South Korean football league system


The South Korean football league system contains two professional leagues, two semi-professional leagues and three amateur leagues for Korean football clubs.
The highest level of football in South Korea is the K League 1 which was founded in 1983. K League 2 was founded in 2013 and is currently a second division. Below the level of the professional leagues is the semi-professional K3 League was founded in 2007, refounded in 2020 and K4 League was founded in 2020, which serves as the third division and fourth division, respectively.
There was no avenue for progression between any of the leagues until 2012, when the K League 2 was founded.

System by period

was a semi-professional football league between corporate teams in South Korea from 1964 to 2002. In 1983, with the establishment of K League which is a professional league, Semi-professional League became the second tier and remained until 2002 before Korea National League was officially founded in 2003. The third tier K3 League was founded as an amateur league in 2007, and became the fourth tier after K League 2, the second division of the professional league, was founded in 2013. K3 League also divided into the Advanced and the Basic, and they became semi-professional leagues with new names, K3 League and K4 League, after the merger of National League in 2020.
Professional leagues
Semi-professional leagues
Amateur leagues

Current system

Outside this league structure, there are university, reserve and youth level competitions. University clubs' U-League and reserve teams' R League are operating independently from the league system.
LevelLeague / DivisionDifficulty
1K League 1
12 clubs
↓ 1 relegation spot + 1 relegation playoff spot
Professional
2K League 2
10 clubs
↑ 1 promotion spot + 1 promotion playoff spot
No relegation
Professional
3K3 League
16 clubs
No promotion
↓ 2 relegation spots + 1 relegation playoff spot
Semi-professional
4K4 League
13 clubs
↑ 2 promotion spots + 1 promotion playoff spot
No relegation
Semi-professional
5K5 League
66 clubs / 11 regions
No promotion
↓ 11 relegation spot
Amateur
6K6 League
199 clubs / 31 regions
↑ 11 promotion spot
↓ 30 relegation spot
Amateur
7K7 League
1127 clubs / 178 regions
↑ 30 promotion spot
↓ relegation spot
Amateur
8–Regional competitions
↑ promotion spot
Amateur

Qualification for Cups

Domestic cups

All K League, K3 League and K4 League sides qualify for the Korean FA Cup tournament. The top eleven sides from the K5 League gained qualification to the next season's FA Cup tournament. The Korean League Cup competition was open to K League teams only, whilst sides from the National League could compete in the National League Championship, but both were abolished now.

Continental competition

At present, four South Korean sides qualify automatically for the AFC Champions League. Three top teams from K League 1 automatically gains entry to the AFC Champions League. The Korean FA Cup winners also qualify for the AFC Champions League only. However, if the champions of Korean FA Cup are not members of K League, the fourth placed team of the K League 1 receive the entry spot.