Summary
The K League 1 (KOR1) is the top level of league-style football competition in South Korea. At the end of the 2024 KOR1 season, the KOR1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play:
- 2025-2026 AFC Champions League Elite- Group Stage:
- 1st place 2024 KOR1 Championship group team
- 025-2026 AFC Champions Elite League - Playoff Round:
- 2nd place 2024 KOR1 Championship group team
- 025-2026 AFC Champions League 2 - Group Stage:
- 3rd place 2024 KOR1 Championship group team
The winner of the 2024 Korean FA Cup, typically a KOR1 team, also receives a berth in the Group Stage of the 025-2026 AFC Champions League 2.
Leagues Pyramid - Korea Republic
| Abbrev | League | # of Teams |
|---|---|---|
| KOR1 | K League 1 | 12 |
| KOR2 | K League 2 | 13 |
Competition Structure
Season | # of Teams | ||
| Regular 1 Mar 2024 - 5 Oct 2024 | Champ/Releg Rounds 18 Oct 2024 - 3 Dec 2024 | 12: KOR1 (9 minimum), KOR2 (3 maximum) | |
Season Format
In the 2024 KOR1 Regular season, each KOR1 team plays the other 11 KOR1 teams 3 times for a total of 33 league matches. In each 3 match series, one team hosts 2 home matches and the other team hosts 1 home match. After the Regular season, the top 6 teams play each other once in the Championship Group (5 more matches), and the bottom 6 teams play each other once in the Relegation Group (5 more matches). Table ranking ties are broken by (1) goals scored, (2) goal difference, (3) league matches won, then (4) head-to-head points.
Playoffs
Not applicable.
Relegation
At the end of the 2024 Relegation Group play, the 6th place KOR1 Relegation Group team is relegated directly to KOR2. The 5th place KOR1 Relegation Group team will have a Home-Away Promotion/Relegation Playoff with the 2nd place KOR2 team, and the 4th place KOR1 Relegation Group team will have a Home-Away Promotion/Relegation Playoff with the KOR2 Promotion Playoff winner.
More Info...
Relegation Playoffs
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Chungnam Asan FC (KOR2) | 56 | Daegu FC (KOR1) |
| 28.11.24 |  | 43 | Daegu FC | Cheonan Baekseok Stadium |
| 01.12.24 | | 31 | Chungnam Asan FC | DGB Daegu Bank Park | ||
| AET - Daegu FC remains in KOR1 | ||||||
| Aggregate | Seoul E-Land FC (KOR2) | 24 | Jeonbuk Motors (KOR1) |
| 01.12.24 |  | 12 | Jeonbuk Motors | Mokdong Stadium |
| 08.12.24 | | 21 | Seoul E-Land FC | Jeonju World Cup Stadium | ||
| Jeonbuk Motors remains in KOR1 | ||||||
Championship/Relegation Rounds
| League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
| Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Ulsan Hyundai FC | 38 | 21 -9-8 | 72 | - | 62 | 40 | 22 | 19 | 14 -3-2 | 45 | 42 | 20 | 22 | 19 | 7 -6-6 | 27 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| 2 | Gangwon FC | 38 | 19 -7-12 | 64 | - | 62 | 56 | 6 | 19 | 12 -5-2 | 41 | 41 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 7 -2-10 | 23 | 21 | 34 | -13 |
| 3 | Gimcheon Sangmu FC | 38 | 18 -9-11 | 63 | - | 55 | 41 | 14 | 19 | 11 -4-4 | 37 | 31 | 17 | 14 | 19 | 7 -5-7 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 0 |
| 4 | FC Seoul | 38 | 16 -10-12 | 58 | - | 55 | 42 | 13 | 18 | 9 -3-6 | 30 | 29 | 19 | 10 | 20 | 7 -7-6 | 28 | 26 | 23 | 3 |
| 5 | Pohang Steelers | 38 | 14 -11-13 | 53 | - | 53 | 50 | 3 | 19 | 7 -7-5 | 28 | 21 | 20 | 1 | 19 | 7 -4-8 | 25 | 32 | 30 | 2 |
| 6 | Suwon FC | 38 | 15 -8-15 | 53 | - | 54 | 57 | -3 | 19 | 8 -4-7 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 1 | 19 | 7 -4-8 | 25 | 25 | 29 | -4 |
| Relegation | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Jeju United FC | 38 | 15 -4-19 | 49 | - | 38 | 54 | -16 | 19 | 11 -1-7 | 34 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 19 | 4 -3-12 | 15 | 16 | 32 | -16 |
| 2 | Daejeon Citizen FC | 38 | 12 -12-14 | 48 | - | 43 | 47 | -4 | 19 | 8 -5-6 | 29 | 21 | 17 | 4 | 19 | 4 -7-8 | 19 | 22 | 30 | -8 |
| 3 | Gwangju FC | 38 | 14 -5-19 | 47 | - | 42 | 49 | -7 | 20 | 9 -3-8 | 30 | 26 | 25 | 1 | 18 | 5 -2-11 | 17 | 16 | 24 | -8 |
| 4 | Jeonbuk Motors | 38 | 10 -12-16 | 42 | - | 49 | 59 | -10 | 19 | 6 -8-5 | 26 | 26 | 27 | -1 | 19 | 4 -4-11 | 16 | 23 | 32 | -9 |
| 5 | Daegu FC | 38 | 9 -13-16 | 40 | - | 45 | 52 | -7 | 19 | 5 -8-6 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 2 | 19 | 4 -5-10 | 17 | 19 | 28 | -9 |
| 6 | Incheon United | 38 | 9 -12-17 | 39 | - | 38 | 49 | -11 | 19 | 3 -5-11 | 14 | 16 | 25 | -9 | 19 | 6 -7-6 | 25 | 22 | 24 | -2 |
2025-2026 AFCCL Relegation Playoff Relegation to KOR2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
1st Stage
| League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1 | Ulsan Hyundai FC | 33 | 18 -7-8 | 61 | - | 53 | 36 | 17 | 17 | 12 -3-2 | 39 | 36 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 6 -4-6 | 22 | 17 | 19 | -2 |
| 2 | Gimcheon Sangmu FC | 33 | 16 -8-9 | 56 | - | 50 | 37 | 13 | 16 | 10 -3-3 | 33 | 29 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 6 -5-6 | 23 | 21 | 23 | -2 |
| 3 | Gangwon FC | 33 | 16 -7-10 | 55 | - | 58 | 50 | 8 | 16 | 9 -5-2 | 32 | 38 | 22 | 16 | 17 | 7 -2-8 | 23 | 20 | 28 | -8 |
| 4 | Pohang Steelers | 33 | 14 -9-10 | 51 | - | 51 | 42 | 9 | 16 | 7 -6-3 | 27 | 20 | 14 | 6 | 17 | 7 -3-7 | 24 | 31 | 28 | 3 |
| 5 | FC Seoul | 33 | 14 -8-11 | 50 | - | 49 | 38 | 11 | 16 | 9 -1-6 | 28 | 27 | 17 | 10 | 17 | 5 -7-5 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 1 |
| 6 | Suwon FC | 33 | 14 -7-12 | 49 | - | 47 | 50 | -3 | 17 | 7 -4-6 | 25 | 25 | 27 | -2 | 16 | 7 -3-6 | 24 | 22 | 23 | -1 |
| 7 | Gwangju FC | 33 | 14 -1-18 | 43 | - | 40 | 46 | -6 | 17 | 9 -0-8 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 1 | 16 | 5 -1-10 | 16 | 16 | 23 | -7 |
| 8 | Jeju United FC | 33 | 13 -2-18 | 41 | - | 32 | 49 | -17 | 17 | 10 -0-7 | 30 | 21 | 22 | -1 | 16 | 3 -2-11 | 11 | 11 | 27 | -16 |
| 9 | Daegu FC | 33 | 9 -11-13 | 38 | - | 40 | 42 | -2 | 17 | 5 -7-5 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 4 | 16 | 4 -4-8 | 16 | 17 | 23 | -6 |
| 10 | Jeonbuk Motors | 33 | 9 -10-14 | 37 | - | 45 | 54 | -9 | 16 | 5 -7-4 | 22 | 23 | 24 | -1 | 17 | 4 -3-10 | 15 | 22 | 30 | -8 |
| 11 | Daejeon Citizen FC | 33 | 8 -11-14 | 35 | - | 36 | 45 | -9 | 17 | 6 -5-6 | 23 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 16 | 2 -6-8 | 12 | 18 | 29 | -11 |
| 12 | Incheon United | 33 | 7 -11-15 | 32 | - | 32 | 44 | -12 | 16 | 2 -5-9 | 11 | 13 | 21 | -8 | 17 | 5 -6-6 | 21 | 19 | 23 | -4 |
Championship Round Relegation Round | ||||||||||||||||||||
Results
 | 21 | Jeju United FC | Daejeon World Cup Stadium |
| 13 | Incheon United | DGB Daegu Bank Park |
 | 11 | Jeonbuk Motors | Gwangju Football Stadium |
 | 10 | Pohang Steelers | Gangneung Stadium |
 | 13 | FC Seoul | Gimcheon Stadium |
 | 42 | Suwon FC | Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium |
| 31 | Daegu FC | Jeonju World Cup Stadium |
| 00 | Gwangju FC | Jeju World Cup Stadium |
| 12 | Daejeon Citizen FC | Incheon Football Stadium |
| 03 | Gimcheon Sangmu FC | Pohang Steel Yard |
| 11 | Ulsan Hyundai FC | Sangam Stadium |
| 40 | Gangwon FC | Suwon Stadium |
| 22 | Jeju United FC | DGB Daegu Bank Park |
| 00 | Daejeon Citizen FC | Gwangju Football Stadium |
| 10 | Suwon FC | Gimcheon Stadium |
| 11 | Pohang Steelers | Sangam Stadium |
| 00 | Incheon United | Jeonju World Cup Stadium |
| 21 | Gangwon FC | Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium |
| 10 | Jeonbuk Motors | Jeju World Cup Stadium |
| 10 | Gwangju FC | Incheon Football Stadium |