2013 K League Challenge
The 2013 K League Challenge was the first season of the K League Challenge, the second top South Korean professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 2013. The 2013 fixtures were announced on 30 January 2013.[1] The season began on 16 March.
|  | |
| Season | 2013 | 
|---|---|
| Champions | Sangju Sangmu (1st title) | 
| Promoted | Sangju Sangmu | 
| Matches played | 140 | 
| Goals scored | 404 (2.89 per match) | 
| Top goalscorer | Lee Keun-ho (Sangju Sangmu) (15 goals) | 
| Average attendance | 1,685 | 
| 2014 →  | |
Teams
    
A total of eight teams contested the league, including two sides from the 2012 K-League and six promoted from the Korea National League, Challengers League and R-League.
Stadiums and Locations
    
| Team | City | State | Home venue | Capacity | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Anyang | Anyang | Gyeonggi | Anyang Stadium | 18,216 | 
| Bucheon FC 1995 | Bucheon | Gyeonggi | Bucheon Stadium | 34,545 | 
| Chungju Hummel FC | Chungju | Chungbuk | Chungju Stadium | 15,000 | 
| Goyang Hi FC | Goyang | Gyeonggi | Goyang Stadium | 41,311 | 
| Gwangju FC | Gwangju | Gwangju World Cup Stadium | 44,118 | |
| Police FC1 | ||||
| Sangju Sangmu | Sangju | Gyeongbuk | Sangju Civic Stadium | 15,042 | 
| Suwon FC | Suwon | Gyeonggi | Suwon Stadium | 24,670 | 
Personnel and kits
    
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | Manager1 | Kit Manufacturer1 | Main sponsor1 | 
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Anyang |  Lee Woo-hyung | Jako | KB Kookmin Bank | 
| Bucheon FC 1995 |  Gwak Kyung-keun | Ninety Plus | Bucheon City | 
| Chungju Hummel FC |  Kim Jong-pil | Hummel | Chungju | 
| Goyang Hi FC |  Lee Young-moo | New Balance | |
| Gwangju FC |  Nam Ki-il (caretaker) | Joma | Kwangju Bank | 
| Police FC |  Cho Dong-hyun | Adidas | Korean Police | 
| Sangju Sangmu |  Park Hang-seo | Jako | Sangju | 
| Suwon FC |  Cho Duck-je | Astore | Suwon | 
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 including a least one player from the AFC country.
| Club | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Asian Player | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Anyang | ||||
| Bucheon FC 1995 | ||||
| Chungju Hummel FC |  Miguel |  Tutinha | ||
| Goyang Hi FC |  Alex |  Almir | ||
| Gwangju FC |  Luizinho |  Lúcio | ||
| Suwon FC |  Bogdan Milić | .svg.png.webp) Aleksandar Jovanović | 
League table
    
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sangju Sangmu (C, P) | 35 | 23 | 8 | 4 | 65 | 30 | +35 | 77 | Qualification for promotion playoffs | 
| 2 | Police FC | 35 | 20 | 4 | 11 | 60 | 47 | +13 | 64 | Ineligible for promotion | 
| 3 | Gwangju FC | 35 | 16 | 5 | 14 | 55 | 54 | +1 | 53 | |
| 4 | Suwon FC | 35 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 53 | 51 | +2 | 47 | |
| 5 | FC Anyang | 35 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 50 | 51 | −1 | 45 | |
| 6 | Goyang Hi FC | 35 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 43 | 50 | −7 | 41 | |
| 7 | Bucheon FC 1995 | 35 | 8 | 9 | 18 | 45 | 61 | −16 | 33 | |
| 8 | Chungju Hummel | 35 | 7 | 8 | 20 | 33 | 59 | −26 | 29 | Ineligible for promotion | 
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
The winner of the 2013 Korean FA Cup, will qualify for the 2014 AFC Champions League.
(C) Champion; (P) Promoted
Promotion-Relegation Playoffs
    
    1st Leg
    
| Sangju Sangmu | 4 – 1 | Gangwon FC | 
|---|---|---|
| Lee Sang-Hyup  29', 89' Lee Seung-Hyun  71' Lee Sang-ho  77' | Choi Seung-In  90+2' | 
2nd Leg
    
Sangju Sangmu secure promotion to the 2014 K League Classic season, 4–2 on aggregate.
Season statistics
    
| Top scorers
 | Top assists
 
 | 
Attendance
    
| Pos | Team | Total | High | Low | Average | Change | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sangju Sangmu | 50,759 | 9,708 | 483 | 2,538 | −10.0%† | 
| 2 | Gwangju FC | 46,813 | 18,560 | 358 | 2,341 | −18.6%† | 
| 3 | FC Anyang | 38,115 | 6,423 | 519 | 1,815 | 0.0% | 
| 4 | Bucheon FC 1995 | 34,307 | 3,254 | 642 | 1,715 | 0.0% | 
| 5 | Chungju Hummel | 33,250 | 8,106 | 323 | 1,663 | 0.0% | 
| 6 | Suwon FC | 17,834 | 1,957 | 505 | 939 | 0.0% | 
| 7 | Goyang Hi FC | 14,768 | 2,098 | 284 | 738 | 0.0% | 
| League total | 235,846 | 18,560 | 284 | 1,685 | 0.0% | 
Updated to games played on 30 November 2013
Source: K League
Notes:
Attendants who entered with free ticket are not counted.
† Team played previous season in 2012 K League.
‡ Police FC withdraw the right to play at home ground. Police FC play all matches as away matches
Awards
    
The 2013 K League Awards was held on 3 December 2013.
K League Challenge Most Valuable Player
    
- The K League Challenge Most Valuable Player award was won by  Lee Keun-Ho (Sangju Sangmu) Lee Keun-Ho (Sangju Sangmu)
K League Challenge of the Year
    
- The K League Manager of the Year award was won by  Park Hang-Seo (Sangju Sangmu) Park Hang-Seo (Sangju Sangmu)
K League Challenge Top Scorer
    
- The K League Top Scorer award was won by  Lee Keun-Ho (Sangju Sangmu) Lee Keun-Ho (Sangju Sangmu)
K League Challenge Top Assistor
    
- The K League Top Assistor award was won by  Yeom Ki-Hun (Korean Police) Yeom Ki-Hun (Korean Police)
K League Challenge Best XI
    
| Position | Player | Club | 
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper |  Kim Ho-Jun | Sangju Sangmu | 
| Defender |  Choi Chul-Soon | Sangju Sangmu | 
| Defender |  Kim Hyung-Il | Sangju Sangmu | 
| Defender |  Lee Jae-Seong | Sangju Sangmu | 
| Defender |  Oh Beom-Seok | Korean Police | 
| Midfielder |  Yeom Ki-Hun | Korean Police | 
| Midfielder |  Lee Ho | Sangju Sangmu | 
| Midfielder |  Choi Jin-soo | FC Anyang | 
| Midfielder |  Kim Young-Hoo | Korean Police | 
| Forward |  Lee Keun-Ho | Sangju Sangmu | 
| Forward |  Alex | Goyang Hi | 
References
    
- "2013 K리그 클래식 경기 일정 확정" (in Korean). Korea Professional Football League. 30 January 2013. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- "K League Challenge fixture" (PDF).
- 2013 Season Review at K League Website (in Korean)
External links
    
- Official K League Website (in Korean)






