K League
 | |
| Organising body | Korea Football Association (1983–1986) K League Federation (1987–1988) Korea Football Association (1989–1994) K League Federation (1994–present) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1983 |
| Country | South Korea |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Divisions | K League 1 K League 2 |
| Number of teams | 23 |
| Level on pyramid | 1–2 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Korean FA Cup |
| International cup(s) | AFC Champions League |
| Current champions | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (9th title) |
| Most championships | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (9 titles) |
| TV partners | JTBC Golf&Sports Sky Sports (South Korea) |
| Website | kleague.com |
K League (Hangul: K리그) is South Korea's professional football league. It includes first division K League 1 and second division K League 2.[1][2]
History[]
Until the 1970s, South Korean football operated two major football leagues, the National Semi-professional Football League and the , but these were not professional leagues in which footballers can focus on only football. In 1979, however, the Korea Football Association (KFA)'s president Choi Soon-young planned to found a pro football league,[3] and made the first pro club Hallelujah FC the next year.[4] After the South Korean pro baseball league KBO League was founded in 1982, the KFA was aware of crisis about the popularity of football.[5] In 1983, it urgently made the Korean Super League with two pro clubs (Hallelujah FC, Yukong Elephants) and three semi-pro clubs (Pohang Steelworks, Daewoo Royals, Kookmin Bank) to professionalize South Korean football. Then the Super League accomplished its purpose after existing clubs were also converted into pro clubs (Pohang, Daewoo), or new pro clubs joined the league. In the early years, it also showed a promotion system by giving qualifications to the Semi-professional League winners. (Hanil Bank in 1984, Sangmu FC in 1985)
However, the number of spectators was consistently decreased despite KFA's effort, so the pro league, renamed as the Korean Professional Football League, operated home and away system to interest fans since 1987.[6] On 30 July 1994, the Professional League Committee under KFA was independent of the association, and renamed as the "Korean Professional Football Federation". In 1996, South Korean government and the Football Federation introduced a decentralization policy to proliferate the popularity of football nationally in preparation for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which they wanted to host. Several clubs located in the capital Seoul moved to other cities according to the new policy, but this was abolished after only three years and is regarded as a failed policy because it gave up the most populous city in South Korea. In 1998, the league was renamed again as current K League.[7]
It had the current format by abolishing the K League Championship and the Korean League Cup after the 2011 season, and being split into two divisions in 2013. The first division's name was K League Classic, the second division's name was K League Challenge and the comprehensive brand name was K League. The fact that both the first and second divisions had very similar names caused some degree of confusion and controversy.[8] Beginning with the 2018 season, the first division was renamed to K League 1 and the second division to K League 2.
On February 23, 2021, an OTT platform named "K League TV" officially began its service: born from a partnership between K League and their official relay operator abroad, Sportradar, the platform would guarantee access to users from almost the whole world (except for Korea), broadcast K League 1 and K League 2 matches in real time and host game highlights and interviews. K League TV also represented the first official portal to publish content about both the championships in English.[9]
Structure[]
Below the K League 1, there is the K League 2, and both form the K League as professional championships. Under them, there are two semi-professional leagues (K3 League, K4 League) and several amateur leagues, but their clubs cannot be promoted to K League.
However, since 2021 K League 1 and K League 2 teams have been allowed to create reserve teams set to play in the K4 League.[10]
Clubs[]
Current clubs[]
K League 1[]
![Gangwon FC (Chuncheon)[a]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Blue_pog.svg/8px-Blue_pog.svg.png "Gangwon FC (Chuncheon)[a]"){kind=small}
K League 2[]
All-time clubs[]
As of 2022, there have been a total of 33 member clubs in the history of the K League – those clubs are listed below with their current names (where applicable):
- K League's principle of official statistics is that final club succeeds to predecessor club's history and records.
- Clubs in italics no longer exist.
| # | Club (duration) | Owner(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | POSCO Dolphins[a] (1983–1984) POSCO Atoms (1985–1994) Pohang Atoms (1995–1996) Pohang Steelers (1997–present) |
POSCO |
| 2 | Hallelujah FC[b] (1983–1985) | Shindongah Group |
| 3 | Yukong Elephants (1983–1995) Bucheon Yukong (1996–1997) Bucheon SK (1997–2005) Jeju United (2006–present) |
SK Energy |
| 4 | Daewoo Royals[c] (1983–1995) Busan Daewoo Royals (1996–1999) Busan I'Cons (2000–2004) Busan IPark (2005–present) |
Daewoo (1983–1999) HDC Group (2000–present) |
| 5 | Kookmin Bank FC[d] (1983–1984) | Kookmin Bank |
| 6 | Hyundai Horang-i (1984–1995) Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (1996–2007) Ulsan Hyundai (2008–present) |
Hyundai Motor Company (1984–1997) Hyundai Heavy Industries (1998–present) |
| 7 | Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso (1984–1990) LG Cheetahs (1991–1995) Anyang LG Cheetahs (1996–2003) FC Seoul (2004–present) |
LG Group (1984–2004) GS Group (2004–present) |
| 8 | Hanil Bank FC (1984–1986) | Hanil Bank |
| 9[e] | Sangmu FC (1985) | Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps |
| 10 | Ilhwa Chunma (1989–1995) Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma (1996–1999) Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (2000–2013) Seongnam FC (2014–present) |
Ilwha Company (1989–2013) Seongnam Government (2014–present) |
| 11 | Chonbuk Buffalo (1994) | Bobae Soju |
| 12 | Jeonbuk Dinos (1995–1996) Jeonbuk Hyundai Dinos (1997–1999) Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2000–present) |
Hyundai Motor Company (1995–present) Hyunyang Company (1995–1999) |
| 13 | Jeonnam Dragons (1995–present) | POSCO |
| 14 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings (1996–present) | Samsung Electronics (1996–2014) Cheil Worldwide (2014–present) |
| 15 | Daejon Citizen (1997–2019) Daejeon Hana Citizen (2020–present) |
Dong Ah Group (1997–1998) Chungchong Bank (1997–1998) Dongyang Department Store (1997–1999) KyeRyong Construction Company (1997–2002) Daejeon Government (2003–2019) Hana Financial Group (2020–present) |
| 16[e] | Gwangju Sangmu (2003–2010) | Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps Gwangju Government |
| 17 | Daegu FC (2003–present) | Daegu Government |
| 18 | Incheon United (2004–present) | Incheon Government |
| 19 | Gyeongnam FC (2006–present) | Gyeongnam Provincial Government |
| 20 | Gangwon FC (2009–present) | Gangwon Provincial Government |
| 21[e] | Sangju Sangmu (2011–2020) | Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps Sangju Government |
| 22 | Gwangju FC (2011–present) | Gwangju Government |
| 23[f] | Police FC (2013) Ansan Police (2014–2015) Ansan Mugunghwa (2016) |
KNP Sports Club Ansan Government (2014–2016) |
| 24 | Goyang Hi FC[g] (2013–2015) Goyang Zaicro (2016) |
|
| 25 | Chungju Hummel[h] (2013–2016) | Hummel Korea |
| 26 | Suwon FC[i] (2013–present) | Suwon Government |
| 27 | Bucheon FC 1995 (2013–present) | Bucheon Government |
| 28 | FC Anyang (2013–present) | Anyang Government |
| 29 | Seoul E-Land (2015–present) | E-Land Group |
| 30[f] | Asan Mugunghwa (2017–2019) | KNP Sports Club Asan Government |
| 31 | Ansan Greeners (2017–present) | Ansan Government |
| 32 | Chungnam Asan (2020–present) | Asan Government Chungnam Provincial Government |
| 33[e] | Gimcheon Sangmu (2021–present) | Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps Gimcheon Government |
| 34 | Gimpo FC[j] (2022–present) | Gimpo Government |
- ^ Founded as a semi-professional club "POSCO FC" on 1 April 1973.
- ^ Founded as a semi-professional club on 20 December 1980
- ^ Founded as a semi-professional club "Saehan Motors FC" on 22 November 1979
- ^ Founded as a semi-professional club on 29 September 1969
- ^ a b c d Sangmu, Gwangju Sangmu, Sangju Sangmu, and Gimcheon Sangmu are separate legal entities according to the K League Federation
- ^ a b Ansan Mugunghwa, and Asan Mugunghwa are separate legal entities according to the K League Federation
- ^ Founded as a semi-professional club "Hallelujah FC" on 3 April 1999
- ^ Founded as a semi-professional club "Hummel FC" on 9 December 1999
- ^ Founded as a semi-professional club "Suwon City FC" on 15 March 2003
- ^ Founded as a semi-professional club "Gimpo Citizen FC" on 29 January 2013
Champions[]
Promotion-relegation playoffs[]
The K League promotion-relegation playoffs were introduced in 2013 and are contested between the 11th-placed team of the K League 1 and the runners-up of the K League 2. The first leg is always played at the second division team's home ground, while the second leg is played at the first division team's home ground.
| Season | K League 1 | Aggregate | K League 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Gangwon FC | 2–4 | Sangju Sangmu | 1–4 | 1–0 |
| 2014 | Gyeongnam FC | 2–4 | Gwangju FC | 1–3 | 1–1 |
| 2015 | Busan IPark | 0–3 | Suwon FC | 0–1 | 0–2 |
| 2016 | Seongnam FC | 1–1 (a) | Gangwon FC | 0–0 | 1–1 |
| 2017 | Sangju Sangmu | 1–1 (5–4 p) | Busan IPark | 1–0 | 0–1 (a.e.t.) |
| 2018 | FC Seoul | 4–2 | Busan IPark | 3–1 | 1–1 |
| 2019 | Gyeongnam FC | 0–2 | Busan IPark | 0–0 | 0–2 |
| 2020 | No promotion-relegation playoffs were played.[a] | ||||
| 2021 | Gangwon FC | 4-2 | Daejeon Hana Citizen | 0-1 | 4-1 |
- ^ Two K League 1 teams were relegated, so runners-up of the K League 2 were directly promoted in this year.
Records and statistics[]
K League officially includes records of K League 1, K League 2 and Korean League Cup in its statistics.
- As of 25 November 2020[11]
| Category | Record holder | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances |  Kim Byung-ji
|
706 |
| Goals | Lee Dong-gook
|
228 |
| Assists | Yeom Ki-hun
|
110 |
| Offense points[a] | Lee Dong-gook
|
305 |
| Clean sheets | Kim Byung-ji
|
229 |
| Longest goal | Kwon Jung-hyuk
|
85 m |
| Fastest goal | Bang Seung-hwan
|
00:11 |
| Fastest assist | Lee Jae-sung
|
00:18 |
- ^ The sum of goals and assists
Restriction of foreign players[]
At the inception of the K League in 1983, only two Brazilian players made rosters. At the time, rules allowed each club to have three foreign players and that the three could also play simultaneously in a game. From the 1996 season, each team had five foreign players among whom three could play in a game at the same time. Since 1999, foreign goalkeepers are banned from the league because South Korean clubs excessively employed foreign goalkeepers after watching Valeri Sarychev's performances at that time.[12] In 2001 and 2002, the limit on foreign players was expanded seven but only three could play in a game at the same time. The limit was lower to five in 2003, four in 2005, and three in 2007. Since 2009, the number of foreign players went back up to four per team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries. Since 2020, Southeast Asian players can be registered under the ASEAN Quota.[13]
| Season | Lineup | Squad | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983–1993 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1994 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1995 | 3 | 3 | |
| 1996–2000 | 3 | 5 | The number of foreign goalkeepers' appearances was limited in 1997 and 1998, and their employment is being banned since 1999.
|
| 2001–2002 | 3 | 7 | Temporary operation due to frequent call-ups of the World Cup team. |
| 2003–2004 | 3 | 5 | |
| 2005 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2006–2008 | 3 | 3 | |
| 2009–2019 | 3+1 | 3+1 | +1 AFC player |
| 2020–present | 3+1+1 | 3+1+1 | +1 AFC player +1 Southeast Asian player |
Relocation of clubs[]
In early years, the hometowns of K League clubs were determined,[14] but they were pointless in substance because the clubs played all K League matches by going around all stadiums together. The current home and away system is being operated since 1987. The clubs were relocated from provinces to cities in 1990, but clubs are currently based in their area regardless of province and city since 1994. In 1996, the decentralization policy was operated. In result 3 clubs based in Seoul were relocated. Since 1996, It was obligatory for all clubs to include hometown name in their club name.
| Club | National tour system (1983–1986) | Home and away system (1987–present) |
|---|---|---|
| Pohang Steelers | Daegu–Gyeongbuk (1983) | Daegu–Gyeongbuk → Pohang (1988[a]) |
| Jeju United | Seoul–Incheon–Gyeonggi (1983) → Seoul (1984) | Seoul → Incheon–Gyeonggi (1987) → Seoul (1991) → Bucheon (2001[b]) → Jeju (2006) |
| Busan IPark | Busan–Gyeongnam (1983) | Busan–Gyeongnam → Busan (1989[c]) |
| Ulsan Hyundai | Incheon–Gyeonggi (1984) → Incheon–Gyeonggi–Gangwon (1986) | Gangwon (1987) → Ulsan (1990) |
| FC Seoul | Chungnam–Chungbuk (1984) | Chungnam–Chungbuk → Seoul (1990) → Anyang (1996) → Seoul (2004) |
| Seongnam FC | N/A | Seoul (1989) → Cheonan (1996) → Seongnam (2000) |
| Gimcheon Sangmu[d] | N/A | Gwangju (2003) → Sangju (2011) → Gimcheon (2021) |
| Asan Mugunghwa[e] | N/A | Unlocated[f] (2013) → Ansan (2014) → Asan (2017) |
- ^ K League officially introduced the relocation policy to cities in 1990, but POSCO Atoms already followed it in 1988.
- ^ Bucheon Yukong decided Bucheon as its new city in 1996, but it played its home matches at Mokdong Stadium located in Mok-dong, Seoul until 2000, because Bucheon Stadium was under construction during that time.
- ^ K League officially introduced the relocation policy to cities in 1990, but Daewoo Royals already followed it in 1989.
- ^ Gwangju Sangmu, Sangju Sangmu, and Gimcheon Sangmu are separate legal entities by K League. Officially, not relocated and founded as a new club.
- ^ Police FC, Ansan Police, and Asan Mugunghwa are separate legal entities by K League. Officially, not relocated and re-founded as a new civil club, named Chungnam Asan, in 2019.
- ^ Played all matches at away stadiums
Awards[]
- K League MVP Award
- K League Top Scorer Award
- K League Top Assists Award
- K League Young Player of the Year
- K League Manager of the Year
- K League Best XI
- K League FANtastic Player
Sponsorship[]
| Season | Sponsor | League name |
|---|---|---|
| 1983–1993 | ||
| 1994–1995 | Hite | 94 Hite Cup Korean League 95 Hite Cup Korean League |
| 1996–1997 | Rapido | 96 Rapido Cup Professional Football League 97 Rapido Cup Professional Football League |
| 1998 | Hyundai Group | 98 Hyundai Cup K-League |
| 1999 | Hyundai Securities | 99 Buy Korea Cup K-League |
| 2000 | Samsung Electronics | 2000 Samsung DigiTall K-League |
| 2001 | POSCO | 2001 POSCO K-League |
| 2002 | Samsung Electronics | 2002 Samsung PAVV K-League |
| 2003–2008 | Samsung Hauzen K-League 2003–2008 | |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | Hyundai Motor Company | Sonata K League 2010 |
| 2011–2016 | Hyundai Oilbank | Hyundai Oilbank K League 2011–2012 Hyundai Oilbank K League Classic 2013–2016 Hyundai Oilbank K League Challenge 2013–2016 |
| 2017–present | KEB Hana Bank | KEB Hana Bank K League Classic 2017 KEB Hana Bank K League Challenge 2017 KEB Hana Bank K League 1 2018 KEB Hana Bank K League 2 2018 Hana 1Q K League 1 2019-2021 Hana 1Q K League 2 2019-2021 |
See also[]
- Football in South Korea
- K League 1
- K League 2
- K League Championship
- Korean League Cup
- K League All-Star Game
- Korean FA Cup
- Korean Super Cup
- South Korean football league system
- R League
References[]
- ^ "In search of Korea's disappearing Red Devils". Korea JoongAng Daily. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
- ^ "South Korean Teams Fight for Attention at Home". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
- ^ "崔蹴協회장 후원회는 法人등록 北韓·中共과도 교류". Naver.com (in Korean). Kyunghyang. 31 January 1979. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
- ^ 韓國球界 「프로時代」올것인가 「할렐루야」蹴球團 10월 창단을 계기로 본 「難題」속의 期待‥‥그展望과문제점. Naver.com (in Korean). The Chosun Ilbo. 18 April 1980. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
- ^ Kim, Deok-gi (16 January 2013). [김덕기의 프로축구 10950] 슈퍼리그, 1983년 5월8일 팡파르. Naver.com (in Korean). Sportalkorea. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
- ^ 프로蹴球 명예回復 선언. Naver.com (in Korean). Kyunghyang. 24 February 1987. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
- ^ 서울 연고 이랜드프로축구단 출범…FC서울과 '투톱'. Naver.com (in Korean). Korea Economic Daily. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
- ^ 위원석의 하프타임 'K리그'에 새로운 이름을 붙여주자 (in Korean). Sports Seoul. 19 February 2013. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013.
- ^ "K League OTT Platform Launched for Overseas Fans - K LEAGUE / K리그". www.kleague.com. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "K3·K4리그 대표자회의 개최...3월 7일 개막". www.kfa.or.kr. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ "K League Data Portal" (in Korean). K League. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ [원투펀치 328회 2부] K리그 역대 베스트 키퍼 Top7. TV.Kakao.com (in Korean). Daum. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ "News: K League to Introduce ASEAN Quota in 2020". K League United. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ^ K League history - 1983 season (in Korean). K League. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
External links[]
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