K League


K League is South Korea's professional football league. It includes the first division K League 1 and the second division K League 2. Clubs competing in the K League have won a record total of twelve AFC Champions League titles, the top continental competition for Asian clubs.

History

Until the 1970s, South Korean football operated two major football leagues, the National Semi-professional Football League and the National University Football League, but these were not professional leagues, and footballers could not focus solely on football. In 1979, however, the Korea Football Association president Choi Soon-young planned to establish a professional football league, and founded South Korea's first professional football club, Hallelujah FC, the following year. After the South Korean professional baseball league KBO League was founded in 1982, the KFA was aware of crisis about the popularity of football. In 1983, it urgently founded the Korean Super League with two professional clubs and three semi-professional clubs to professionalize South Korean football. Then, the Super League accomplished its purpose after existing clubs were also converted into professional clubs and new professional clubs joined the league. In its early years, it also used a promotion system by granting qualification to the semi-professional League winners.
However, the number of spectators consistently decreased despite KFA's effort, and so the professional league, renamed as the Korean Professional Football League, operated a home-and-away system to interest fans since 1987. 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, the 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.
The league adopted its 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 the K League Classic, and the second division's name was the K League Challenge at the time. The fact that both the first and the second divisions had very similar names caused some degree of confusion and controversy. Beginning with the 2018 season, both divisions were renamed the K League 1 and the K League 2 respectively.
In February 2021, an OTT service for international markets called K League TV was officially launched.

Structure

Below K League 1 is the second-tier K League 2, and both form the K League as professional championships. Under them, there are two semi-professional leagues and three amateur leagues. At present, promotion and relegation exists within each of the three levels but clubs from K3 and below cannot be promoted to the K League. However, the KFA has announced plans to combine the three promotion-relegation systems into one from 2027.
Since 2021, K League 1 and K League 2 teams have been permitted to field their reserve teams in the K4 League.

Clubs

Current clubs

K League 1

K League 2

All-time clubs

As of 2026, there have been a total of 40 member clubs in the history of the K League – those clubs are listed below with their current names :
  • 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.
No.ClubOwner
1POSCO Dolphins
POSCO Atoms
Pohang Atoms
Pohang Steelers 		POSCO
2Hallelujah FC
3Yukong Elephants
Bucheon Yukong
Bucheon SK
Jeju United
Jeju SK 		SK Energy
4Daewoo Royals
Busan Daewoo Royals
Busan I'Cons
Busan IPark 		Daewoo
HDC Group
5Kookmin Bank Kookmin Bank
6Hyundai Horang-i
Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i
Ulsan Hyundai
Ulsan HD 		Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai Heavy Industries
7Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso
LG Cheetahs
Anyang LG Cheetahs
FC Seoul 		LG Group
GS Group
8Hanil Bank FC Hanil Bank
9Sangmu FC Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps
10Ilhwa Chunma
Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
Seongnam FC 		Ilwha Company
Government of Seongnam
11Chonbuk Buffalo Bobae Soju
12Jeonbuk Dinos
Jeonbuk Hyundai Dinos
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 		Hyundai Motor Company
Hyunyang Company
13Jeonnam Dragons POSCO
14Suwon Samsung Bluewings Samsung Electronics
Cheil Worldwide
15Daejeon Citizen
Daejeon Hana Citizen 		Dong Ah Group
Chungchong Bank
Dongyang Department Store
Kyeryong Construction Company
Government of Daejeon
Hana Financial Group
16Gwangju Sangmu Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps
Government of Gwangju
17Daegu FC Government of Daegu
18Incheon United Government of Incheon
19Gyeongnam FC Government of Gyeongnam Province
20Gangwon FC Government of Gangwon Province
21Sangju Sangmu Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps
Government of Sangju
22Gwangju FC Government of Gwangju
23Police FC
Ansan Police
Ansan Mugunghwa 		KNP Sports Club
Government of Ansan
24Goyang Hi FC
Goyang Zaicro
25Chungju Hummel Hummel Korea
26Suwon FC Government of Suwon
27Bucheon FC 1995 Government of Bucheon
28FC Anyang Government of Anyang
29Seoul E-Land E-Land Group
30Asan Mugunghwa KNP Sports Club
Government of Asan
31Ansan Greeners Government of Ansan
32Chungnam Asan Government of Asan
Government of Chungnam Province
33Gimcheon Sangmu Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps
Government of Gimcheon
34Gimpo FC Government of Gimpo
35Cheonan City Government of Cheonan
36Chungbuk Cheongju Government of Cheongju
37Hwaseong FC Government of Hwaseong
38Gimhae FC 2008 Government of Gimhae
39Paju Frontier Government of Paju
40Yongin FC Government of Yongin

Champions

YearK League 1K League 2
1983Hallelujah FCNo second-tier
professional league
1984Daewoo RoyalsNo second-tier
professional league
1985Lucky-Goldstar HwangsoNo second-tier
professional league
1986POSCO AtomsNo second-tier
professional league
1987Daewoo RoyalsNo second-tier
professional league
1988POSCO AtomsNo second-tier
professional league
1989Yukong ElephantsNo second-tier
professional league
1990Lucky-Goldstar HwangsoNo second-tier
professional league
1991Daewoo RoyalsNo second-tier
professional league
1992POSCO AtomsNo second-tier
professional league
1993Ilhwa ChunmaNo second-tier
professional league
1994Ilhwa ChunmaNo second-tier
professional league
1995Ilhwa ChunmaNo second-tier
professional league
1996Ulsan Hyundai Horang-iNo second-tier
professional league
1997Busan Daewoo RoyalsNo second-tier
professional league
1998Suwon Samsung BluewingsNo second-tier
professional league
1999Suwon Samsung BluewingsNo second-tier
professional league
2000Anyang LG CheetahsNo second-tier
professional league
2001Seongnam Ilhwa ChunmaNo second-tier
professional league
2002Seongnam Ilhwa ChunmaNo second-tier
professional league
2003Seongnam Ilhwa ChunmaNo second-tier
professional league
2004Suwon Samsung BluewingsNo second-tier
professional league
2005Ulsan Hyundai Horang-iNo second-tier
professional league
2006Seongnam Ilhwa ChunmaNo second-tier
professional league
2007Pohang SteelersNo second-tier
professional league
2008Suwon Samsung BluewingsNo second-tier
professional league
2009Jeonbuk Hyundai MotorsNo second-tier
professional league
2010FC SeoulNo second-tier
professional league
2011Jeonbuk Hyundai MotorsNo second-tier
professional league
2012FC SeoulNo second-tier
professional league
2013Pohang SteelersSangju Sangmu
2014Jeonbuk Hyundai MotorsDaejeon Citizen
2015Jeonbuk Hyundai MotorsSangju Sangmu
2016FC SeoulAnsan Mugunghwa
2017Jeonbuk Hyundai MotorsGyeongnam FC
2018Jeonbuk Hyundai MotorsAsan Mugunghwa
2019Jeonbuk Hyundai MotorsGwangju FC
2020Jeonbuk Hyundai MotorsJeju United
2021Jeonbuk Hyundai MotorsGimcheon Sangmu
2022Ulsan HyundaiGwangju FC
2023Ulsan HyundaiGimcheon Sangmu
2024Ulsan HDFC Anyang
2025Jeonbuk Hyundai MotorsIncheon United