Three decades since its launch in 1983, the K League is reaching another milestone this year with the Korea Republic top flight divided into two divisions from this season. The first division, named the K League Classic, will feature 14 clubs that survived last season while the second division, the K League, will see eight sides including the two relegated teams from last season vying for a chance to get promoted in December. A record 22 professional clubs are competing on two tiers this year.For all these complications, the watchword for the recent changes is simply downsizing. The number of participating teams has grown from five in the inaugural season to ten in 1997 and then to 16 two years ago, when the league officials decided to introduce the split system from the 2012 season.As the result, Sangju Sangmu and Gwangju FC were relegated from the first division last year after the two clubs finished on the bottom among the lower half group. The story will be more or less the same this season: The 14 participants will be split into two groups of seven according to the standings from the regular rounds in September, when the aims of the participating teams will be divided as well: to win the championship or to avoid relegation.There is an added twist to the relegation battle this season though. While the bottom two sides will be automatically relegated, the 12th-placed team (i.e. the bottom third team of the lower half) will have to play-off against the champions of the K League for the right to stay in the top flight.
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