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 thirteenth season of the K League 1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors is the defending champion. 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.
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. Foreign goalkeepers can be registered as ban lifted after 26 years. 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). 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. 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, 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.
Promoted from K League 2 Relegated to K League 2 Incheon United Bucheon FC 1995 Suwon FC Daegu FC
Locations The following twelve clubs are competing in the 2025 K League 1. Team City/ProvinceAbbreviation FC Anyang Anyang Anyang Bucheon FC 1995 Bucheon Bucheon Daejeon Hana Citizen Daejeon Daejeon Gangwon FC Gangwon Gangwon Gimcheon Sangmu GimcheonGimcheon 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
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 Ryu Byeong-hoon V-EXX Harrington Place (Apartment brand) Bucheon FC 1995 Lee Young-min Kelme Bucheon Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine Daejeon Hana Citizen Hwang Sun-hong Goal Studio Hana Bank Gangwon FC Chung Kyung-ho Applerind High1 Resort Gimcheon Sangmu Ju Seung-jin Kelme Happy Gimcheon Gwangju FC Lee Jung-kyu Goal Studio Kwangju Bank Incheon United Yoon Jong-hwan Macron IFEZ Jeju SK Sérgio Costa V-EXX SK Energy Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Chung Jung-yong Adidas NEXO Pohang Steelers Park Tae-ha Puma POSCO FC Seoul Kim Gi-dong Pro-Specs Xi (home)GS Caltex (away) Ulsan HD Kim Hyun-seok Adidas HD Hyundai
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyTableReplaced byDate of appointment Jeju SK Kim Jung-soo (Interim) End of Interim1 December 2025 Pre-season Sérgio Costa 24 December 2025 Ulsan HD Roh Sang-rae (Interim) Kim Hyun-seok Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Gus Poyet Resigned 8 December 2025 Chung Jung-yong Gwangju FC Lee Jung-hyoMutual agreement 21 December 2025 Lee Jung-kyu Gimcheon Sangmu Chung Jung-yong 24 December 2025 Ju Seung-jin 31 December 2025
Foreign players Each team may register an unlimited number of foreigners, but may only field up to five at any given time. 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 n
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 Player 8 Homegrown player (s) Former player (s) FC Anyang Ivan Jukić Airton Breno Herculano Matheus Oliveira Blaise Tsague Danny Bakker Branislav Knežević Thomas Oude Kotte York Rafael Bucheon FC 1995 Gustavo Nescau Jefferson Galego Patrick William Rodrigo Bassani Thiaguinho Santos Vitor Gabriel Kazuki Takahashi Jhon Montaño Daejeon Hana Citizen Anton Kryvotsyuk Diogo João Victor Victor Bobsin Masatoshi Ishida Gustav Ludwigson Gangwon FC Abdallah Hleihel Marko Tući Jesse Sekidika Abdelkarim Mammar Gwangju FC John Iredale João Pedro Hólmbert Friðjónsson Adriel Ba Loua Teun van Grunsven Emir Saitoski Incheon United Leandro Ribeiro Gerso Fernandes Morgan Ferrier Stefan Mugoša Iker Undabarrena Juan Ibiza Jeju SK Eraldo Çinari Emerson Negueba Italo Matheus Aiás Julien Célestine Tobias Figueiredo Gytis Paulauskas Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Bruno Mota Dodô Italo Tiago Orobó Patrick Twumasi Andrea Compagno Gytis Paulauskas João Gamboa Oberdan Pohang Steelers Jorge Teixeira Juninho Rocha Wanderson Jakob Tranziska Kento Nishiya FC Seoul Anderson Leonardo Acevedo Hrvoje Babec Yazan Al-Arab Patryk Klimala Juan Antonio Ros Gbato Seloh Samuel Aleksandar Paločević Ulsan HD Erick Farias Marcão Pedrinho Yago Cariello Thomas Oude Kotte Miłosz Trojak Darijan Bojanić Benji Michel
League table
Positions by matchday
Round 1–33
Results Matches 1–22 Teams will play each other twice, once at home, once away.
Matches 23–33 Teams will play each other once, either at home or away.
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.
Statistics Top goalscorers RankPlayerTeamGoals 1 Yago CarielloUlsan HD 13 Patryk KlimalaFC Seoul 3 Stefan MugošaIncheon United 12 Matheus OliveiraFC Anyang 5 Lee Dong-gyeongUlsan HD 11 6 Jefferson GalegoBucheon FC 1995 10 7 Lee Ho-jaePohang Steelers 8 Jeong Jae-heeDaejeon Hana Citizen Abdallah HleihelGangwon FC Kim Dae-wonGangwon FC Lee Seung-wooJeonbuk Hyundai Motors Go Jae-hyunGimcheon Sangmu Jeong Seung-wonFC Seoul
Top assist providers RankPlayerTeamAssists 1 Lee Dong-gyeongUlsan HD 10 2 Kim Dae-wonGangwon FC 8 3 Lee Myung-jaeDaejeon Hana Citizen 7 4 Moon Seon-minFC Seoul 6 Jeong Seung-wonFC Seoul 6 Rodrigo BassaniBucheon FC 1995 5 Mo Jae-hyeonGangwon FC DiogoDaejeon Hana Citizen AndersonFC Seoul Matheus OliveiraFC Anyang Lee Dong-junJeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Hat-tricks PlayerForAgainstResultDate Emerson NeguebaJeju SKJeonbuk Hyundai Motors3–18 August 2026
Awards Weekly awards
RoundPlayer of the RoundPlayerClub1 Jefferson GalegoBucheon FC 19952 Matheus OliveiraFC Anyang3 Lee Dong-gyeongUlsan HD4 DiogoDaejeon Hana Citizen5 Patryk KlimalaFC Seoul6 Stefan MugošaIncheon United7 Kim Dae-wonGangwon FC8 MarcãoUlsan HD9 Kim Dae-wonGangwon FC10 Masatoshi IshidaDaejeon Hana Citizen11 Kim Dae-wonGangwon FC12 OberdanJeonbuk Hyundai Motors13 Juninho RochaPohang Steelers14 Kim Hyung-geunBucheon FC 199515 Lee Chung-yongIncheon United16 WandersonPohang Steelers17 Kwon Kyung-wonFC Anyang18 Kim Dae-wonGangwon FC19 Jeong Seung-wonFC Seoul
RoundPlayer of the RoundPlayerClub20 Lee Dong-gyeongUlsan HD21 Lee Dong-gyeongUlsan HD22 Emerson NeguebaJeju SK23 Jefferson GalegoBucheon FC 199524 Jeong Seung-wonFC Seoul25 Matheus OliveiraFC Anyang26 Yago CarielloUlsan HD27 Jeong Jae-heeDaejeon Hana Citizen28 Joo Min-kyuDaejeon Hana Citizen29 Patryk KlimalaFC Seoul30 ItaloJeju SK3132333435363738
Monthly awards MonthPlayer of the MonthYoung Player of the MonthGoal of the MonthPlayerClubPlayerClubPlayerClubFebruary–March Stefan MugošaIncheon Choi Seok-hyunUlsan Lee Dong-junJeonbukApril Kim Dae-wonGangwon Seo Jae-minIncheon Lee Seung-wooJeonbukMay Lee Gi-hyukGangwon Cho Sang-hyeokPohang Kim Ju-chanGimcheonJuly Jeong Seung-wonSeoul Moon Min-seoGwangju Kim Ye-geonJeonbukAugust Jeong Seung-wonSeoul Sung Ye-geonBucheon Kim Dong-hyunGangwonSeptemberOctoberNovember
MonthManager of the MonthSave of the MonthDelivery of the MonthManagerClubPlayerClubPlayerClubFebruary–March Kim Gi-dongSeoul1 Hwang In-jaePohang Kim Min-wooSuwon2April Kim Gi-dongSeoul1 Lee Chang-geunDaejeon Stanislav IljutcenkoSuwon2May Cha Du-riHwaseong2 Kim Hyung-geunBucheon Lee Chung-yongIncheon1July Park Kun-haSuwon FC2 Baek Jong-bumGimcheon AndersonSeoul1August Kim Gi-dongSeoul1 Song Bum-keunJeonbuk CesinhaDaegu2SeptemberOctoberNovember
Annual awards
AwardWinnerClubMost Valuable PlayerYoung Player of the YearTop goalscorerTop assist providerManager of the Year
PositionBest XIGoalkeeperDefendersMidfieldersForwards
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
External links