 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(January 2024) |
| Season | 2025 |
|---|---|
← 2024 2026 → All statistics correct as of 24 November 2024. | |
The 2025 K League 1, also known as the Hana 1Q K League 1 for sponsorship reasons, is the 43rd season of the top division of professional football in South Korea, and the twelfth season of the K League 1. Ulsan HD defended their title for the third consecutive year. [1]
FC Anyang were promoted from the 2024 K League 2 for 1st time in club history. [2] Incheon United was relegated to 2025 K League 2 in the club's first absence from the top flight of Korean football. [3]
 Promoted from K League 2 |  Relegated to K League 2 |
|---|---|
The following twelve clubs are competing in the 2025 K League 1. [4]
| Team | City/Province | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Daegu FC | Daegu | Daegu |
| Daejeon Hana Citizen | Daejeon | Daejeon |
| FC Anyang | Anyang | Anyang |
| Gangwon FC | Gangwon | Gangwon |
| Gimcheon Sangmu | Gimcheon | Gimcheon |
| Gwangju FC | Gwangju | Gwangju |
| Jeju SK | Jeju | Jeju |
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | Jeonbuk | Jeonbuk |
| Pohang Steelers | Pohang | Pohang |
| FC Seoul | Seoul | Seoul |
| Suwon FC | Suwon | Suwon FC |
| Ulsan HD | Ulsan | Ulsan |
| Daegu FC | Daejeon Hana Citizen | Gangwon FC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DGB Daegu Bank Park | Daejeon World Cup Stadium | Chuncheon Songam Leports Town | Gangneung Stadium |
| Capacity: 12,415 | Capacity: 40,903 | Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 22,333 |
 |  |  | |
| FC Anyang | Gimcheon Sangmu | Gwangju FC | Jeju SK |
| Anyang Stadium | Gimcheon Stadium | Gwangju Football Stadium | Jeju World Cup Stadium |
| Capacity: 17,143 | Capacity: 25,000 | Capacity: 10,007 | Capacity: 29,791 |
 |  |  | |
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | Pohang Steelers | FC Seoul | Suwon FC |
| Jeonju World Cup Stadium | Pohang Steel Yard | Seoul World Cup Stadium | Suwon Stadium |
| Capacity: 42,477 | Capacity: 17,443 | Capacity: 66,704 | Capacity: 11,808 |
 |  |  |  |
| Ulsan HD | |||
| Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium | |||
| Capacity: 44,102 | |||
 | |||
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Table | Replaced by | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gangwon FC |  Yoon Jong-hwan | End of Contract | 30 November 2024 | Pre-season | Chung Kyung-ho | 6 December 2024 |
The number of allowed foreign players was kept strictly to six per team but could field at most five foreign players at any given time. [5]
As a military-owned team, Gimcheon Sangmu are not allowed to sign any foreign players.
North Korean player An Byong-jun, who played for Suwon FC, was deemed as a native player by South Korean nationality law.
Players in bold were registered during the mid-season transfer window.
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
Teams played each other twice, once at home, once away.
The tenth-placed team and the eleventh-placed team will play against the play-off winners and the runners-up of the K League 2, respectively, in the relegation play-offs.
| Rank | Player [6] | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player [6] | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Attendants who entered with free ticket are not counted.
The K League 1 (Korean: K리그1) is the top flight of men's professional football in the South Korean football league system, and is contested by twelve clubs. It is one of the most successful leagues in the Asian Football Confederation, with its past and present clubs having won a record twelve AFC Champions League titles.
The 2012 K League, officially known as Hyundai Oilbank K-League 2012, was the 30th season of the K League. It was sponsored by Hyundai Oilbank. Since this season, the K League Championship and the Korean League Cup were abolished, and K League introduced the "split system", inspired by Scottish Premier League. After all 16 clubs played 30 matches each under the home and away system, they were split into the group of top eight and the group of bottom eight, playing with each other in a group again.
The 2013 K League Classic was the 31st season of the top division of South Korean professional football. The South Korean professional football league, K League, was split into two divisions since this year, and the top division was named the "K League Classic". Its fixtures were announced on 30 January, and began on 2 March.
K League (Korean: K리그) is South Korea's professional football league. It includes the first division K League 1 and the second division K League 2. Clubs competing in the K League have won a record total of twelve AFC Champions League titles, the top continental competition for Asian clubs.
The 2016 K League Classic was the 34th season of the top division of South Korean professional football since its establishment in 1983, and the fourth season of the K League Classic.
The 2018 K League 1 was the 36th season of the top division of professional football in South Korea since its establishment in 1983, and the sixth season of the K League 1, former K League Classic. The K League Classic was changed its name to "K League 1" in this season. As the 2018 FIFA World Cup start on 14 June, the last round before stoppage will be held on 19–20 May. The league will resume games on 7 July.
The 2019 K League 1 was the 37th season of the top division of professional football in South Korea since its establishment in 1983, and the seventh season of the K League 1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors were the defending champions.
The 2021 K League 1, also known as the Hana 1Q K League 1 for sponsorship reasons, was the 39th season of the top division of professional football in South Korea, and the ninth season of the K League 1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors won their ninth title and fifth consecutive title.
The 2021 K League 2 was the ninth season of the K League 2, the second-tier South Korean professional football league. The champions and the winners of the promotion play-offs could be promoted to the K League 1.
The 2021 Korean FA Cup, known as the 2021 Hana Bank FA Cup due to sponsorship agreement with Hana Bank, was the 26th edition of the Korean FA Cup. Similar to the previous year, U-League teams did not participate, and the top ten sides from the K5 League gained qualification instead.
The 2022 K League 1, also known as the Hana 1Q K League 1 for sponsorship reasons, was the 40th season of the top division of professional football in South Korea, and the tenth season of the K League 1.
The 2022 K League 2 was the tenth season of the K League 2, the second-tier South Korean professional football league. The champions and the winners of the promotion play-offs could be promoted to the K League 1.
The 2022 season was Suwon Samsung Bluewings's 27th season in the K League 1 in South Korea. They competed in the 2022 K League 1 and the FA Cup.
The 2022 season was FC Seoul's 39th in the K League 1. For the 3rd consecutive season, FC Seoul wasn't able to end the K League 1 at the Championship Round, leaving them a K League 1 Relegation Round spot. They finished in 9th place, escaping relegation play-offs at their last match, after winning 2–0 past Suwon FC. They didn't participated —or qualified to participate—in the 2022 AFC Champions League. Their final chance of reaching the 2023–24 AFC Champions League was via the 2022 Korean FA Cup, where they played a two-legged final against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, losing on aggregate score. Overall, no titles were won by FC Seoul in the season.
The 2023 K League 1, also known as the Hana 1Q K League 1 for sponsorship reasons, was the 41st season of the top division of professional football in South Korea, and the eleventh season of the K League 1. Defending champions Ulsan Hyundai successfully defended their title.
The 2023 K League 2, also known as the Hana 1Q K League 2 for sponsorship reasons, was the 11th season of the K League 2, the second-highest division in South Korean football league system.
The 2024 K League 1, also known as the Hana 1Q K League 1 for sponsorship reasons, is the 42nd season of the top division of professional football in South Korea, and the twelfth season of the K League 1. Ulsan HD defended their title for the second consecutive year.
The 2024 season was Ulsan HD FC's 41st season in the K League 1, and the first season under the new name after rebranding from Ulsan Hyundai FC. Over the course of the season, the club participated in the 2024 K League 1, the 2024 Korean FA Cup, the 2023–24 AFC Champions League, and the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite.
The 2024 season was Pohang Steelers' 42nd season in the K League 1 in South Korea. Pohang Steelers competed in the K League 1, Korean FA Cup, and the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite.
