 | |
| Organising body | K League Federation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 (2013) |
| Country | South Korea |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 17 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | K League 1 |
| Relegation to | K3 League |
| Domestic cup | Korea Cup |
| Current champions | Incheon United (2025) |
| Most championships | Gwangju FC Sangju Sangmu Gimcheon Sangmu (2 titles each) |
| Broadcaster(s) | Sky Sports (South Korea) Life & Sports TV |
| Website | kleague.com |
| Current: 2026 K League 2 | |
The K League 2 (Korean: K리그2) is the men's second-highest division of the South Korean football league system. Established in 2013 as K League Challenge, it is contested by 17 professional clubs.
History
In 2011, the original K League announced a plan to begin a promotion and relegation system between the K League and a proposed second division.[1] The K League then took steps to create the new second division, mainly with the addition of a split-system during the 2012 K-League season in which the bottom clubs were placed in a competition for safety with the last-placed club being relegated to the new second division (originally two clubs were going to be relegated but the withdrawal of Sangju Sangmu meant only one would be relegated).[2][3]
The second division was going to get the name of K League, and the original K League's name was changed to K League Classic along with the new logo.[4] However, the change caused some degree of confusion and controversy, and on 11 March 2013 the official name was changed to K League Challenge.[5][6] On 22 January 2018, its name was once again changed to K League 2.[7]
In the 2014 season, two additional teams were relegated from the K League Classic, reducing the number of participating teams to ten. Furthermore, the promotion-relegation playoff system was expanded. The league champion earned automatic promotion, while the third and fourth-placed teams competed in a playoff. The winner of this match faced the second-placed team, and the victor of this fixture advanced to the promotion-relegation playoff against the 11th-placed team from the K League Classic.[8]
In mid-2016, the city of Ansan announced the formation of a new professional football club, Ansan Greeners FC. The club's foundation involved acquiring the squad of Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Dolphins, a team with seven National League titles, and entering the league from the 2017 season.[9] As a result of this development, Ansan Mugunghwa, which had previously represented Ansan, was dissolved at the conclusion of the 2016 season. Meanwhile, the police football team, which had served as the foundation for Ansan Mugunghwa, reached an agreement with the city of Asan to relocate and rebrand as Asan Mugunghwa.[10]
Competition format
Regular season
The regular season consists of 34 rounds. Each team plays a total of 32 matches, playing every other team two times (home and away). As there is an odd number of teams in the league, one team rests each round. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points. In the case that teams are level on points, tie-breakers are applied in the following order:
- Total goals scored
- Goal difference
- Total wins
- Head-to-head results
- Penalty points accrued
The champions and runners-up of K League 2 automatically qualify for K League 1.[11]
Play-offs
From the 2026 season onwards, the third, fourth, fifth and sixth-placed teams compete in the promotion play-offs. The winner of the K League 2 promotion play-off gain promotion to K League 1, while promotion play-off runners-up plays against the twelfth-placed team in K League 1 in the K League promotion-relegation play-offs.[12]
Relegation
In the 2026 season, a promotion and relegation system was introduced between K League 2 and K3 League.[13]
Current clubs
| Club | Location | Stadium | First season | Current spell | Seasons[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ansan Greeners | Ansan | Ansan Wa~ Stadium | 2017 | 2017– | 10 |
| Busan IPark | Busan | Busan Gudeok Stadium | 2016 | 2021– | 10 |
| Cheonan City | Cheonan | Cheonan Stadium | 2023 | 2023– | 4 |
| Chungbuk Cheongju | Cheongju | Cheongju Sports Complex Stadium | 2023 | 2023– | 4 |
| Chungnam Asan | Asan | Yi Sun-sin Stadium | 2020 | 2020– | 7 |
| Daegu FC | Daegu | Daegu iM Bank Park | 2014 | 2026– | 4 |
| Gimhae FC 2008 | Gimhae | Gimhae Sports Complex | 2026 | 2026– | 1 |
| Gimpo FC | Gimpo | Gimpo Solteo Football Stadium | 2022 | 2022– | 5 |
| Gyeongnam FC | Changwon | Changwon Football Center | 2015 | 2020– | 10 |
| Hwaseong FC | Hwaseong | Hwaseong Stadium | 2025 | 2025– | 2 |
| Jeonnam Dragons | South Jeolla | Gwangyang Football Stadium | 2019 | 2019– | 8 |
| Paju Frontier | Paju | Paju Stadium | 2026 | 2026– | 1 |
| Seongnam FC | Seongnam | Tancheon Stadium | 2017 | 2023– | 6 |
| Seoul E-Land | Seoul | Mokdong Stadium | 2015 | 2015– | 12 |
| Suwon FC | Suwon | Suwon Stadium | 2013 | 2026– | 8 |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | Suwon | Suwon World Cup Stadium | 2024 | 2024– | 3 |
| Yongin FC | Yongin | Yongin Mireu Stadium | 2026 | 2026– | 1 |
- ^ As of the start of the 2026 season.
Champions
Champions by season
Performance by club
| Club | Champions | Runners-up | Seasons won | Seasons runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwangju FC | 2
|
1
|
2019, 2022 | 2014 |
| Sangju Sangmu | 2
|
0
|
2013, 2015 | — |
| Gimcheon Sangmu | 2
|
0
|
2021, 2023 | — |
| Daejeon Hana Citizen | 1
|
2
|
2014 | 2021, 2022 |
| Ansan Mugunghwa[a] | 1
|
1
|
2016 | 2013 |
| Gyeongnam FC | 1
|
0
|
2017 | — |
| Asan Mugunghwa[a] | 1
|
0
|
2018 | — |
| Jeju SK | 1
|
0
|
2020 | — |
| FC Anyang | 1
|
0
|
2024 | — |
| Incheon United | 1
|
0
|
2025 | — |
| Busan IPark | 0
|
3
|
— | 2017, 2019, 2023 |
| Suwon FC | 0
|
2
|
— | 2015, 2020 |
| Daegu FC | 0
|
1
|
— | 2016 |
| Seongnam FC | 0
|
1
|
— | 2018 |
| Chungnam Asan | 0
|
1
|
— | 2024 |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 0
|
1
|
— | 2025 |
- ^ a b Ansan Mugunghwa and Asan Mugunghwa are officially two distinct clubs per K League policies.[14]
See also
References
- ^ Richards, Dave. "Korea, England: closer football ties". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ^ K리그 31~44라운드, 상주 없이 그대로 진행 (in Korean). Sports Chosun. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ^ "K League confirm promotion-relegation system". SportsSpying. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ^ "K League News". K League. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ^ 위원석의 하프타임 'K리그'에 새로운 이름을 붙여주자 (in Korean). Sports Seoul. 19 February 2013. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013.
- ^ 'K리그 챌린지' 프로축구 2부리그 새 이름으로 이번 주말 스타트! (in Korean). K League. 11 March 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
- ^ 프로축구연맹, 클래식→K리그1, 챌린지→K리그2 대회명 변경 (in Korean). K League. 22 January 2018.
- ^ "K리그 클래식-챌린지, 2014년에 어떻게 달라질까?" [K League Classic-Challenge: How will it be different in 2014?]. Daily Sports (in Korean). 31 December 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ "안산FC, 울산미포 선수 최대 14명 받는다" [Ansan FC to receive up to 14 Ulsan Mipo players]. footballjournal.co.kr (in Korean). 29 September 2016. Archived from the original on 22 November 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ Park, Sang-hyun (9 November 2016). "안산-아산 K리그 회원가입 승인, 내년 챌린지도 11개팀 체제로" [Ansan-Asan K League membership approved, next year's challenge to be 11-team format]. sportsq.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ "Top football league to add 2 clubs in 2027". The Korea Times. 1 December 2025. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- ^ "News: K League 1 set for shake-up in 2026, 2027". K League United. 1 December 2025. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- ^ "News: Korean football pyramid to open up fully from 2026". OneFootball. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- ^ 프로연맹, 신생팀 안산-아산 가입 승인
External links
- Official K League website
