A third tier in the Korean football league structure, the K3 League, was officially founded at the beginning of 2007 and ten sides took part in the inaugural league season. Seoul United, founded after a seven year effort by supporters to create a league club in the capital, won the league title with an aggregate victory over Hwaseong Sinwoo Electronics in the championship playoff.
Preparations for the Asian Cup tournament were something of a mixed bag, as victory over Greece in a London friendly was followed up by defeats at home to Uruguay and the Netherlands, before two morale-boosting victories over Asian opposition in the shape of Iraq and Uzbekistan. Korea opened their group stage campaign with a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia, before surprisingly going down 2-1 to Bahrain and leaving them in danger of a first round exit. A single goal victory over Indonesia in the final group match proved enough to scrape through to the knockout stages.
Although failing to score in all three of the knockout stage matches they played, Korea finished the tournament in third place thanks to three goalless draws and penalty shootout victories in the quarter-final and third place playoff matches. Despite that, manager Pim Verbeek tendered his resignation immediately after the tournament's conclusion and stepped down as manager. It was revealed several months later that four of the squad, Lee Woon-jae, Lee Dong-guk, Kim Sang-sik and Woo Sung-yong, had gone drinking the night before the defeat to Bahrain and all four players were banned from international selection by the KFA for varying lengths of time.
There was a change to the way the K-League season operated in 2007, as the playoff system was modified to include the top six sides at the end of the regular season. Seongnam set the pace for most of the season, closely followed by Suwon as the two clubs consolidated their apparent dominance over the rest of the field. Ulsan, Gyeongnam, Pohang and Daejeon secured the remaining four playoff slots, and it was fifth-placed Pohang who would shine. Victory over Gyeongnam in the opening playoff match was followed up by wins against Ulsan, Suwon and then Seongnam to give them their first K-League championship since 1992. They were to be thwarted in their quest for a domestic double however as Chunnam Dragons claimed an aggregate victory in the FA Cup final to become the first ever side to successfully retain the trophy.
In the wake of that domestic cup triumph, Chunnam manager Huh Jung-moo was appointed to the national team job as Verbeek's replacement. The KFA's search for a foreign coach had proved fruitless as first Gerard Houllier and then Mick McCarthy rejected overtures to replace the Dutchman as manager.
The 2007 National League season ended in controversy as Ulsan Mipo Dockyard, despite affirming during the regular season they would seek promotion to the K-League should they win the championship, decided against taking up the option to move to the higher division. Their championship victory was overshadowed by a controversial championship playoff first leg match against Suwon City, which saw five Suwon City players red-carded and the match abandoned. Though Ulsan Mipo ultimately triumphed 7-1 on aggregate, the club's owners rejected the chance to move up and so for the second consecutive season the National League champions would not move up to the K-League.
Into The Future
Korean football has come a long way since the arrival of those British sailors back in 1882. The game has grown both on the domestic, continental and international scene and the K-League has established itself as arguably the strongest domestic league in Asia. The national team too has set standards it will have to strive to maintain in the future. The K-League and KFA have plans to implement a promotion and relegation system between the K-League and National League within the next few years, and there are even plans to expand the league set-up below that of the K3 League. It remains to be seen just whether everyone involved can build on these solid foundations and make Korea a major footballing force for years to come.
The signs, at the moment, are looking good.
