Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma–Suwon Samsung Bluewings football rivalry was called Magyedaejeon (Korean: 마계대전) or Magye derby. K League stated in its official website that this match is one of classic football rivalries in the league.[1]
The match takes place between the two professional K League Classic teams in Seoul National Capital Area; Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
History
The rivalry started in 1996 and became more intense when Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma moved to Seongnam and became Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. As both clubs were enjoying success at the time, matches between those two were both fierce and tough. In addition, the fact that Seongnam and Suwon are less than 30 km away added intensity to the matches.
The rivalry became prominent in the mid-2000s after the name Magyedaejeon was dubbed to the game. The name "Magyedaejeon" derived from a graphic novel with the same title by a renowned Korean cartoonist Kim Sung-Mo.[2] Some fans came up with the idea to use the name for the match between Seongnam and Suwon because Magyedaejeon, which can be translated into the "Battle between Horse and Rooster," can be viewed an interesting symbolization of the game. Seongnam's mascot Chunma (Korean: 천마), which is Korean Pegasus, represents "Ma" (Korean: 마), which is horse, while "Gye" (Korean: 계), rooster, perfectly matches Suwon's name, "Bluewings."[3]
The name became popular after Schadarappa, a popular Korean football cartoonist famous for being a fervent Seongnam fan, frequently used the term in his cartoons.[4]
