Goyang KB Kookmin Bank Football Club () was a South Korean football club based in the Seoul satellite city of Goyang. It played in the National League, the third tier of Korean football. The club was officially dissolved in November 2012.
K-League Membership Kookmin Bank FC was founded in September 1969 and competed in the various amateur football competitions at the time. The club enjoyed success in tournaments such as the Korea Semi-Professional Football League (winners in 1978) and the President's Cup (winners in 1978 and 1983) before becoming founder members of the K League, the professional football league in South Korea, in 1983.
The club's stay in the professional ranks was a short one, as it finished 5th out of five teams in the first year. When it came in 8th out of eight teams in 1984, the decision was made for the club to return to the amateur ranks.
After the K-League Upon returning to the amateur ranks, the club returned to winning ways and managed President's Cup triumphs in 1986, 1990 and 1995. It also won the 3rd edition of the Industrial Amateur Football championship in 1993, a tournament they would win again in 1996.
The financial crisis that struck South Korea in 1997 saw the club temporarily wound up, with the official decision to pull the plug on the team coming on December 31, 1997. After two years out of the game, Kookmin Bank reconstituted its club on February 28, 2000, and the team returned to the amateur ranks, eventually winning a sixth President's Cup crown in 2003.
Life at K2 Level Organised league football at the amateur level came about in 2003 with the establishment of the National League, a competition with ten members, of which Kookmin Bank was one. Initially based in Gimpo, the club won the first stage of the 2003 championship and then moved its home base to Goyang and the team's name was changed to Goyang Kookmin Bank for the second stage where they finished runners-up on goal difference. They defeated the reserve team of military side Sangmu 5–4 on aggregate in the playoff final to win the league. They retained their championship crown in 2004 with a 4–1 aggregate win over Gangneung City FC after having again won the first stage of the league season.
Despite a lacklustre 2005 season, the club bounced back to win the 2006 championship (now rebranded the National League), triumphing 2–1 on aggregate in the final after winning the first stage of the season.
Promotion Controversy It was planned that, subject to meeting certain financial requirements, the winner of the National League in 2006 would be promoted to the K League. However Goyang Kookmin Bank caused controversy by winning the league but declining to move up. Team owners Kookmin Bank cited a Korean law where banks in Korea were not allowed to be involved in profitable ventures outside of banking which of course a professional football team could be. However, the more likely reason is the large financial losses that most K League teams endure each year as the league struggles for sponsorship money and suffers through low crowd numbers. On top of that, any National League champion seeking promotion from the second tier is required to pay an 'entry fee' of around 2 million US dollars simply to join the league. Goyang Kookmin Bank received several threats from the League ranging from being thrown out of the competition, to fines, to point deductions for the upcoming 2007 season. In the end, the side received a points deduction penalty, to be split into ten point deductions in the first and second stages of the 2007 season.
Current team squad
Honours
Domestic competitions
League National League Winners (3): 2003, 2004, 2006 Runners-up (2): 2011, 2012
Cups National League Championship Winners (1): 2009 Runners-up (1): 2007 National Football Championship Winners (1): 1978 President's Cup Winners (6): 1973, 1983, 1986, 1990, 1995, 2003 Runners-up (4): 1982, 1988, 1991, 2005
Statistics SeasonK-LeagueFA CupLeague CupTop scorer (League goals)Manager Stage Teams Position1983Single Stage51632111130–1985thNoneNone Lim Seok-Hyun (3) Kim Su-gil (3) Season Stage Teams Position FA Cup League Cup Top scorer Manager1984First Stage81412291225–13208thNoneNone 6 players (3)Second Stage81424081533–18148th1985-95NoneNoneNone1996Round 11997-99On Hiatus2000NoneRound 1None2001Round 12002did not qualifySeasonKorea National LeagueFA CupLeague CupTop scorer (League goals)Manager Stage Teams Position2003First Stage109621146+8201stRound of 16None Ko Min-gi (8)Second Stage109540135+8192ndPlayoff2211054+14Champion2004First Stage109720175+12231stRound of 16Semifinal Kim Dong-min (6) Lee Woo-hyungSecond Stage10933398+1124thPlayoff2220041+36Champion2005First Stage1110622156+9203rdQuarterfinalGroup stage Choi Bae-sik (9) Second Stage1110433137+6153rd2006First Stage1110820268+18261stSemifinalQuarterfinal Ko Min-gi (7) Second Stage11104241210+2146thPlayoff2211020+24Champion2007First Stage1211722208+121316thRound of 16Runner-up Lim Jin-young (7) Second Stage12116232613+131019th2008First Stage14136342314+9216thSemifinalQuarterfinal Kim Hyun-gi (5) Kim Yo-han (5) Cha Jong-yoon (5)Second Stage141354412120197th2009First Stage14134451816+2168thRound of 16Winner Park Byung-won (7)Second Stage13125431715+2195th2010First Stage15147341912+7244thSemifinalQuarterfinal Lee Wan-hee (7) Second Stage15147432015+5255thPlayoff4100112–1Semifinal2011—142613853725+12472ndRound of 32Group stage Park Sung-jin (8)Playoff631114404Runner-up2012—1426151015120+31551stQuarterfinalSemifinalPlayoff6210124-23Runner-up 1: Goyang KB Kookmin Bank was docked 10 points due to rejecting of promotion.
See also List of football clubs in South Korea KB Kookmin Bank FC Anyang
External links Goyang KB page at the National League website