K League 1 is a men’s league competition from South Korea, established in 1983. Follow each available season through live scores, fixtures, results and standings, while player and team statistics provide additional context for reviewing performances across the competition’s recorded coverage from 2016 to 2025 on one dedicated page for quick reference and comparison.
Upcoming matches, K League 1
Regular Season - 30
-
- Regular Season - 30
Bucheon FC 1995
Gimcheon Sangmu FC
Bucheon Stadium -
- Regular Season - 30
FC Anyang
Ulsan Hyundai FC
Anyang Stadium -
- Regular Season - 30
Jeonbuk Motors
Gwangju FC
Jeonju World Cup Stadium -
- Regular Season - 30
Gangwon FC
Jeju United FC
Chuncheon Songam Stadium -
- Regular Season - 30
Incheon United
Daejeon Citizen
Sungui Arena Park -
- Regular Season - 30
Pohang Steelers
FC Seoul
Regular Season - 22
-
- Regular Season - 22
Gangwon FC
Incheon United
Chuncheon Songam Stadium
Regular Season - 31
-
- Regular Season - 31
Daejeon Citizen
Jeonbuk Motors
Daejeon World Cup Stadium
-
- Regular Season - 31
Gangwon FC
Bucheon FC 1995
Chuncheon Songam Stadium
-
- Regular Season - 31
Incheon United
Pohang Steelers
Sungui Arena Park
Latest played matches, K League 1
Regular Season - 29
Regular Season - 28
K League 1 Standings
K-League
| Rank | Club | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
FC Seoul | 29 | 19 | 5 | 5 | 55 | 23 | 32 | 62 | WLWWW |
| 2 |
|
Ulsan Hyundai FC | 29 | 14 | 5 | 10 | 44 | 38 | 6 | 47 | WWDWL |
| 3 |
|
Jeonbuk Motors | 29 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 36 | 26 | 10 | 43 | LDWDD |
| 4 |
|
Jeju United FC | 29 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 34 | 29 | 5 | 43 | DWDWL |
| 5 |
|
Gangwon FC | 28 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 36 | 27 | 9 | 42 | DDWDD |
| 6 |
|
Daejeon Citizen | 29 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 45 | 36 | 9 | 39 | DWWLW |
| 7 |
|
Incheon United | 28 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 35 | 32 | 3 | 37 | LWLDL |
| 8 |
|
Pohang Steelers | 29 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 26 | 33 | -7 | 37 | DDLDW |
| 9 |
|
FC Anyang | 29 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 36 | 46 | -10 | 35 | DLLDW |
| 10 |
|
Bucheon FC 1995 | 29 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 31 | 38 | -7 | 32 | DLLDL |
| 11 |
|
Gimcheon Sangmu FC | 29 | 4 | 18 | 7 | 28 | 36 | -8 | 30 | DDDLD |
| 12 |
|
Gwangju FC | 29 | 1 | 11 | 17 | 19 | 61 | -42 | 14 | DLDLD |
K League 1 Statistics
Top scorers 2026
| # | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
S. Mugoša
Incheon United |
3 |
| 2 |
Yago Cariello
Ulsan Hyundai FC |
3 |
| 3 |
Jefferson Galego
Bucheon FC 1995 |
3 |
| 4 |
Victor Bobsin
Daejeon Citizen |
2 |
| 5 |
Joo Min-Kyu
Daejeon Citizen |
2 |
| 6 |
M. Ishida
Daejeon Citizen |
2 |
| 7 |
Kim Yi-Seok
Gimcheon Sangmu FC |
2 |
| 8 |
Airton
FC Anyang |
2 |
| 9 |
Jeong Jae-Hee
Daejeon Citizen |
2 |
| 10 |
P. Klimala
FC Seoul |
2 |
Top assists 2026
| # | Player | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Lee Dong-Gyeong
Ulsan Hyundai FC |
3 |
| 2 |
Kim Dong-Hyun
Gangwon FC |
2 |
| 3 |
Lee Dong-Jun
Jeonbuk Motors |
2 |
| 4 |
Lee Myung-Jae
Daejeon Citizen |
2 |
| 5 |
Hong Yun-Sang
Gimcheon Sangmu FC |
2 |
| 6 |
Rodrigo Bassani
Bucheon FC 1995 |
2 |
| 7 |
Lee Seung-Woo
Jeonbuk Motors |
2 |
| 8 |
Go Jae-Hyeon
Gimcheon Sangmu FC |
2 |
| 9 |
Wanderson
Pohang Steelers |
2 |
| 10 |
Erick Farias
Ulsan Hyundai FC |
1 |
K League 1 teams participation since 2016
History
| Team | Nb participations |
|---|---|
| Pohang Steelers | 10 |
| Daegu FC | 9 |
| Jeonbuk Motors | 9 |
| Incheon United | 9 |
| FC Seoul | 9 |
| Ulsan Hyundai FC | 9 |
| Gangwon FC | 8 |
| Jeju United FC | 8 |
| Suwon Bluewings | 8 |
| Gimcheon Sangmu FC | 8 |
| Gwangju FC | 7 |
| Suwon City FC | 6 |
| Daejeon Citizen | 5 |
| Seongnam FC | 5 |
| Busan I Park | 3 |
| Jeonnam Dragons | 3 |
| FC Anyang | 2 |
| Gyeongnam FC | 2 |
| Bucheon FC 1995 | 1 |
| Seoul E-Land FC | 1 |
| Asan Mugunghwa | 1 |
| Gimpo Citizen | 1 |
K League 1 top scorer teams
Goals scored vs. conversion rate
| Team | Goals scored | Total shots | Conversion % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daejeon Citizen | 12 | 55 |
|
| Gimcheon Sangmu FC | 9 | 36 |
|
| Bucheon FC 1995 | 7 | 43 |
|
| Gangwon FC | 7 | 43 |
|
| Ulsan Hyundai FC | 7 | 30 |
|
| Jeonbuk Motors | 6 | 38 |
|
| Incheon United | 5 | 39 |
|
| Jeju United FC | 4 | 32 |
|
| FC Anyang | 4 | 32 |
|
| Gwangju FC | 3 | 16 |
|
| FC Seoul | 3 | 34 |
|
| Pohang Steelers | 2 | 31 |
|
K League 1 About
K League 1, also known as South Korean K League 1, is South Korea’s top-tier professional football league and the highest level of the country’s domestic league pyramid. It is a men’s competition administered by the Korea Professional Football League, under the oversight of the Korea Football Association, and provides the principal domestic stage for elite South Korean club football.
Identity and role
The league exists to provide sustained high-level competition for professional clubs, develop players for the South Korean national team and connect domestic football with the wider Asian game. Its importance extends beyond the national championship: K League clubs are among the most successful in AFC competition, with 12 AFC Champions League titles collectively recorded by clubs from the league. The competition is also a significant route for players moving into European and other international leagues.
K League 1 is part of a connected professional system rather than a closed competition. Clubs must satisfy professional licensing requirements, while sporting performance determines movement between the two national divisions. Promotion and relegation with K League 2 gives matches meaning throughout the table, not only at the championship end.
Foundation and development
The competition was founded in 1983 as the Korean Super League with five clubs. It is recognised as Asia’s oldest domestic professional football league. Over the following decades, the competition went through several name and structural changes before developing into the modern K League 1, a 12-club league with a regular season followed by a split final stage.
Its history explains the league’s distinctive position in Asian football. K League 1 combines a long professional tradition with a clear development purpose: clubs compete for domestic honours, continental access and survival while producing players capable of performing at international level. The league generally follows a spring-to-autumn calendar, with matches taking place from late February or early March through November or early December. Weekend fixtures form the core schedule, although midweek games may be required by cup commitments and international windows.
Competition format
The standard structure begins with 12 clubs playing one another three times. This produces 33 regular-season matches for each team. After the 33rd round, the table divides into two six-team groups: Final A contains the leading six clubs and Final B contains the bottom six. Points from the regular season carry forward, so the split does not reset the competition.
Each club then plays the other teams in its own group once more, adding five matches and bringing the individual total to 38. Final A decides the championship order and the leading continental places, while Final B determines the final positions in the relegation battle. The split system ensures that clubs continue to face direct rivals with clearly defined objectives during the closing stage of the season. It is a final league phase, not a separate knockout tournament.
Points, standings and relegation
The league uses the standard football points system: three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat. When teams are level on points, goals scored are used as the primary recorded tiebreaker, followed by goal difference. This emphasis can reward attacking output as well as defensive consistency and can influence the order of teams competing for the title, continental places or survival.
The team finishing 12th is automatically relegated to K League 2. The clubs in 10th and 11th enter promotion-relegation playoffs against challengers from the second tier. These playoffs use a two-legged home-and-away format. If the aggregate score is level after 180 minutes, the tie proceeds to extra time and, if required, a penalty shootout. The precise pathway can depend on the season’s competition regulations, but the principle is clear: only the lowest-placed club suffers automatic relegation, while other teams must defend their top-flight status through the playoff route.
Squad rules and access
Entry to K League 1 is earned through professional participation and sporting performance, subject to the league’s licensing requirements. The promotion-and-relegation system allows successful K League 2 clubs to reach the top flight and requires underperforming K League 1 clubs to retain their place on the pitch.
Under the confirmed arrangement for the 2026 season, the total registration cap on foreign players is abolished, but clubs may name no more than five foreign players in a matchday squad. Players who spent significant youth-development years in South Korea may qualify for domestic-player treatment under the applicable rules. Clubs must also include at least two under-22 players in a 20-man matchday squad to retain full substitution rights. These provisions combine international recruitment with a formal pathway for young South Korean talent.
Honours and continental stakes
Winning K League 1 makes a club South Korean champion and represents the highest domestic achievement in the country’s league football. The leading finishers also compete for places in the Asian club competitions, including the AFC Champions League Elite and AFC Champions League 2. The number and destination of qualification places can vary according to the relevant season’s regulations and domestic cup outcomes, but a high finish consistently carries continental significance.
For that reason, K League 1 is more than a conventional league table. Its 33-match opening phase, six-team split, promotion and relegation pressures, youth requirements and continental rewards create a competition in which title ambitions, international qualification and survival remain active until the final rounds.