K League is a beautiful community, here's why!

Ten weeks since the Korean football community was shocked and appalled by the bottle-throwing incident following Incheon United's home game with FC Seoul, the south terrace at Sungui Arena is open again. Thankfully the authorities didn't implement draconian rules on the rest of the league, and football has resumed to normality.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to vilify Incheon United fans. Representatives from both clubs apologized for the unsavory scenes, fines were handed down and a stand closure was enforced; all of which were discussed on the K League United podcast. The purpose of this article is to get feedback from fans of various clubs, in K League 1 and 2, about what makes football so special in this country.

[LISTEN: Incheon United water bottle incident]

Immediately following the incident on May 11th, rumors and gossip spread rapidly.

What should happen to Incheon United? Should they play behind closed doors? Should the league permanently ban the offending fans? How about a points deduction? Or, nothing, because the Seoul keeper apparently ignited the fuse.

In the end, Seoul's Baek Jong-beom was fined, and so were Incheon United, while their famous South Stand was closed until July. Fans who came forward were required to do community service. There were genuine concerns, however, the authorities would somehow find a link between the incident and alcohol. In K League, after all, not only is beer cheap, but you can drink at your seat. There's also a culture of wandering around the stadium, sitting in different sections, and witnessing the matches from various vantage points. Would that now be outlawed?

Fortunately, aside from the above bans and fines, the authorities opted not to introduce radical reforms. So I decided to sit down with K League fans and remind ourselves how we got into the league, what our favorite memories are, and why we love it.

첫 인사

Gabi Galindo, of Italian and Brazilian descent but born in London, was the first to sit down and discuss this matter. "I support Tottenham but this is my third season as an FC Seoul fan." Gabi continued with a line that all my participants expressed throughout their answers. "I strongly believe it is important to always support some sort of local team." To some Korean football fans, Gabi is better known for his vlogs on YouTube <서울의 가비> "and part of that is to hopefully show people that watching local Korean football is awesome," Gabi concludes.

Luke Evans, an Incheon United fan, is a familiar voice to K League United podcast regulars. On X, Luke is the most active English source of match-day updates and general Incheon news. He isn't the only one; the Incheon English mafia on X is vocal and amusing. Of all the clubs I've personally visited, time spent with the Incheon fans was the most enjoyable as a neutral. They have a good community and are very welcoming of fans from all clubs.

Luke has been "an Incheon fan since moving to the city in 2013." Like many football fans in Korea, filling the enormous void left behind is a major reason for picking a club. "I first started watching the games because I missed going to live football (I spent almost 15 years as a Barnsley season ticket holder going home and away in the UK before moving to Korea) and thought Incheon, being my local team, would be a good way to fill the gap."

Joe Quinn "first came to Korea in 1999 and I have been settled here since returning in 2007." A Celtic fan back home in Scotland, Joe didn't start attending games regularly "until 2018 after my youngest had been picked up by Suwon FC youth team." Joe had previously flirted with the idea of supporting Suwon Samsung or Seongnam, "but my son allowed me to commit to a team. Before then, Bluewings were the logical choice but for some reason (maybe the colors!), I’d always resisted."

Mike Brandon might be the best-known Ansan Greeners fan in the world. He isn't just the supporter of a club that regularly finishes near the foot of K League 2, but his face is often picked out amongst the small number of Ansan fans on the road. He also has a podcast and, like all the fans here, his X details are at the bottom of the page. His first four introduction words are "long-suffering Ansan fan! I have followed the various iterations of Ansan, from Hallelujah to the Police to Ansan Greeners."

Paul Neat is another famous face around these parts. As News and Managing Editor of K League United, he has attended some of the biggest games in the calendar, interviewing national stars and, now, has a job doing football commentary for K League TV. All this came after moving to Korea in December 2012. Paul is a "Daejeon Hana Citizen fan from Preston, Lancashire." No prizes for guessing who his local team is but the way the league season is panning out, both his adored clubs could be in the second division next year.

My first experience of football in Korea was 15 years ago. I moved to Gwangju but anyone familiar with the sporting landscape understands Gwangju is baseball country. There was another problem; the Gwangju team was owned by the army, a sick joke following the Gwangju Uprising in 1980. Support for Gwangju Sangmu was nonexistent and everyone I knew wanted to visit the ballpark. It wasn't until I moved to Suwon I started watching games regularly. I tell people I'm a Bluewings fan, but sadly I never met or shared in a community similar to the other contributors.

Lucas Montagnac Naïb, from France, is an FC Anyang fan "living in Seoul for three years now." On his X account, he sourced incredibly interesting - and moving - videos of Anyang LG Cheetahs' bitter move to Seoul, and the devastating impact it had on the fans. The move, therefore, robbed Anyang of its place in K League's primary rivalry. Lucas publishes daily about Anyang but he is a regular at Incheon United matches, too.

[LISTEN: KLU pod featuring a Leonard Pllana interview]

From the sofa to the stands

I had Googled football in Gwangju before arriving in 2009. The Gwangju Wikipedia page included information about the 2002 World Cup and then I learned this is the city where Ireland would have played Korea had they defeated Spain in the Last 16. But it was only when I arrived in the city I found out the residents had a much stronger affinity with the smaller white ball. I can't remember when or how I got into K League, but it was likely alongside 900 fans in a World Cup stadium watching Sangmu. Thankfully my guests have better memories to share.

In spring 2020, sports around the world ground down to a halt. Against all odds, the K League resumed, and KBO games were broadcast live on FOX Sports as MLB was shut down. Korea was the center of the sporting universe andGabi, like many others, found himself drawn to the national league during this period. "I started watching the K League properly during COVID-19 when it was the first league to restart after the whole world closed."

Gabi had previously lived in China but that all changed. "It felt so good to just watch football again. At that time I had no plans to move to Korea as I was still planning to wait to move back to China. Once I came here and went to some games I thought the fireworks during kick-offs and goals were really cool and they had a good fan culture." Weirdly, Seoul drew extra global attention when they filled out their empty seats with sex dolls but Gabi insists that didn't contribute to his support of the club. "I thought they were just mannequins."

"The availability of the games was my initial attraction," wasLuke's initial pathway into K League. Living so close to the stadium helped as did "cheap tickets and games were at a time when I could easily go at least ten or fifteen times a year." Then comes the community aspect everyone references throughout the interview. "Following that, I met people at the stadium and still regularly go with the ones who remain in Korea. It became the main reason after a season or two."

Similarly,Paul was filling a void after leaving his life back home. He described K League as his "methadone" because "not watching football every week was just never going to be an option." Interestingly, he became a Daejeon fan before stepping off the Incheon Airport plane. There was no connection between Preston and Daejeon but "when I was looking at jobs and accepting interviews, I was checking whether the city had a K League team." Enter Daejeon. "It looked like a nice city so I was ready to become a Daejeon supporter immediately."

Mike Brandon cut straight to the point, and his view would probably apply to most supporters here. "As a football fan, what choice did I have living in Korea?" There are other sporting choices but as a self-described "fourth-generation Evertonian", basketball, ice hockey, or volleyball are unlikely to satisfy the urges. I never asked him if he was upset the decision went Ansan's way, especially as south Gyeonggi province is packed full of K League 1 and 2 clubs.

Marseille-bornLucas states he has "always loved football which has a very important place in everyday life in my hometown. When I first came to Korea, I searched for information about K League and how it works and found the K League United website." I wasn't exaggerating when I wrote above that the Incheon fans are as welcoming as it gets. Lucas agrees. "I also saw that there was a relatively large foreign fan community supporting Incheon United on social media and I went to a game out of curiosity. I've met some great people and I've been going ever since."

For those reading this article, it might seem obvious that a football fan at home would automatically pick up K League upon arrival. But that clearly isn't the case. In my 15 years living in Korea, I've only met a handful of genuine K League lovers. The vast majority will watch any game without following a specific team and some, like in baseball, show utter contempt for the product. Of course, It also applies to Koreans who'd rather watch Liverpool at 4am than Pohang, in a stadium, at 7pm.

[LISTEN: KLU pod featuring Lee Ho-jae interview]

These are the memories I'll tell my kids.

Incidentally, my best memory of a K League match is painful. Last November, I watched the Bluewings beat Seoul to ensure they took their relegation fight to the final weekend. Not only that, but the win meant survival was in their own hands. Just beat Gangwon and automatic relegation would be avoided. They failed. And the sight of 30,000 stunned fans, remaining seated long after the final whistle, will stay with me for a long time. We knew Suwon were down but no one knew what to do next. Boo? Cry? Throw stuff? Go home? In the end, they choose howling in disapproval.

Like me,Luke could have chosen the relegation story as his best memory. Except, his club never went down. They'd be dodging relegation for seasons when all seemed lost. "Incheon have struggled for a lot of my time watching them," he says, and a look at the historical tables confirms that. "So for most of the games I might be expected to pick the overall emotion of relief at the team avoiding relegation rather than joy and happiness."

But last season was different. Incheon started slowly, eventually pushed into the top half, played Asian football for the first time (winning four of six group games), and made it all the way to the FA Cup semi-finals. But one game sticks out more than most. "Last summer, Incheon won at Seoul, in the rain, with Kim Dong-heon saving a penalty to secure the points." Beating Seoul away probably tops most memory lists. But Luke had even more reason for celebration. And this takes us back to the community aspect.

"While the game itself was pretty good, the day was incredible. There was a decent-sized group of our friends traveling to the game, the pouring rain added to the excitement and tension and the result was the cherry on top. It was also among the last of the games that some of our friends were able to get to before moving home." Pick a club, buy a ticket, and make new friends. This is the K League community.

To further emphasize his enjoyment of watching football around Korea despite being an Anyang fan, Lucas' favorite memory comes from the Suwon World Cup Stadium. The Bluewings stuffed defending champions Ulsan Hyundai and "at the end of the game there was a huge party outside the stadium; it was so hot and everyone was screaming and jumping around while the Frente Tricolor band was making a deafening noise. It was amazing!" Suwon haven't enjoyed days like that since.

Paul jumped in with the longest answer of the session. I knew he was going to reference the 2021 playoff semi-final with FC Anyang because he has dropped hints on the K League podcast often enough. Covid restrictions were still in place, such as mask-wearing and a ban on shouting. After trailing 1-0, Daejeon "went on to win 3-1 with Bruno Baio scoring a brace." Covid rules were unofficially dropped. Fans began to sing. "There was this outpouring of emotion from the fans, not just because of the failed play-off attempts, but because it felt like we were overcoming the pandemic."

Unfortunately for Paul and the Daejeon faithful, Gangwon won the decider and Daejeon stayed in the second tier. "It was one of the worst days of my life."

Three km north of the World Cup Stadium, Suwon FC are a small club. Last season, while attending a regular season game against FC Seoul, fellow journalists and one team official constantly reminded me of just that; Suwon are small. They are competitive, but it is hard. Any excuse given for some post-match mishap was solely down to their size.Please understand. One month later, they stayed up, but the Bluewings went down. Suwon FC currently sit in the top half.

Joe must be loaded with special memories. "It was probably the playoff win over Busan at the end of last season," Joe reflects. "It had been such a horrendous season we turned up in hope rather than expectation having lost the first leg 2-1 and seen ‘talisman’ Lee Seung-woo get suspended. In the first half, it looked like we would sleepwalk our way to K2." Having been at the game, I remember the feeling. The match reports were written with 12 minutes to play; then Suwon turned Busan's world upside down.

"Once Busan went ahead on the day, it seemed inevitable. But the change in the mood once Kim Hyun equalized on the day was amazing.  We were still behind on aggregate, but the energy on the pitch and around it changed, and we stayed up, winning 5-2 after extra time. The celebrations outside the stadium afterward were great." Then comes the line of the day. "Supporting Celtic and Suwon FC are two very different experiences and, to be honest, the buzz from staying up and even beating thebig teams in league matches is just as good, if not better, than winning leagues and cups."

"Dragging myself to the stadium after a long day of work on a Wednesday," topsGabi's list of memorable K League moments. Traveling by public transport during rush hour is a nightmare in Seoul, especially when you live and work on the other side of the city. Gabi's commute, one-way, is "90 minutes by train." Fortunately for Gabi, he watched Seoul "win 5-1 versus Gimcheon. I love seeing a game where we win by a big margin and that day I felt so happy that I went." Seoul were struggling near the foot of the table that night, but the Gimcheon hammering gave new manager Kim Ki-dong his first statement win.

Following another difficult season, that sees Ansan Greeners bottom at the time of writing, it isn't surprisingMike would choose a more recent example for his favorite memory. In late June, Ansan made the short distance west to face Suwon Samsung in Big Bird. Suwon dumped Ansan out of the Cup in successive seasons and earlier this year, won a tight encounter 1-0 in Wa~ Stadium. Despite Suwon being a huge club nearing rock bottom, Ansan could have been forgiven for feeling apprehensive about the trip to Big Bird.

"Kim Beom-su's goal at Suwon a few weeks back was electric," beams the Evertonian. "You do not get that feeling (of raw emotion) if you are not committed to a team, and especially for Ansan fans, those feelings do not come around often. It was like winning something!" Suwon replied later in the half to deny Ansan a famous victory but just scoring against that club, in their World Cup Stadium, was enough to be recognized as a lasting memory.

It hasn't all been doom and gloom following a team from Wa~ Stadium. "I guess seeing the police team Mugunghwa clinch the K2 title on the last day at our rivals Anyang should be the sweetest moment." Anyang and Ansan are separated by nine stops on Line 4 and the rivalry has maintained to this day. "It should have been sublime, only there were about a dozen fans in the away end, so it lacked the magic it should have had. Fans really are everything to the sport, and it is good to see the Greeners slowly building up a solid core." Anyang versus Ansan is one of the more amusing rivalries in the countries. Even though Anyang have flirted with promotion for several seasons, these two clubs just can't seem to be separated.

Tell me about Gimcheon away.

As a huge KBO fan, one thing baseball lacks that football doesn't is the lack of away trips to undertake each season. There are 10 teams in the top flight of Korean baseball, and five are in the greater Seoul area. Moreover, the Future's League isn't fan-orientated (like the minors in North America), and independent baseball barely features. While some clubs have secondary homes in neighboring cities, Anyang, Chuncheon, Jeju, Jeonju, and Seongnam are just some of the destinations baseball won't take you.

Football is entirely different. The top 2 leagues are fully professional, but the league goes down to K7 level and then there's the Korean Cup. Mokpo, Siheung, Dangjin, Jinju, and Geoje are new away days for fans who've had their share of the top two leagues. My favorite stadium isSuwon's Big Bird, even though Incheon's is the most beautiful. However, nowhere tingles the senses like Pohang Steel Yard during the Donghae-an derby.

A common theme when you talk to football fans is the excitement of visiting cities you wouldn't ordinarily see.Lucas agrees. "Thanks to football I had the chance to visit Korea differently, I went to many less touristic cities and although football was the focal point of my trips, I also took the opportunity to visit those new places and discover a part of Korean culture that I didn’t know about. Also, fans of opposing teams are often benevolent and I have never felt in danger when traveling, they often recommend nice places to go after the game and I found myself sharing dinner or going to a bar with them."

If you're familiar withLuke's X account, you'll know he loves jumping on the KTX and watching the team away. From risking death due to structural incompetence in Gwangju ("I'm not a fan"), to Santa sweaters in Daegu, and hammerings in Chuncheon, Luke, usually, is there. "I particularly enjoy traveling to places that are off the beaten path as far as places I might find myself for non-footballing reasons," he adds. This is without a doubt football ace card. "Gimcheon and Gyeongnam are perhaps two examples. It’s also nice to get out of Gyeonggi-do and see places that still have that traditional Korean charm, too."

One feature of grounds below the top flight (and even some in K League 1) that most fans hate is running tracks.Joe jumps straight in with this dislike of the civic stadiums. "The stadiums used for the 2002 World Cup are still pretty good in that the pitch is in the same postcode as the away end.  The civic stadiums with running tracks are a blight on the leagues IMO, and I obviously include Suwon FC’s in that."

As for his favorite, Joe is surprisingly apologetic in choosing the "Seoul World Cup Stadium" as it "holds a certain appeal. It’s not so much the stadium itself but the mass of fans coming out of the depths of the subway up to the stadium creates a buzz that you’re going to a big match." Of that, there's little argument. The GS25 convenience store at theFan Park is a great spot to meet new and old friends.

Mike enjoyed the recent trip to Suwon World Cup Stadium ("it has been the best experience") but with grounds he's more familiar with, Bucheon Stadium tops the list. It is always helpful when people have a personal story to back up their reasons. A few years ago, "there was a very slow queue to get tickets, and the game kicked off still with long lines. Some fans streamed the game in the line, which was great." Mike remembers, but it gets even better. "When we got to the front, I realized I had lost my card, but a Bucheon fan stepped forward and bought our tickets for us!"

The Ansan fan also name-checked Seongnam FC, and their home in Tancheon, as a great away venue. There is one major problem with Tancheon; the away fans are hidden away in the south stand, under the TV, and behind a running track. But Mike recalls Seongnam's PA thanking away fans for offering their support. They might be Gyeonggi rivals, but there's no reason why it can't be cordial.

"95% of my traveling in Korea has been for football away matches,"Gabi interjects. This backs up my point above. Groundhopping KBO would take a month. Visiting every stadium in K League 1 is a long slog, especially if you're only going to see your team. "So it is nice to go and explore new places, try new food, and also see new stadiums." Another feature of life in Korea is every town is famous for a dish. As a result, despite being a bland stadium, Gangwon away is a must-do. "I would say I like visiting both stadiums in Suwon because I can go there easily and we have had good results most of the time I have gone there."

Paul, meanwhile, isn't impressed. Away fans, he rages, are "an afterthought in K League. If the seats aren't covered in dirt and dust then the concession stands are either closed or have limited options." As Joe reflects, "away fans are often far from the pitch" but that's definitely not the case in Incheon, Paul's favorite away day. "The ground is easy to get to and looks great, there's usually a good atmosphere and my first away game (2013) was in Incheon, and we won!"

You aren't punched for wearing blue over red.

Does any of this make K League unique? Well, in many ways, yes. We've already discussed the lack of aggression and violence at the grounds. Even for Seoul vs. Suwon or Pohang vs. Ulsan, supporters sit side-by-side at bars, restaurants, and convenience stores pre-game. But there are other interesting features of watching a K League game.

Gabi references something we discussed on the podcast recently. "There are things like when the opposition keeper comes to your end at the start of the game, he bows and we applaud. In England, we would boo the opposition keeper to scare or intimidate him." Another cool feature is when former players stand in front of their old supporters and bow after the match. "I also think way more is done here to try to create some sort of atmosphere and entertainment like having a call leader, cheerleaders, fireworks, halftime games, etc."

Luke mentions a feature I was thinking of, too. When your team scores, the fans don't face the opposition supporters and flip them off. The rule is unwritten but very clear; I will cheer our goal only. "I think the atmosphere in stadiums here is generally positive, even when things aren’t going well," Luke agrees. "There’s far more focus on cheering for your own team than slandering the away team and even when the results aren’t coming it doesn’t get toxic – like it might elsewhere in the world." Well said.

Paul focuses on safety as the main difference from England. "You are never going to worry about your safety, and you can have a beer while watching a game. Also, you can bring in your own food and drink and the stewards aren't too bothered. For a pint and pie in England, it costs 15 pounds."

After thinking for a brief moment,Mike opts for "the sense of community," We simply can't discuss the beauty of K League without mentioning the communities that have been built. Korea's fan culture might be sneered at by European spectators because the songs are ripped off, some of the lyrics don't make sense, and fans sit in their seats smiling and clapping. But who cares. In this league, you can send a message to a fan of another team, and watch his/her own team with their mates no matter who you support. And a have cheap, wonderful time doing it.

"The general intermingling with away fans at most grounds is also quite a nice aspect," he continues, before delivering another example of football in Liverpool. "Back home, the match-going experience is much more intense and focused. I'd say when I am at Goodison I am part of the flow of history, I can imagine my great-grandfather in that same stadium almost a century before, but in the K2 it feels like we are making history, and the fans of various clubs are doing it together."

Like many others,Lucas goes straight for the safety aspect. "The atmosphere is much more familial and we quickly feel at ease. Fans are passionate and loud but rarely violent. It also feels like we're more involved because it's very easy to meet the players or the staff and talk to them!" Following Lucas' X account, that last part is true. The great Ri Yong-jik, Anyang's Japanese-born North Korean midfielder, is just one Violet Lucas has met this season.

Personally speaking, I think the cheerleaders can be done away with. Not every club relies on them and the atmosphere is arguably better for their absence. For me, being able to drink at your seat is one of the key differences. There is a rivalry. There are hated teams. But everyone can enjoy an ice-cold can of beer on the hottest of summer days. And, for the most part, you'll be treated like an adult, and not a monster.

On the topic of a unique experience,Joe has something different to tell, but no less interesting. Our talking points above are positive but he believes something is lacking from a K League ground. The "makeup of the crowd is something that I love and hate. There seems a much higher percentage of young families in the crowds – mum, dad, kids essentially having a picnic at a game of football." Whilst many would celebrate this as a major positive, Joe believes "it removes the tribal element of supporting a team."

Would abolition kill the game?

WouldPaul go on strike if beer was abolished? Would he set up J League United and move to Osaka? "Not at all," he opines, contradicting my view below. "I prefer not to drink, so I can concentrate on the game."

Gabi is a content creator now, and to be successful, one probably needs to refrain from alcohol at the game. That wasn't his main reason for going sober at the stadium, however. "I quit drinking a year and a half ago as I drank every time I watched football and I watched a lot of football. I also mastered the art of going crazy and having fun without alcohol. It would only impact me if the people around me were too sober to sing."

Alcohol is far fromLuke's mind on match day so he swiftly bats away any suggestion abolition would harm his interest. "I tend not to drink during games unless we’re playing poorly. While it’s nice that people who want to can, I don’t think it affects my enjoyment either way." It is a refreshing attitude, but I might be alone in thinking banning alcohol would have a detrimental effect. I'm a fan of pre and post-game beers, with one or two during 90 minutes. Perhaps finding a solution would make the occasion more memorable.

Lucas sides with his fellow fans on this topic. Alcohol, in Lucas' mind, would still be available in and around the stadium, so that outlawing beers during those 90 minutes would have little difference. "Most fans go to restaurants before the game or drink in the convenience stores around the stadiums. I honestly don't think banning drinking in the stadium would have a big impact on how we enjoy a game."

Thus far,I was surprised by how little alcohol means to our fans. It could impact enjoyment, it could be a health choice, or the game could be just as fun without a pint. Joe sided more with my point of view, claiming he doesn't "drink much at games, but the freedom to have a couple of beers is a definite attraction. With almost every match available on TV or coupang play, I might be less inclined to go along if they were to start implementing more restrictive rules."

"I think bringing in restrictions will push people out of attending and harm the league," claimsMike. The contrast with England emerges again, however, the situation there is dissimilar, and "there is a different type of community in terms of the under-the-stands culture." Mike believes the community aspect "would be lost" if a ban were to be introduced. "If it is about safety then a pot of ramen is far more dangerous than a beer for example. If it is about fans' behavior, then surely the rule would have to apply at baseball also."

K League in 3 words

Gabi: Potential. Entertaining. Exciting.

Luke: Fun. Friendly. (at times) Frustrating

Joe: Value for money

Paul: Lots of potential

Andrew: K League 2

Mike: It’s our place (technically 4 words, sorry!)

Lucas: Cheap, fun, and unpredictable

Contact details:

Mike Brandon

Instagram: ansanfsc

X: mikeogc

Andrew Farrell

instagram: groundhopkoreafc

X: 2_the_stadium

Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to Mike, Luke, Gabi, Paul, Joe, and Lucas for contributing to this article. Get out there, buy a ticket, meet these men and many like them, and enjoy football in Korea. The clubs mightn't have the history or tradition of your European giants, but it is fun, cheap, and safe. K League is a beautiful community.