The most shocking result in the 2023 professional soccer K-League 1 season would not be Jeonbuk Hyundai's sluggish performance or promoted team Gwangju FC's breakout performance, but Suwon Samsung's relegation.
Suwon Samsung ranked last in K-League 1 this season and was unable to avoid direct relegation to the second division.
Suwon Samsung's second run is somewhat shocking. Suwon, founded in 1995 and playing in the K-League since 1996, has never been relegated to the second division since the team was founded.
In addition, Suwon Samsung is a renowned team representing the K League, having won the K League four times, the Korea Football Association (FA) Cup five times, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) twice. In the FA Cup, they have the record for the most wins in the K League.
Due to Suwon Samsung's relegation, the 'derby match' that would arouse fans' interest will disappear in next season's K League 1.
A representative example is the ‘Super Match' between FC Seoul and Suwon Samsung. The match between the two teams is so passionate that it has gone beyond the K-League and has been introduced as one of the top 10 derby matches in the world.
The match between the two teams, which have been established as a guarantee of box office success for a long time, with as many as 5 Super Matches included in the top 10 in K League history with the highest attendance, will not be seen in K League 1 next season.
In addition, the 'Suwon Derby' between Suwon Samsung and Suwon FC will also not be held in K League 1 next year.
Suwon FC, which was one level above Suwon Samsung, which ranked last in K-League 1 this season, achieved a dramatic comeback win over Busan I'Park in the promotion play-offs and confirmed its retention.
The relegation of Suwon Samsung, a popular club representing the K-League, to the second division is expected to have a major blow to next season's box office success.
Suwon Samsung attracted an average crowd of 11,000 despite its poor performance this season. This is a record equivalent to 5th place.
However, it appears that it will not be easy to maintain the same number of spectators as this year, as the disappointment of passionate fans appears to be compounded by the humiliation of being relegated to the second division for the first time in the club's history.
