South Korean football league system

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South Korean football league system
Country South Korea
Sport Association football
Promotion and relegation Yes (for men)
No (for women)
National system
Federation Korea Football Association
Confederation AFC
Top division
Second division K League 2
Cup competition Korean FA Cup
Association football in South Korea

The South Korean football league system contains two professional leagues, two semi-professional leagues, and various amateur leagues for Korean football clubs.

Contents

The highest level of football in South Korea is the K League 1, which was founded in 1983. K League 2 was founded in 2013 and is currently a second division. Below the level of the professional leagues are the semi-professional K3 League, which was founded in 2007 and refounded in 2020, and the K4 League, which was founded in 2020, and serve as the third division and fourth division, respectively.

There was no avenue for progression between any of the leagues until 2012, when the K League 2 was founded.

The highest level of women's football in South Korea is the WK League, which was founded in 2009.

System by period

Korean National Semi-Professional Football League was a semi-professional football league between corporate teams in South Korea from 1964 to 2002. In 1983, with the establishment of K League which is a professional league, the Semi-professional League became the second tier and remained so until it was replaced by the Korea National League in 2003. The third tier K3 League was founded as an amateur league in 2007, and became the fourth tier after K League 2, the second division of the professional league, was founded in 2013. In 2017, the K3 League was divided into two divisions, the K3 League Advanced and the K3 League Basic. [1] They were relaunched as semi-professional leagues with new names, K3 League and K4 League, in 2020. The National League was merged into the K3 League. [2]

Promotion and relegation takes place within each of three classes (professional, semi-professional and amateur) but at present there is no promotion and relegation between classes. The KFA has announced plans to unify the league system with promotion and relegation between all seven leagues starting from the 2027 season. [3]

Professional leagues (K League)
Semi-professional leagues
Amateur leagues
YearTier 1Tier 2Tier 3Tier 4Tier 5Tier 6Tier 7Tier 8 and under
1964–1982 Semi-professional League
1983 K League [lower-alpha 1] Korean League Division 1 Korean League Division 2 [4]
1984–2002 K League [lower-alpha 1] Semi-professional League [5]
2003–2006 K League National League
2007–2012 K League National League K3 League (amateur)
2013–2016 K League 1 [lower-alpha 2] K League 2 [lower-alpha 3] National League K3 League (amateur)
2017–2019 K League 1 [lower-alpha 2] K League 2 [lower-alpha 3] National League K3 League Advanced K3 League Basic Under construction
2020–present K League 1 K League 2 K3 League K4 League K5 LeagueK6 LeagueK7 LeagueRegional competitions
  1. 1 2 Named "Super League" from 1983 to 1985, "Football Festival" in 1986, "Korean Professional Football League" from 1987 to 1993, "Korean League" from 1994 to 1995, "Professional Football League" from 1996 to 1997, "K League" since 1998.
  2. 1 2 Named "K League Classic" from 2013 to 2017, "K League 1" since 2018.
  3. 1 2 Named "K League Challenge" from 2013 to 2017, "K League 2" since 2018.

Current system

Outside this league structure, there are university, reserve and youth level competitions. University clubs' U-League and reserve teams' R League are operating independently from the league system. Relegation from K League 2 to K3 League and K4 League to K5 League from 2027 have been introduced.

LevelDivisionClass
1 K League 1
12 clubs
↓ 1 relegation spot + 2 relegation playoff spot		 Professional
2 K League 2
13 clubs
↑ 1 promotion spot + 2 promotion playoff spot
No relegation
3 K3 League
16 clubs
No promotion
↓ 2 relegation spots + 1 relegation playoff spot		 Semi-professional
4 K4 League
13 clubs
↑ 2 promotion spots + 1 promotion playoff spot
No relegation
5K5 League
84 clubs / 13 regions
No promotion
↓ 13 relegation spot		 Amateur
6 K6 League
192 clubs / 31 regions
↑ 13 promotion spot
↓ 31 relegation spot
7 K7 League
1223 clubs / 187 regions
↑ 31 promotion spot
↓ relegation spot
8 and underRegional competitions
↑ promotion spot

Qualification for cups

Domestic cups

All K League, K3 League and K4 League sides qualify for the Korean FA Cup tournament. The top eleven sides from the K5 League gained qualification to the 2020 season's FA Cup tournament. The Korean League Cup competition was open to K League teams only, whilst sides from the National League could compete in the National League Championship, but both were abolished.[ when? ]

Continental competition

At present, four South Korean sides qualify automatically for the AFC Champions League. Three top teams from K League 1 automatically gains entry to the AFC Champions League. The Korean FA Cup winners also qualify for the AFC Champions League only. However, if the champions of Korean FA Cup are not members of K League, the fourth placed team of the K League 1 receive the entry spot.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">K4 League</span> South Korean association football league

The K4 League is the fourth-highest division in the South Korean football league system. It is regarded as the successor to the K3 League Basic, the second division of amateur K3 League founded in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K3 League</span> South Korean association football league

The K3 League is the third-highest division in the South Korean football league system. It was run as an amateur league until 2019, but was relaunched as a semi-professional league after absorbing the Korea National League in 2020. It is currently contested by 16 clubs.

The 2021 K4 League is the second season of the K4 League.

This article shows a summary of the 2019 football season in South Korea.

The 2022 K4 League was the third season of the K4 League.

The 2022 K3 League was the third season of the K3 League as a semi-professional league. Its regular season was held from 26 February to 29 October 2022.

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The 2023 K3 League was the third season of the K3 League as a semi-professional league. Its regular season was held from 11 March to 11 November 2023.

References

  1. ↑ Park, Joo-seong (23 December 2015). "아마추어리그, 디비전 시스템 추진...2020년까지 4부 리그 확대" [Amateur league introduced division system... Fourth division to be expanded by 2020]. InterFootball (in Korean). Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  2. ↑ "Breaking: K3 and K4 League Teams Confirmed". K League United. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  3. ↑ Paik, Ji-hwan (28 March 2024). "K League to unify promotion-relegation system across all 7 leagues". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  4. ↑ 實業축구도 운영은 프로처럼… 본거지제도 채택. Naver.com (in Korean). Dong-A Ilbo. 15 December 1982. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  5. ↑ 實業축구 코리 안리그 1.2部制 1년만에 다시통합┈변덕行政. Naver.com (in Korean). Kyunghyang. 16 November 1983. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
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