2016 K League Classic
The 2016 K League Classic was the 34th season of the top division of South Korean professional football since its establishment in 1983, and the fourth season of the K League Classic.
Teams
Ulsan Hyundai
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The 2016 K League Classic was the 34th season of the top division of South Korean professional football since its establishment in 1983, and the fourth season of the K League Classic.
| Club | City/Province | Manager | Owner(s) | Other sponsor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwangju FC | Gwangju |  Nam Ki-il
|
Gwangju Government | |
Incheon United
|
Incheon | Lee Ki-hyung (caretaker)
|
Incheon Government | Shinhan Bank Incheon International Airport |
| Jeju United | Jeju
|
Jo Sung-hwan
|
SK Energy
|
|
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | Jeonbuk
|
Choi Kang-hee
|
Hyundai Motor Company | |
| Jeonnam Dragons | Jeonnam
|
Roh Sang-rae
|
POSCO | |
| Pohang Steelers | Gyeongbuk
|
Choi Jin-cheul
|
POSCO | |
Sangju Sangmu
|
Gyeongbuk
|
Cho Jin-ho
|
Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps | |
| Seongnam FC | Gyeonggi
|
Kim Hak-bum
|
Seongnam Government | |
| FC Seoul | Seoul | Choi Yong-soo
|
GS Group | |
| Suwon FC | Gyeonggi
|
Cho Duck-je
|
Suwon Government | |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | Gyeonggi
|
Seo Jung-won
|
Cheil Worldwide | Samsung Electronics Maeil Dairies Industry |
Ulsan Hyundai
|
Ulsan | Yoon Jung-hwan
|
Hyundai Heavy Industries
|
| Gwangju FC | Incheon United
|
Jeju United | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | Jeonnam Dragons | Pohang Steelers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwangju World Cup Stadium | Incheon Football Stadium | Jeju World Cup Stadium | Jeonju World Cup Stadium | Gwangyang Football Stadium | Pohang Steel Yard |
| Capacity: 40,245 | Capacity: 20,891 | Capacity: 35,657 | Capacity: 42,477 | Capacity: 13,496 | Capacity: 17,443 |
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Sangju Sangmu
|
Seongnam FC | FC Seoul | Suwon FC | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
Ulsan Hyundai
|
| Sangju Civic Stadium | Tancheon Stadium | Seoul World Cup Stadium | Suwon Sports Complex | Suwon World Cup Stadium | Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium |
| Capacity: 15,042 | Capacity: 16,146 | Capacity: 66,704 | Capacity: 11,808 | Capacity: 44,031 | Capacity: 44,102 |
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| Team | Outgoing | Manner | Date | Incoming | Date | Table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pohang Steelers | Hwang Sun-hong
|
End of contract | 30 November 2015 | Choi Jin-cheul
|
30 November 2015 | Pre-season |
Sangju Sangmu
|
Park Hang-seo
|
End of contract | 11 December 2015 | Cho Jin-ho
|
17 December 2015 | |
| FC Seoul | Choi Yong-soo
|
Resigned | 21 June 2016 | Kim Seong-jae (caretaker)
|
21 June 2016 | 2nd |
| FC Seoul | Kim Seong-jae (caretaker)
|
Caretaker | 25 June 2016 | Hwang Sun-hong
|
26 June 2016 | 2nd |
| Incheon United | Kim Do-hoon
|
Resigned | 31 August 2016 | Lee Ki-hyung (caretaker)
|
31 August 2016 | 12th |
| Pohang Steelers | Choi Jin-cheul
|
Resigned | 24 September 2016 | Choi Soon-ho
|
26 September 2016 | 9th |
Jeju United
|
Jo Sung-hwan
|
Assigned as assistant | 14 October 2016 | Kim In-soo
|
14 October 2016 | 3rd |
| Jeonnam Dragons | Roh Sang-rae
|
Assigned as assistant | 14 October 2016 | Song Kyung-sub
|
14 October 2016 | 5th |
Restricting the number of foreign players strictly to four per team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries. A team could use four foreign players on the field each game including a least one player from the AFC confederation. Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
| Club | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Asian player | Former players |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwangju FC |  Olivier Bonnes
|
 Tomoki Wada
|
 Fábio Neves Wellington
| ||
Incheon United
|
 Kevin Oris
|
 Matej Jonjić
|
 Krste Velkoski
|
 Lương Xuân Trường
|
|
Jeju United
|
Henan
|
Marcelo Toscano
|
Wanderson Carvalho
|
Fernando Karanga Moisés
| |
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | Edu
|
Leonardo
|
Ricardo Lopes
|
 Erik Paartalu Luiz Henrique
| |
| Jeonnam Dragons | Jair
|
Maurinho
|
Vedran Jugović
|
Tomislav Mrčela
|
Mislav Oršić Stevica Ristić
|
| Pohang Steelers | Lulinha
|
Muralha
|
 Lazar Veselinović
|
Ali Abbas
| |
| Seongnam FC | Pitu
|
Silvinho
|
Tiago Alves
| ||
| FC Seoul | Adriano
|
 Dejan Damjanović
|
 Osmar
|
Yojiro Takahagi
| |
| Suwon FC | Bruce Djite
|
Vladan Adžić
|
Jaime Gavilán
|
Adrian Leijer
|
Marvin Ogunjimi
|
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | Johnathan
|
Júnior Santos
|
 Romeo Castelen
|
Hygor
| |
Ulsan Hyundai
|
Célio Santos
|
Ivan Kovačec
|
 Frédéric Mendy
|
Chikashi Masuda
|
Bernardo
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Seoul (C) | 38 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 67 | 46 | +21 | 70 | Qualification for Champions League group stage |
| 2 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors[a] | 38 | 20 | 16 | 2 | 71 | 40 | +31 | 67 | |
| 3 | Jeju United | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 71 | 57 | +14 | 59 | Qualification for Champions League group stage |
| 4 | Ulsan Hyundai
|
38 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 41 | 47 | −6 | 54 | Qualification for Champions League play-off round |
| 5 | Jeonnam Dragons | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 44 | 53 | −9 | 47 | |
| 6 | Sangju Sangmu
|
38 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 54 | 65 | −11 | 43 | |
| 7 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 38 | 10 | 18 | 10 | 56 | 59 | −3 | 48 | Qualification for Champions League group stage[b] |
| 8 | Gwangju FC | 38 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 41 | 45 | −4 | 47 | |
| 9 | Pohang Steelers | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 43 | 46 | −3 | 46 | |
| 10 | Incheon United | 38 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 43 | 51 | −8 | 45 | |
| 11 | Seongnam FC (R) | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 47 | 51 | −4 | 43 | Qualification for relegation play-offs |
| 12 | Suwon FC (R) | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 40 | 58 | −18 | 39 | Relegation to K League Challenge |
Leaders
Qualification for Champions League
Qualification for relegation play-offs
Relegation to K League Challenge
| Team ╲ Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sangju Sangmu | 2 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Seongnam FC | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Pohang Steelers | 5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Gwangju FC | 5 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 11 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Incheon United | 9 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Suwon FC | 7 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Team ╲ Round | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sangju Sangmu | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Gwangju FC | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Pohang Steelers | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Incheon United | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| Seongnam FC | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 |
| Suwon FC | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Teams play each other twice, once at home, once away.
| Home \ Away | GWJ | ICU | JJU | JHM
|
JND | PHS | SJS
|
SEN | SEO | SUW | SSB | USH
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwangju FC | — | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| Incheon United | 0–1 | — | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 |
| Jeju United | 3–2 | 3–1 | — | 1–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
|
3–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | — | 2–1 | 3–0 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 |
| Jeonnam Dragons | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | — | 0–0 | 3–4 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 3–1 |
| Pohang Steelers | 3–3 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | — | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 |
Sangju Sangmu
|
0–4 | 4–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | — | 2–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 |
| Seongnam FC | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–3 | — | 2–3 | 1–2 | 2–0
|
0–1 |
| FC Seoul | 3–2 | 3–1 | 3–4 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 1–3 | — | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 |
| Suwon FC | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–5 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–3 | — | 1–2 | 1–1 |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2
|
1–1 | 1–0 | — | 2–4 |
Ulsan Hyundai
|
3–2 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | — |
Teams play every other team once (either at home or away).
| Home \ Away | GWJ | ICU | JJU | JHM
|
JND | PHS | SJS
|
SEN | SEO | SUW | SSB | USH
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwangju FC | — | 1–1 | — | 1–1 | — | — | 1–0 | — | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | — |
| Incheon United | — | — | 0–1 | 1–3 | — | — | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | — | 2–2 | — |
| Jeju United | 1–2 | — | — | 2–2 | — | 3–0 | — | 1–0 | — | — | — | 1–1 |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
|
— | — | — | — | 2–2 | — | — | 1–0 | — | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Jeonnam Dragons | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–2 | — | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | — | 1–4 | — | — | — |
| Pohang Steelers | 1–0 | 0–1 | — | 0–0 | — | — | 1–0 | — | — | 2–3 | — | — |
Sangju Sangmu
|
— | — | 1–5 | 1–1 | — | — | — | 2–2 | 1–2 | — | 1–1 | — |
| Seongnam FC | 0–1 | — | — | — | 2–0 | 1–4 | — | — | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–2
|
— |
| FC Seoul | — | — | 0–0 | 1–3 | — | 2–0 | — | — | — | — | 1–0 | 2–2 |
| Suwon FC | — | 2–0 | 5–3 | — | 0–0 | — | 0–2 | — | 0–1 | — | — | 1–2 |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | — | — | 5–3 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | — | — | 4–5 | — | 0–0 |
Ulsan Hyundai
|
1–1 | 2–3 | — | — | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 2–1 | — | — | — | — |
After 33 matches, the league splits into two sections of six teams each, with teams playing every other team in their section once (either at home or away). The exact matches are determined upon the league table at the time of the split.
Group A
Source: K League Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win. |
Group B
Source: K League Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
|
The promotion-relegation play-offs were held between the winners of the 2016 K League Challenge play-offs and the 11th-placed club of the 2016 K League Classic. The winner on aggregate score after both matches earned entry into the 2017 K League Classic.
| Seongnam FC | 1–1 | Gangwon FC |
|---|---|---|
Hwang Jin-sung  77' |
Han Seok-jong 42' |
1–1 on aggregate. Gangwon FC won on away goals and were promoted to the K League Classic, while Seongnam FC were relegated to the K League Challenge.
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jung Jo-gook
|
Gwangju FC | 20 |
| 2 | Adriano
|
FC Seoul | 17 |
| 3 | Tiago Alves
|
Seongnam FC | 13 |
Yang Dong-hyun
|
Pohang Steelers | ||
Ricardo Lopes
|
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | ||
| Dejan Damjanović
|
FC Seoul | ||
| 7 | Lee Dong-gook
|
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 12 |
Júnior Santos
|
Suwon Samsung Bluewings | ||
Leonardo
|
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | ||
| 10 | Marcelo Toscano
|
Jeju United
|
11 |
| Rank | Player | Club | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yeom Ki-hun
|
Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 15 |
| 2 | Lee Jae-sung
|
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 11 |
| 3 | Kevin Oris
|
Incheon United
|
10 |
| 4 | Ivan Kovačec
|
Ulsan Hyundai
|
9 |
| Marcelo Toscano
|
Jeju United | ||
| 6 | Sin Jin-ho
|
Sangju Sangmu
|
8 |
| Park Gi-dong
|
Sangju Sangmu
Jeonnam Dragons | ||
| Kim Min-hyeok
|
Gwangju FC | ||
| Kwon Soon-hyung
|
Jeju United | ||
| 10 | Yun Il-lok
|
FC Seoul | 7 |
| Kim Bo-kyung
|
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | ||
Pitu
|
Seongnam FC |
The 2016 K League Awards was held on 8 November 2016.
| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
Most Valuable Player
|
Jung Jo-gook
|
Gwangju FC |
| Top goalscorer | Jung Jo-gook
|
Gwangju FC |
Top assist provider
|
Yeom Ki-hun
|
Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
Young Player of the Year
|
Ahn Hyun-beom
|
Jeju United
|
FANtastic Player
|
Leonardo
|
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
| Manager of the Year | Hwang Sun-hong
|
FC Seoul |
| Fair Play Award | Jeju United | |
Source:[3]
| Position | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Kwon Sun-tae
|
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
| Defenders | Chung Woon
|
Jeju United
|
| Osmar
|
FC Seoul | |
| Matej Jonjić
|
Incheon United
| |
| Ko Kwang-min
|
FC Seoul | |
| Midfielders | Leonardo
|
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
Lee Jae-sung
|
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | |
| Kwon Chang-hoon
|
Suwon Samsung Bluewings | |
Ricardo Lopes
|
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | |
| Forwards | Jung Jo-gook
|
Gwangju FC |
Adriano
|
FC Seoul |
Source:[3]
| Month | Manager | Club | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| March/April | Choi Yong-soo
|
FC Seoul | K League Classic
|
| May | Nam Ki-il
|
Gwangju FC | K League Classic
|
| June | Lee Heung-sil
|
Ansan Mugunghwa
|
K League Challenge
|
| July | Choi Kang-hee
|
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | K League Classic
|
| August | Choi Young-jun
|
Busan IPark | K League Challenge
|
| September | Choi Yun-kyum
|
Gangwon FC | K League Challenge
|
| October | Hwang Sun-hong
|
FC Seoul | K League Classic
|
Attendants who entered with free ticket are not counted.
| Pos | Team | Total | High | Low | Average | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Seoul | 342,134 | 47,889 | 5,011 | 18,007 | +4.9%† |
| 2 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
|
318,921 | 33,706 | 8,022 | 16,785 | −3.6%† |
| 3 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 202,214 | 28,109 | 4,042 | 10,643 | −19.3%† |
| 4 | Ulsan Hyundai
|
166,132 | 20,239 | 3,074 | 8,744 | +39.3%† |
| 5 | Pohang Steelers | 145,937 | 16,509 | 3,711 | 7,681 | −16.9%† |
| 6 | Seongnam FC | 127,860 | 14,504 | 2,968 | 6,729 | +18.8%† |
| 7 | Incheon United | 121,068 | 14,246 | 2,829 | 6,053 | +24.5%† |
| 8 | Jeju United | 108,208 | 15,341 | 1,850 | 5,695 | −12.9%† |
| 9 | Suwon FC | 83,345 | 12,825 | 1,512 | 4,387 | +223.8%† |
| 10 | Jeonnam Dragons | 78,169 | 12,808 | 1,245 | 4,114 | −5.1%† |
| 11 | Gwangju FC | 66,031 | 10,638 | 926 | 3,475 | +58.8%† |
| 12 | Sangju Sangmu
|
34,976 | 4,783 | 923 | 1,943 | +57.3%† |
| League total | 1,794,995 | 47,889 | 923 | 7,873 | +2.0%† |
Updated to games played on 6 November 2016
Source: K League
Notes:
† Teams that played previous season in K League Challenge.
| Rank | Date | Round | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 June 2016 | 15 | FC Seoul | 1–1 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | Seoul World Cup Stadium | 47,899 |
| 2 | 13 August 2016 | 25 | FC Seoul | 1–0 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | Seoul World Cup Stadium | 36,309 |
| 3 | 6 November 2016 | 38 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 0–1 | FC Seoul | Jeonju World Cup Stadium | 33,706 |
| 4 | 12 March 2016 | 1 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 1–0 | FC Seoul | Jeonju World Cup Stadium | 32,695 |
| 5 | 30 April 2016 | 8 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 1–1 | FC Seoul | Suwon World Cup Stadium | 28,109 |
| 6 | 20 March 2016 | 2 | FC Seoul | 4–0 | Sangju Sangmu |
Seoul World Cup Stadium | 25,950 |
| 7 | 28 August 2016 | 28 | FC Seoul | 1–3 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | Seoul World Cup Stadium | 24,508 |
| 8 | 24 July 2016 | 22 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2–1 | Ulsan Hyundai |
Jeonju World Cup Stadium | 21,437 |
| 9 | 10 August 2016 | 24 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2–1 | Suwon FC | Jeonju World Cup Stadium | 21,071 |
| 10 | 27 August 2016 | 28 | Ulsan Hyundai |
1–1 | Gwangju FC | Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium | 20,239 |
| National teams | |
|---|---|
| Leagues | |
| Domestic cups | |
| International cups | |
| Club seasons | |
| Domestic leagues |
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|---|---|
| Domestic cups |
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| League cups |
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| Super Cups | |
| Regional club competitions |
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| AFC club competitions | |
| National team competitions |
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