List of South Korean football champions


The South Korean football champions are the winners of the highest league in South Korean football, which is currently the K League 1.
Since the league turned professional in 1983, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have won ten titles, the record for most titles won. Seongnam FC have won the league seven times, followed by FC Seoul on six occasions, and Pohang Steelers and Ulsan HD with five titles each. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are also the only team that won the title for five consecutive seasons.

National Semi-professional League (1964–1982)

  • Before a professional football league was founded in South Korea, there was a semi-professional league held twice a year. South Korean companies, banks and militaries' football clubs qualified for the Semi-professional League, but university clubs didn't participate in it unlike the National Football Championship. Instead, they could enter the National University League.

K League (1983–2012)

SeasonChampionsRunners-upMost Valuable PlayerTop goalscorer
1983Hallelujah FC Daewoo Royals

K League 1 (2013–present)

SeasonChampionsRunners-upMost Valuable PlayerTop goalscorer
2013Pohang Steelers Ulsan Hyundai

Statistics

All-time (1964–present)

  • In South Korea, professional era records are generally accepted.

Titles by club

  • Clubs in are extant.
  • Clubs in bold are competing in the K League.
  • The asterisk means co-winners.
ClubSingle leagueSpring seasonAutumn seasonTotal
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors10 ——10
Pohang Steelers6 1 1 8
Seongnam FC7 ——7
FC Seoul6 ——6
Ulsan HD5 ——5
Busan IPark4 1 —5
Suwon Samsung Bluewings4 ——4
Korea Tungsten—2 2 4
ROK Army1 1 1 3
Keumsung Textile—2 1 3
National Police Department—2 1 3
Korea Electric Power—2 1 3
Cheil Industries—2 1 3
Korea Trust Bank—2 1 3
ROK Navy—2 1 3
Korea Housing Bank—1 1 2
Chohung Bank—1 1 2
Industrial Bank of Korea—1 1 2
Seoul City—2 —2
Korea Automobile Insurance——2 2
Hallelujah FC1 ——1
Jeju SK1 ——1
ROK Army Quartermaster Corps——1 1
Commercial Bank of Korea——1 1
Korea Exchange Bank—1 —1
ROK Air Force——1 1

Professional era (1983–present)

Titles by club


  • In accordance with the official K League policy, the current clubs inherit the history and records of the predecessor clubs.
ClubChampionsRunners-upSeasons wonSeasons runner-up
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 10 32009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 20252012, 2016, 2022
Seongnam FC 7 31993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 20061992, 2007, 2009
FC Seoul 6 51985, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2012, 20161986, 1989, 1993, 2001, 2008
Ulsan HD 5 101996, 2005, 2022, 2023, 20241988, 1991, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2020, 2021
Pohang Steelers 5 51986, 1988, 1992, 2007, 20131985, 1987, 1995, 2004, 2023
Suwon Samsung Bluewings 4 41998, 1999, 2004, 20081996, 2006, 2014, 2015
Busan IPark 4 31984, 1987, 1991, 19971983, 1990, 1999
Jeju SK 1 519891984, 1994, 2000, 2010, 2017
Hallelujah FC 1 01983—
Jeonnam Dragons 0 1—1997
Incheon United 0 1—2005
Gyeongnam FC 0 1—2018
Gangwon FC 0 1—2024
Daejeon Hana Citizen 0 1—2025


Titles by city/province

  • In early years, hometowns of K League clubs were determined, but they were pointless in substance because the clubs played games by going around all stadiums together.
  • The current home and away system is being operated since the 1987 season.
City/ProvinceTitlesClubs
Jeonbuk10Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Seoul7FC Seoul
Seoul7Ilhwa Chunma
Ulsan5Ulsan HD
Pohang4Pohang Steelers
Suwon4Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Seongnam4Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
Busan2Busan Daewoo Royals
Busan–Gyeongnam1Daewoo Royals
Incheon–Gyeonggi1Yukong Elephants
Anyang1Anyang LG Cheetahs

Titles by region

  • In early years, hometowns of K League clubs were determined, but they were pointless in substance because the clubs played games by going around all stadiums together.
  • The current home and away system is being operated since 1987 season.
RegionTitlesCity/ProvinceClubs
Gyeonggi region
17Seoul FC Seoul
Gyeonggi region
17Seoul Ilhwa Chunma
Gyeonggi region
17Seongnam Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
Gyeonggi region
17Suwon Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Gyeonggi region
17Anyang Anyang LG Cheetahs
Gyeonggi region
17Incheon–Gyeonggi Yukong Elephants
Yeongnam region
12Ulsan Ulsan HD
Yeongnam region
12Pohang Pohang Steelers
Yeongnam region
12Busan Busan Daewoo Royals
Yeongnam region
12Busan–Gyeongnam Daewoo Royals
Honam region
 10Jeonbuk Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors