| Season | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 28 February – 29 November 2026 |
| Matches | 240 |
| Goals | 653 (2.72 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | (15 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Busan IPark 4-1 Paju Frontier (30 May) |
| Biggest away win | Chungbuk Cheongju 1-5 Daegu (4 July) |
| Highest scoring | Daegu 4-2 Jeonnam Dragons (7 March) Jeonnam Dragons 3-3 Busan IPark (5 July) Jeonnam Dragons 2-4 Daegu (24 October) |
| Longest winning run | 7 Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
| Longest unbeaten run | 15 Suwon FC |
| Longest winless run | 13 Jeonnam Dragons, Chungbuk Cheongju |
| Longest losing run | 4 Gimhae |
| Highest attendance | 24,071 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2-1 Seoul E-Land (28 February) |
| Lowest attendance | 684 Gimhae 0-3 Yongin (30 August) |
| Total attendance | 1,077,945 |
| Average attendance | 4,491 |
← 2025 2027 → All statistics correct as of 25 October 2026. | |
The 2026 K League 2, also known as the Hana Bank K League 2 for sponsorship reasons, is the 14th season of the K League 2, the second-highest division in South Korean football league system.
The league has expand to 17 teams for this season. Two teams relegated from K League 1, and the twelve teams remaining in the league, two teams promoted from the K3 League and one newly established club.
K League 2 will be reduced or expanded to 15 or 16 teams starting next season, due to the expansion of K League 1 from 12 to 14 teams, no team will be automatically relegated from the top tier.
This season, Promotion and Relegation between K League 2 and K3 League have been introduce for 2026 onwards. First and second place are promoted automatically, while third and sixth place face a promotion play-off, the winner of the promotion play-off final will automatically be promoted, the loser of the promotion play-off final will face-off against the 12th place team of K League 1 (only if Gimcheon Sangmu does not finish last).
Last place in K League 2 will face -off against the Champions of K3 League in the inaugural Relegation play-off round.
As the 2025 K League 2 champions, Incheon United and the play-off winners Bucheon FC 1995 have been promoted to the K League 1. [1] [2] Both teams ended in the second tier after one and twelve years, respectively.
Meanwhile, Suwon FC and Daegu FC have been relegated from the K League 1. [3] [4] Daegu FC and Suwon FC return to second tier after nine and five years absence, respectively.
Additionally, Gimhae FC 2008 and Paju Frontier have been accepted into the K League 2 following a decision by the K League Federation, having participated in the K3 League since 2020 and 2021. [5] In August 2025, Yongin FC received approval to join the K League, confirming its intention to participate in the 2026 K League 2. [6] On 16 January 2026, two teams from K3 League and one newly established team will participate in K League 2 for the 2026 season after its final approval for membership in the K League Federation.
| Relegated from K League 1 |
|---|
| Accepted from K3 League |
| New Club |
| Promoted to K League 1 |
|---|
The following seventeen teams are participating in the 2026 K League 2. [7]
| Team | City/Province | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Ansan Greeners | Ansan | Ansan |
| Busan IPark | Busan | Busan |
| Cheonan City | Cheonan | Cheonan |
| Chungbuk Cheongju | Cheongju | Chungbuk Cheongju |
| Chungnam Asan | Asan | Chungnam Asan |
| Daegu FC | Daegu | Daegu |
| Gimpo FC | Gimpo | Gimpo |
| Gimhae FC 2008 | Gimhae | Gimhae |
| Gyeongnam FC | Gyeongnam | Gyeongnam |
| Hwaseong FC | Hwaseong | Hwaseong |
| Jeonnam Dragons | Jeonnam | Jeonnam |
| Paju Frontier | Paju | Paju |
| Seongnam FC | Seongnam | Seongnam |
| Seoul E-Land | Seoul | Seoul E |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | Suwon | Suwon |
| Suwon FC | Suwon | Suwon FC |
| Yongin FC | Yongin | Yongin |
| Ansan Greeners | Busan IPark | Cheonan City | Chungbuk Cheongju | Chungnam Asan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ansan Wa~ Stadium | Busan Gudeok Stadium | Cheonan Stadium | Cheongju Stadium | Yi Sun-sin Stadium |
| Capacity: 35,000 | Capacity: 12,349 | Capacity: 26,000 | Capacity: 16,280 | Capacity: 19,283 |
| | | | | |
| Daegu FC | Gimhae FC 2008 | Gimpo FC | Gyeongnam FC | Hwaseong FC |
| Daegu iM Bank Park | Gimhae Sports Complex | Gimpo Solteo Football Stadium | Changwon Football Center | Hwaseong Stadium |
| Capacity: 12,415 | Capacity: 15,066 | Capacity: 5,000 | Capacity: 15,074 | Capacity: 35,270 |
| | | |||
| Jeonnam Dragons | Paju Frontier | Seongnam FC | Seoul E-Land | Suwon FC |
| Gwangyang Stadium | Paju Stadium | Tancheon Stadium | Mokdong Stadium | Suwon Sports Complex |
| Capacity: 13,496 | Capacity: 23,000 | Capacity: 16,146 | Capacity: 15,511 | Capacity: 11,808 |
| | | | ||
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | Yongin FC | |||
| Suwon World Cup Stadium | Yongin Mireu Stadium | |||
| Capacity: 44,031 | Capacity: 37,155 | |||
| | | |||
| Team | Manager | Main sponsor | Kit manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ansan Greeners | | Ansan City Greeners | Hummel |
| Busan IPark | | HDC | Puma |
| Cheonan City | | Cheonan City | Sunderland of Scotland |
| Chungbuk Cheongju | | Hanyang Leeps | Sports Tribe |
| Chungnam Asan | | Chungnam Asan | FCMM |
| Daegu FC | | IM Bank | Mizuno |
| Gimhae FC 2008 | | Gimhae City | Sports Tribe |
| Gimpo FC | | Goobne | Sunderland of Scotland |
| Gyeongnam FC | | Nonghyup Bank | Hummel |
| Hwaseong FC | | Hwaseong Special City | Kelme |
| Jeonnam Dragons | | POSCO | Reebok |
| Paju Frontier | | Lucell | Kelme |
| Seongnam FC | | Seongnam City | Umbro |
| Seoul E-Land | | E-Land | New Balance |
| Suwon FC | | Suwon Special City | Hummel |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | | Samsung Galaxy S26 | Umbro |
| Yongin FC | | Yongin Special City | Puma |
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ansan Greeners | | End of Interim | 17 November 2025 | | 17 November 2025 |
| Cheonan City | | 1 December 2025 | | 1 December 2025 | |
| Gyeongnam FC | | 8 December 2025 | | 8 December 2025 | |
| Jeonnam Dragons | | End of Contract | 4 December 2025 | | 16 December 2025 |
| Chungnam Asan | | End of Interim | 17 December 2025 | | 17 December 2025 |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | | Resigned | 7 December 2025 | | 24 December 2025 |
| Suwon FC | | Mutual consent | 24 December 2025 | | 24 December 2025 |
| Chungbuk Cheongju | | End of Contract | 12 December 2025 | | 30 December 2025 |
| Yongin FC | Inaugural season | | 4 January 2026 | ||
| Chungnam Asan | | Resigned | 15 April 2026 | | 15 April 2026 |
| Daegu FC | | Resigned | 20 April 2026 | | 20 April 2026 |
| Jeonnam Dragons | | Change of Position | 27 April 2026 | | 30 April 2026 |
| Chungnam Asan | | End of Interim | 29 April 2026 | | 29 April 2026 |
| Seongnam FC | | End of Contract | 4 August 2026 | | 4 August 2026 |
| Seongnam FC | | End of Interim | 11 August 2026 | | 11 August 2026 |
| Gimhae FC 2008 | | Resigned | 1 October 2026 | | 1 October 2026 |
| Gimhae FC 2008 | | End of Interim | 28 October 2026 | | 28 October 2026 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings (T) | 29 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 50 | 25 | +25 | 63 | Promotion to K League 1 |
| 2 | Seoul E-Land (T) | 29 | 16 | 6 | 7 | 54 | 36 | +18 | 54 | |
| 3 | Suwon FC (T) | 28 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 53 | 31 | +22 | 54 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 4 | Daegu FC (T) | 29 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 57 | 40 | +17 | 53 | |
| 5 | Busan IPark | 29 | 14 | 6 | 9 | 47 | 37 | +10 | 48 | |
| 6 | Hwaseong FC | 30 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 44 | 33 | +11 | 45 | |
| 7 | Chungnam Asan | 29 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 41 | 33 | +8 | 42 | |
| 8 | Gimpo FC | 29 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 37 | 39 | −2 | 38 | |
| 9 | Gyeongnam FC | 29 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 33 | 34 | −1 | 38 | |
| 10 | Yongin FC (Z) | 29 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 38 | 43 | −5 | 33 | |
| 11 | Chungbuk Cheongju (Z) | 29 | 6 | 14 | 9 | 35 | 47 | −12 | 32 | |
| 12 | Seongnam FC (Z) | 28 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 30 | 37 | −7 | 31 | |
| 13 | Paju Frontier (Z) | 28 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 27 | 34 | −7 | 31 | |
| 14 | Cheonan City (Z) | 28 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 34 | 38 | −4 | 29 | |
| 15 | Ansan Greeners (Z) | 29 | 7 | 4 | 18 | 33 | 56 | −23 | 25 | |
| 16 | Jeonnam Dragons (Z) | 28 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 33 | 50 | −17 | 24 | |
| 17 | Gimhae FC 2008 (Z) | 28 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 24 | 57 | −33 | 17 |
Leaders, promotion to K League 1
Promotion to K League 1
Qualification for promotion play-offs semi-final
Teams played each other twice, once at home, once away.
| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
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| 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 | ||||