAnsan Government
FC AnyangSouth Korea Ko Jeong-woonZaicroAnyang Government
Asan MugunghwaSouth Korea Park Dong-hyukPumaAsan Government
Bucheon FC 1995South Korea Jeong Gab-seokAstoreBucheon Government
Busan IParkSouth KoreaChoi Yun-kyumAdidasHyundai Development Company
Daejeon CitizenSouth Korea Ko Jong-sooAstoreDaejeon Government
Gwangju FCSouth Korea Park Jin-subJomaGwangju Government
Seongnam FCSouth Korea Nam Ki-ilUmbroSeongnam Government
Seoul E-LandArgentina In Chang-sooNew BalanceE-Land
Suwon FCSouth Korea Cho Duck-jeHummelSuwon Government

Foreign players

Restricting the number of foreign players strictly to four per team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries. A team could use four foreign players on the field each game.

As of 24 July 2018.

ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Asian Player
Ansan GreenersBrazil FidelLiberia Seku ConnehUruguay Raúl Tarragona
FC AnyangBrazil Wesley AlexBrazil Marcos Antônio
Bucheon FC 1995Brazil CristovamBrazil Nilson JúniorBrazil Willian PoppChina Nan Song
Busan IParkBrazil RômuloNetherlands Arsenio ValpoortNetherlands Sherjill MacDonald
Daejeon CitizenRomania Aurelian ChițuSlovakia Filip HlohovskýUzbekistan Sanzhar TursunovUzbekistan Shohrux Gadoyev
Gwangju FCBrazil GilBrazil Felipe SilvaBrazil Róbson DuarteJapan Minori Sato Chinese Taipei Wang Chien-ming
Seongnam FCBrazil Éder LimaNiger Olivier Bonnes
Seoul E-LandArgentina Diego BielkiewiczChile Ignacio HerreraCroatia Ivan Herceg
Suwon FCBrazil Alex LimaBrazil Alex BrunoBrazil Fernando VianaAustralia Adrian Leijer

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Asan Mugunghwa (C)3621965427+2772
2Seongnam FC (P)36181174936+1365Promotion to the K League 1
3Busan IPark36141485335+1856Qualification for the promotion playoffs semi-final
4Daejeon Citizen36158134744+353Qualification for the promotion playoffs first round
5Gwangju FC361115105141+1048
6FC Anyang36128164450−644
7Suwon FC36133202946−1742
8Bucheon FC 199536116193750−1339
9Ansan Greeners36109173245−1339
10Seoul E-Land36107193052−2237

Positions by matchday

Leaders Qualification for the promotion playoffs

Round 1–18

Team ╲ Round123456789101112131415161718
Asan Mugunghwa223453244333322121
Seongnam FC464524311111111212
Busan IPark455235556444444443
Bucheon FC 1995111111122222233334
Gwangju FC678888865677756755
Ansan Greeners932342433555565566
Suwon FC247777679989999987
Daejeon Citizen8106666787766677678
FC Anyang691010101010101010101010101010109
Seoul E-Land9889999988988888910

Round 19–36

Team ╲ Round192021222324252627282930313233343536
Asan Mugunghwa222221122211111111
Seongnam FC111112211122222222
Busan IPark433333333344433333
Daejeon Citizen889877654433344444
Gwangju FC554444545555557555
FC Anyang10910999988988665666
Suwon FC776665466666876777
Bucheon FC 1995345556777777789888
Ansan Greeners667101010101010899998999
Seoul E-Land9108788899101010101010101010

Results

Matches 1–18

Home \ AwayANSANYASMBUCBIPDJCGWJSENSELSUW
Ansan Greeners—2–10–23–11–33–22–02–10–21–0
FC Anyang1–0—0–30–32–21–13–22–32–00–1
Asan Mugunghwa1–01–1—4–21–10–11–24–23–02–0
Bucheon FC 19951–11–20–1—1–00–21–01–20–34–1
Busan IPark1–13–01–01–2—3–30–11–12–01–1
Daejeon Citizen1–13–21–21–20–1—1–21–21–00–2
Gwangju FC0–00–02–21–21–10–1—1–33–05–0
Seongnam FC0–01–11–02–10–14–20–0—1–12–1
Seoul E-Land2–11–00–02–42–20–20–01–1—0–1
Suwon FC1–01–00–20–11–01–20–11–41–0—

Matches 19–36

Home \ AwayANSANYASMBUCBIPDJCGWJSENSELSUW
Ansan Greeners—0–20–13–10–11–13–20–10–00–1
FC Anyang3–2—3–03–11–20–10–01–11–03–1
Asan Mugunghwa2–02–1—0–00–02–21–01–03–12–1
Bucheon FC 19951–20–10–1—0–01–10–10–10–22–0
Busan IPark0–04–31–21–1—1–22–22–03–10–1
Daejeon Citizen1–02–22–13–00–1—1–10–11–01–0
Gwangju FC4–02–11–11–13–31–2—3–12–20–2
Seongnam FC1–11–01–12–11–02–02–2—1–20–0
Seoul E-Land2–00–10–40–10–51–01–41–2—1–0
Suwon FC1–23–00–12–00–33–21–10–10–2—

Promotion playoffs

Bracket

First roundSemi-finalFinal
3Busan IPark3
4Daejeon Citizen0
4Daejeon Citizen1
5Gwangju FC0
Busan IPark112
FC Seoul314

First round

Daejeon Citizen1–0Gwangju FC
Chițu 68'

Semi-final

Busan IPark3–0Daejeon Citizen
Rômulo 6' Noh Haeng-seok 42' Shin Young-jun 90+3'

Final

The promotion-relegation playoffs were held between the winners of the 2018 K League 2 playoffs and the 11th-placed club of the 2018 K League 1. The winners on aggregate score after both matches earned entry into the 2019 K League 1.

Busan IPark1–3FC Seoul
Rômulo 24'Cho Young-wook 58' Go Yo-han 78' Jung Hyun-cheol 89'
FC Seoul1–1Busan IPark
Park Chu-young 90+3'Kim Jin-kyu 32'

FC Seoul won 4–2 on aggregate and therefore both clubs remain in their respective leagues.

Player statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1South Korea Na Sang-hoGwangju FC16
2Brazil Wesley AlexFC Anyang15
3Romania Aurelian ChițuDaejeon Citizen11
4South Korea Jung Sung-minSeongnam FC10
Brazil Willian PoppBucheon FC 1995
6South Korea Ko Kyung-minBusan IPark9
Brazil RômuloBusan IPark
8Uzbekistan Shohrux GadoyevDaejeon Citizen8
97 players7

Top assist providers

RankPlayerClubAssists
1Brazil RômuloBusan IPark9
2South Korea Park Soo-ilDaejeon Citizen8
South Korea Chang Hyuk-jinAnsan Greeners
4South Korea Moon Sang-yunSeongnam FC7
5South Korea Jo Seong-joonAsan Mugunghwa6
6South Korea Lee EuddeumAsan Mugunghwa6
South Korea Cho Chan-hoSeoul E-Land
South Korea Lee Jae-kwonBusan IPark
South Korea Lee Myung-jooAsan Mugunghwa
South Korea Moon Ki-hanBucheon FC 1995
South Korea Kim Dong-hyunGwangju FC

Attendance

Attendants who entered with free ticket were not counted.

PosTeamTotalHighLowAverageChange
1Busan IPark44,5726,5321,0082,476+3.0%†
2Seongnam FC43,2084,1671,1282,400−14.3%†
3Suwon FC33,7923,0608151,877−11.0%†
4Ansan Greeners32,7755,5326451,820−32.6%†
5Asan Mugunghwa31,5944,0398441,755−10.3%†
6Daejeon Citizen29,6174,1424181,645−26.5%†
7Gwangju FC27,3935,4394641,522−51.8%†
8FC Anyang27,0906,5034051,505−54.9%†
9Bucheon FC 199518,4641,6556181,026−50.2%†
10Seoul E-Land12,4101,349312689−57.2%†
League total300,8956,5323121,672−28.2%†

Source: Notes: † Team played previous season in K League Classic.

See also

External links