2026 K League 1

Hana Bank
K League 1
Season2026
Dates28 February - 6 December 2026
CountrySouth Korea
Teams12
← 2025
2027 β†’

The 2026 K League 1, also known as the Hana Bank K League 1 for sponsorship reasons, is the ongoing 44th season of the top division of professional football in South Korea, and the thirteen season of the K League 1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors is the defending champion.[1] Gangwon FC will play all their own home matches at Gangneung Stadium, Gangneung only.

Rule changes

The following rules were newly introduced for the 2026 season.[2]

  1. Abolish the quota on the number of foreign players a club may register but maximum of five foreign players will be permitted on the pitch or in the matchday squad.
  2. Foreign goalkeepers can be registered as ban lifted after 26 years.
  3. Clubs will now have five substitutions and the U22 mandatory appearance rule is lifted. However, the 20-man matchday squad still requires a minimum of two U22 players. Missing this threshold results in a reduced squad size (19 players for one U22, 18 for none).
  4. The affiliation agreement between the K League, the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Sangmu), and Gimcheon City expires at the end of 2026. As a result, if either Gimcheon establishes a new citizen-owned club or the Armed Forces Athletic Corps moves and forms a new K League club in a different city, both new clubs will enter the K League 2 competition starting in 2027.
  5. Starting with the 2027 season, K League 1 will feature 14 clubs. As a result, 2026 K League 2's top two teams and the winner of the final of promotion play-offs of K League 2 will be automatically promoted to 2027 K League 1. The losing finalists of promotion play-offs of K League 2 may also be promoted if they win the K League 1 relegation play-offs, which can only be held if Gimcheon Sangmu doesn't finish the season last at the table.

Teams

Team changes

Bucheon FC 1995 were promoted from the K League 2 for the first time in the club's history,[3][4] while Incheon United was promoted immediately after relegation in 2024.

Bucheon return to top tier since 1996 as Bucheon Yukong and 1997 as Bucheon SK before Yukong Elephants until 1995, when relocate to Jeju and change name to Jeju United from 2006 until 2024, change again to Jeju SK from 2025 onwards.

Suwon FC and Daegu FC were relegated to the K League 2 after five and ten years in top tier.[5][6]

Increase Promoted from K League 2 Decrease Relegated to K League 2

Locations

The following twelve clubs are competing in the 2025 K League 1.[7]

Team City/Province Abbreviation
FC Anyang Anyang Anyang
Bucheon FC 1995 Bucheon Bucheon
Daejeon Hana Citizen Daejeon Daejeon
Gangwon FC Gangwon Gangwon
Gimcheon Sangmu Gimcheon Gimcheon
Gwangju FC Gwangju Gwangju
Incheon United Incheon Incheon
Jeju SK Jeju Jeju
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Jeonbuk Jeonbuk
Pohang Steelers Pohang Pohang
FC Seoul Seoul Seoul
Ulsan HD Ulsan Ulsan
Locations of the 2026 K League 1 teams
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
7km
4.3miles
Incheon Football Stadium
Incheon Football Stadium
Bucheon Stadium
Bucheon Stadium
Seoul World Cup Stadium
Seoul World Cup Stadium
Anyang Sports Complex
Anyang Sports Complex
Locations of the 2026 K League 1 teams in the Seoul Capital Area

Stadiums

FC Anyang Bucheon FC 1995 Daejeon Hana Citizen Gangwon FC
Anyang Stadium Bucheon Stadium Daejeon World Cup Stadium Gangneung Stadium
Capacity: 17,143 Capacity: 34,456 Capacity: 40,903 Capacity: 22,333
Gimcheon Sangmu Gwangju FC Incheon United Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Gimcheon Stadium Gwangju World Cup Stadium Incheon Football Stadium Jeonju World Cup Stadium
Capacity: 25,000 Capacity: 40,245 Capacity: 20,891 Capacity: 42,477
Jeju SK Pohang Steelers FC Seoul Ulsan HD
Jeju World Cup Stadium Pohang Steel Yard Seoul World Cup Stadium Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
Capacity: 29,791 Capacity: 17,443 Capacity: 66,704 Capacity: 44,102

Personnel and sponsoring

Team Manager Kit manufacturer Main sponsor Other sponsor(s)
FC Anyang South Korea Ryu Byeong-hoon V-EXX Osang Healthcare
List
    • Front: None
    • Back: None
    • Sleeves: None
    • Shorts: None
Bucheon FC 1995 South Korea Lee Young-min Kelme Bucheon Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine
List
    • Front: Bastem
    • Back: Wawabuza
    • Sleeves: Bucheon City
    • Shorts: None
Daejeon Hana Citizen South Korea Hwang Sun-hong Goal Studio Hana Bank
List
Gangwon FC South Korea Chung Kyung-ho Applerind High1 Resort
List
Gimcheon Sangmu South Korea Ju Seung-jin Kelme Happy Gimcheon
List
Gwangju FC South Korea Lee Jung-kyu Goal Studio Kwangju Bank
List
    • Front: None
    • Back: None
    • Sleeves: Parangsae Eye Clinic, Gwangju City
    • Shorts: Namhai HonnΓͺte
Incheon United South Korea Yoon Jong-hwan Macron IFEZ
List
Jeju SK Portugal Sergio Costa V-EXX SK Energy
List
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors South Korea Chung Jung-yong Adidas Hyundai N
List
Pohang Steelers South Korea Park Tae-ha Puma POSCO
List
FC Seoul South Korea Kim Gi-dong Pro-Specs Xi (home)
GS Caltex (away)
List
Ulsan HD South Korea Kim Hyun-seok Adidas HD Hyundai
List

Managerial changes

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Table Replaced by Date of appointment
Jeju SK South Korea Kim Jung-soo (Interim) End of Interim 1 December 2025 Pre-season Portugal Sergio Costa [8] 24 December 2025
Ulsan HD South Korea Roh Sang-rae (Interim) South Korea Kim Hyun-seok [9]
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Uruguay Gus Poyet [10] Resigned 8 December 2025 South Korea Chung Jung-yong [11]
Gwangju FC South Korea Lee Jung-hyo [12] Mutual agreement 21 December 2025 South Korea Lee Jung-kyu [13]
Gimcheon Sangmu South Korea Chung Jung-yong [14] 24 December 2025 South Korea Ju Seung-jin [15] 31 December 2025

Foreign players

Each team may have up to six foreign players registered, but may only field up to five at any given time.[16] As a military-owned team, Gimcheon Sangmu are not allowed to sign any foreign players.

A North Korean player is considered to be a domestic player under South Korean nationality law. As of 2025, K League has a homegrown system under which players of foreign nationality who have grown up in Korea are considered to be domestic players when registering as new players.

Players in bold were registered during the mid-season transfer window. Players in italics left their respective clubs during the mid-season transfer window.

Team Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Player 7 Homegrown player (s) Former player (s)[a]
FC Anyang Bosnia and Herzegovina Ivan Jukić Brazil Airton Brazil Breno Herculano Brazil Matheus Oliveira Netherlands Thomas Oude Kotte
Bucheon FC 1995 Brazil Jefferson Galego Brazil Patrick William Brazil Rodrigo Bassani Brazil Thiaguinho Santos Brazil Vitor Gabriel Colombia Jhon MontaΓ±o Japan Kazuki Takahashi
Daejeon Hana Citizen Azerbaijan Anton Kryvotsyuk Brazil Diogo Brazil JoΓ£o Victor Brazil Victor Bobsin Japan Masatoshi Ishida Sweden Gustav Ludwigson
Gangwon FC Israel Abdallah Hleihel Montenegro Marko Tući
Gwangju FC Iceland HΓ³lmbert FriΓ°jΓ³nsson
Incheon United Guinea-Bissau Gerso Fernandes Guyana Morgan Ferrier Montenegro Stefan MugoΕ‘a Spain Iker Undabarrena Spain Juan Ibiza
Jeju SK Brazil Emerson Negueba Brazil Italo France Julien CΓ©lestine Lithuania Gytis Paulauskas
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Brazil Bruno Mota Brazil Oberdan Brazil Tiago OrobΓ³ Ghana Patrick Twumasi Italy Andrea Compagno Portugal JoΓ£o Gamboa
Pohang Steelers Brazil Jorge Teixeira Brazil Juninho Rocha Brazil Wanderson Germany Jakob Tranziska Japan Kento Nishiya
FC Seoul Brazil Anderson Colombia Leonardo Acevedo Croatia Hrvoje Babec Jordan Yazan Al-Arab Poland Patryk Klimala Serbia Aleksandar PaločeviΔ‡ Spain Juan Antonio Ros Ivory Coast Gbato Seloh Samuel
Ulsan HD Brazil Erick Farias Brazil Marcão Brazil Pedrinho Brazil Yago Cariello Poland Miłosz Trojak Sweden Darijan Bojanić United States Benji Michel
  1. ^ Left their respective clubs during the mid-season transfer window.

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation[a]
1 FC Anyang 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for Champions League Elite league stage
2 Bucheon FC 1995 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Daejeon Hana Citizen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for Champions League Elite play-off round
4 Gangwon FC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Gimcheon Sangmu[b] (R) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to K League 2
6 Gwangju FC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Incheon United 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Jeju SK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Pohang Steelers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 FC Seoul 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 Ulsan HD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs except Gimcheon Sangmu
First match(es) will be played: 28 February 2026. Source: Soccerway K League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference; 4) Wins; 5) Head-to-head points
(R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league was split into two groups, the top six and the bottom six.
  2. ^ Military-owned team Gimcheon Sangmu cannot qualify for AFC competitions. Gimcheon Sangmu will be relegated to K League 2 2027 season regardless of their own final place.

Positions by matchday

  Leaders, qualification for Champions League Elite league stage
  Qualification for Champions League Elite play-off round
  Qualification for Champions League Two group stage
  Qualification for relegation play-offs
  Relegation to K League 2

Round 1–33

First match(es) will be played on 28 February 2026. Source: K League

Results

Matches 1–22

Teams will play each other twice, once at home, once away.

Home \ Away AYG BCN DHC GWN GCS GJU ICU JSK JHM PHS SEO USH
FC Anyang β€”
Bucheon FC 1995 β€”
Daejeon Hana Citizen β€”
Gangwon FC β€”
Gimcheon Sangmu β€”
Gwangju FC β€”
Incheon United β€”
Jeju SK β€”
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors β€”
Pohang Steelers β€”
FC Seoul β€”
Ulsan HD β€”
First match(es) will be played: 28 February 2026. Source:
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Matches 23–33

Teams will play each other once, either at home or away.

Home \ Away AYG BCN DHC GWN GCS GJU ICU JSK JHM PHS SEO USH
FC Anyang β€”
Bucheon FC 1995 β€”
Daejeon Hana Citizen β€”
Gangwon FC β€”
Gimcheon Sangmu β€”
Gwangju FC β€”
Incheon United β€”
Jeju SK β€”
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors β€”
Pohang Steelers β€”
FC Seoul β€”
Ulsan HD β€”
First match(es) will be played: 15 August 2026. Source:
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Matches 34–38

Teams will play each other once, either at home or away.

Final A

Final B

Relegation play-off

The twelfth-placed team, unless being Gimcheon Sangmu, will play against the loser of the final of the promotion play-offs of the K League 2 in the relegation play-offs.


Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Loser of the final of the promotion play-offs of K League 2 agg. 12th place team of K League 1(except Gimcheon Sangmu) 1st leg 2nd leg
v
v

Statistics

Top goalscorers

Rank Player Team Goals

Top assist providers

Rank Player Team Assists

Awards

Weekly awards

Monthly awards

Month Player of the Month Young Player of the Month Goal of the Month
Player Club Player Club Player Club
February–March
April
May
July
August
September
October
November
Month Manager of the Month Save of the Month
Manager Club Div. Player Club
February–March
April
May
July
August
September
October
November

Annual awards

Award Winner Club
Most Valuable Player
Young Player of the Year
Top goalscorer
Top assist provider
Manager of the Year
Position Best XI
Goalkeeper
Defenders
Midfielders
Forwards

Attendance

Attendants who entered with free ticket are not counted.

See also

  • 2026 in South Korean football
  • 2026–27 Korea Cup
  • 2026 K League 2
  • 2026 K3 League
  • 2026 K4 League

References

  1. ^ "The K League 1 Wrap-Up: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Win the Title".
  2. ^ "K League 1 set for shake-up in 2026, 2027".
  3. ^ "Bucheon FC 1995 Secures Historic Promotion to K League 1".
  4. ^ "Incheon United Sweeps K League 2 Title, Awards, Promotion".
  5. ^ "Daegu FC has been demoted".
  6. ^ "Suwon FC Relegated After Benching Top Scorer Ssabak". The Chosun Daily. 9 December 2025. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  7. ^ "기둝" [Records]. K League. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  8. ^ "[μ˜€ν”Όμ…œ] '변화와 ν˜μ‹ ' 제주SK FC, μ‹ μž„ κ°λ…μœΌλ‘œ 파울둜 벀투 '였λ₯ΈνŒ”' μ„Έλ₯΄μ§€μš° μ½”μŠ€νƒ€ μ„ μž„..."κ·Έ μ–΄λŠ λ•Œλ³΄λ‹€ 정말 진심을 λ‹€ν•  것"".
  9. ^ "[μ˜€ν”Όμ…œ] 10λ…„ λ§Œμ— 'νŒŒμ΄λ„ B' 좔락, 재건 λ‚˜μ„  μšΈμ‚°Β·Β·Β·μ‹ μž„ 감독에 'λ ˆμ „λ“œ' κΉ€ν˜„μ„ 감독 μ„ μž„ "μšΈμ‚° μž¬λ„μ•½ ν•˜λ„λ‘ μ΅œμ„  λ‹€ν•˜κ² λ‹€"".
  10. ^ "Jeonbuk confirm departure of title-winning coach Poyet".
  11. ^ "ν”„λ‘œμΆ•κ΅¬ 전뢁, μ •μ •μš©, μ‹ μž„ 감독 μ„ μž„β€¦'λΉ…ν΄λŸ½' 사령탑 첫 도전"".
  12. ^ "와신상담' μˆ˜μ›, 'μ •νš¨λ³Ό' μ˜μž…".
  13. ^ "[μ˜€ν”Όμ…œ] '포슀트 μ΄μ •νš¨ μ‹œλŒ€' κ΄‘μ£ΌFC μ΄μ •κ·œ, 제 8λŒ€ 정식 감독 μ„ μž„".
  14. ^ "μ •μ •μš© 감독, K리그1 전뢁 사령탑 μ„ μž„β€¦λΉ…ν΄λŸ½ 첫 도전".
  15. ^ "μ •μ •μš© λ– λ‚œ K리그1 κΉ€μ²œ, μƒˆ 사령탑에 μ£ΌμŠΉμ§„ 감독 μ„ μž„".
  16. ^ Paik, Ji-hwan (6 December 2023). "K League to relax Asian quota in 2025, count 'homegrown' foreign players as Korean". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
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