Summary
The K League 1 (KOR1) is the top level of league-style football competition in South Korea. At the end of the 2021 KOR1 season, the KOR1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play:
- 2022 AFC Champions League - Group Stage:
- 1st place 2021 KOR1 team from the Championship group
- 2022 AFC Champions League - Playoff Round:
- 2nd and 3rd place 2021 KOR1 teams from the Championship group
The winner of the 2021 Korean FA Cup, typically a KOR1 team, also receives a berth in the Group Stage of the 2022 AFC Champions League.
Leagues Pyramid - Korea Republic
Abbrev | League | # of Teams |
---|---|---|
KOR1 | K League 1 | 12 |
KOR2 | K League 2 | 10 |
Competition Structure
Season | # of Teams | ||
Regular 27 Feb 2021 - 23 Oct 2021 | Champ/Releg Rounds 28 Oct 2021 - 7 Nov 2021 | 12: KOR1 (10 minimum), KOR2 (2 maximum) |
Season Format
In the 2021 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 2021 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. The winner of this playoff plays in the 2022 KOR1 and the loser plays in the 2022 KOR2.
More Info...
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 | Jeonbuk Motors | 38 | 22 -10-6 | 76 | - | 71 | 37 | 34 | 19 | 13 -3-3 | 42 | 38 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 9 -7-3 | 34 | 33 | 17 | 16 |
2 | Ulsan Hyundai FC | 38 | 21 -11-6 | 74 | - | 64 | 41 | 23 | 19 | 13 -5-1 | 44 | 38 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 8 -6-5 | 30 | 26 | 22 | 4 |
3 | Daegu FC | 38 | 15 -10-13 | 55 | - | 41 | 48 | -7 | 19 | 8 -6-5 | 30 | 21 | 23 | -2 | 19 | 7 -4-8 | 25 | 20 | 25 | -5 |
4 | Jeju United FC | 38 | 13 -15-10 | 54 | - | 52 | 44 | 8 | 18 | 7 -6-5 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 20 | 6 -9-5 | 27 | 28 | 20 | 8 |
5 | Suwon FC | 38 | 14 -9-15 | 51 | - | 53 | 57 | -4 | 19 | 9 -3-7 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 19 | 5 -6-8 | 21 | 25 | 29 | -4 |
6 | Suwon Bluewings | 38 | 12 -10-16 | 46 | - | 42 | 50 | -8 | 19 | 5 -6-8 | 21 | 21 | 29 | -8 | 19 | 7 -4-8 | 25 | 21 | 21 | 0 |
Relegation | ||||||||||||||||||||
1 | FC Seoul | 38 | 12 -11-15 | 47 | - | 46 | 46 | 0 | 19 | 5 -6-8 | 21 | 21 | 22 | -1 | 19 | 7 -5-7 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 1 |
2 | Incheon United | 38 | 12 -11-15 | 47 | - | 38 | 45 | -7 | 19 | 7 -6-6 | 27 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 19 | 5 -5-9 | 20 | 21 | 31 | -10 |
3 | Pohang Steelers | 38 | 12 -10-16 | 46 | - | 41 | 45 | -4 | 20 | 6 -5-9 | 23 | 21 | 24 | -3 | 18 | 6 -5-7 | 23 | 20 | 21 | -1 |
4 | Seongnam FC | 38 | 11 -11-16 | 44 | - | 34 | 46 | -12 | 19 | 8 -5-6 | 29 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 3 -6-10 | 15 | 15 | 27 | -12 |
5 | Gangwon FC | 38 | 10 -13-15 | 43 | - | 40 | 51 | -11 | 19 | 7 -8-4 | 29 | 25 | 19 | 6 | 19 | 3 -5-11 | 14 | 15 | 32 | -17 |
6 | Gwangju FC | 38 | 10 -7-21 | 37 | - | 42 | 54 | -12 | 19 | 5 -5-9 | 20 | 23 | 27 | -4 | 19 | 5 -2-12 | 17 | 19 | 27 | -8 |
2022 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 | Jeonbuk Motors | 33 | 18 -10-5 | 64 | - | 58 | 32 | 26 | 17 | 11 -3-3 | 36 | 33 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 7 -7-2 | 28 | 25 | 14 | 11 |
2 | Ulsan Hyundai FC | 33 | 18 -10-5 | 64 | - | 54 | 35 | 19 | 16 | 10 -5-1 | 35 | 30 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 8 -5-4 | 29 | 24 | 19 | 5 |
3 | Daegu FC | 33 | 13 -10-10 | 49 | - | 37 | 37 | 0 | 16 | 7 -6-3 | 27 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 17 | 6 -4-7 | 22 | 18 | 22 | -4 |
4 | Jeju United FC | 33 | 10 -15-8 | 45 | - | 43 | 39 | 4 | 16 | 5 -6-5 | 21 | 21 | 24 | -3 | 17 | 5 -9-3 | 24 | 22 | 15 | 7 |
5 | Suwon Bluewings | 33 | 12 -9-12 | 45 | - | 41 | 40 | 1 | 17 | 5 -5-7 | 20 | 21 | 25 | -4 | 16 | 7 -4-5 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 5 |
6 | Suwon FC | 33 | 12 -9-12 | 45 | - | 45 | 49 | -4 | 16 | 7 -3-6 | 24 | 22 | 24 | -2 | 17 | 5 -6-6 | 21 | 23 | 25 | -2 |
7 | Pohang Steelers | 33 | 11 -9-13 | 42 | - | 35 | 40 | -5 | 17 | 5 -5-7 | 20 | 15 | 20 | -5 | 16 | 6 -4-6 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
8 | Incheon United | 33 | 11 -7-15 | 40 | - | 33 | 42 | -9 | 17 | 6 -5-6 | 23 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 16 | 5 -2-9 | 17 | 18 | 28 | -10 |
9 | FC Seoul | 33 | 9 -10-14 | 37 | - | 37 | 40 | -3 | 17 | 4 -5-8 | 17 | 18 | 22 | -4 | 16 | 5 -5-6 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 1 |
10 | Gangwon FC | 33 | 9 -10-14 | 37 | - | 35 | 43 | -8 | 17 | 6 -7-4 | 25 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 16 | 3 -3-10 | 12 | 13 | 26 | -13 |
11 | Seongnam FC | 33 | 9 -10-14 | 37 | - | 30 | 40 | -10 | 16 | 6 -4-6 | 22 | 16 | 18 | -2 | 17 | 3 -6-8 | 15 | 14 | 22 | -8 |
12 | Gwangju FC | 33 | 9 -5-19 | 32 | - | 34 | 45 | -11 | 16 | 5 -3-8 | 18 | 17 | 20 | -3 | 17 | 4 -2-11 | 14 | 17 | 25 | -8 |
Championship Round Relegation Round |
Results
Ulsan Hyundai FC | 20 | Daegu FC | Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium |
Jeonbuk Motors | 20 | Jeju United FC | Jeonju World Cup Stadium |
Suwon FC | 20 | Suwon Bluewings | Suwon World Cup Stadium |
Gwangju FC | 11 | Incheon United | Gwangju Football Stadium |
Gangwon FC | 21 | Seongnam FC | Chuncheon Songam Stadium |
Pohang Steelers | 12 | FC Seoul | Pohang Steel Yard |
FC Seoul | 00 | Gangwon FC | Seoul Olympic Stadium |
Incheon United | 00 | Pohang Steelers | Incheon Football Stadium |
Suwon Bluewings | 00 | Ulsan Hyundai FC | Suwon World Cup Stadium |
Daegu FC | 02 | Jeonbuk Motors | DGB Arena (Daegu) |
Seongnam FC | 10 | Gwangju FC | Tancheon Sports Complex |
Jeju United FC | 10 | Suwon FC | Jeju World Cup Stadium |
Daegu FC | 21 | Suwon Bluewings | DGB Arena (Daegu) |
Ulsan Hyundai FC | 31 | Jeju United FC | Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium |
Suwon FC | 32 | Jeonbuk Motors | Suwon World Cup Stadium |
FC Seoul | 30 | Seongnam FC | Seoul Olympic Stadium |
Gangwon FC | 11 | Incheon United | Chuncheon Songam Stadium |
Pohang Steelers | 12 | Gwangju FC | Pohang Steel Yard |
Jeonbuk Motors | 32 | Ulsan Hyundai FC | Jeonju World Cup Stadium |