By Nam Hyun-woo
The 2015 K-League Classic champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC are at the top of the league in drawing supporters, posting the highest attendance this season.
The K-League organizers said that 28,460 people attended the Jeonju World Cup Stadium in North Jeolla Province, Saturday, when the champions hosted Seongnam FC in round 37 of the K-League Classic. They tied 1-1.
With the attendance, the aggregated number of spectators who visited the stadium over 19 games hosted by Jeonbuk this season was 330,858 (17,413 per game), the largest among the 23 K-League Classic and Challenge teams.
This is the first time that the K-League titan topped the crowd tally and the first time in 12 years that a club outside of Seoul and Gyeonggi Province drew the largest home crowd in a season. In 2003, Daejeon Citizen drew the most home supporters at 418,794 (19,082 per game).
Jeonbuk, who won their second consecutive K-League Classic before taking on Seongnam, hoisted the trophy after Saturday’s match.
On Sunday, Suwon Samsung Bluewings rallied past Pohang Steelers 2-1 to retake runner-up position, while Sangju Sangmu of the second-division K-League Challenge confirmed its promotion to the top-flight Classic league.
Pohang announced Monday that it had appointed U-17 national team coach Choi Jin-cheol to succeed Hwang Seon-hong. In October, Choi led Korea to the Round of 16 at the U-17 Chile World Cup, after beating Brazil in the group stage.