The Korea Professional Football League (K-League) is South Korea's only fully professional football league. At the top of the South korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 15 clubs. [edit] Establishment The K-League was founded in 1983 as the Korean Super League, with five member clubs. The initial five clubs were Hallelujah FC, Yukong Kokkiri, POSCO Dolphins, Daewoo Royals, Kookmin Bank FC. Hallelujah FC won the inaugural title, finishing one point ahead of Daewoo FC to lift the crown. In 1998, Korea's football league was reformed and renamed the K-League. Since its creation, the league has expanded from an initial 5 to 15 clubs. Of the 5 inaugural clubs, only Yukong Kokkiri, POSCO Dolphins, and Daewoo Royals remain in the K-League; Kookmin Bank FC dropped out of the league at the end of 1984, and Hallelujah FC followed the season after. [edit] Structure At present the K-League is the only professional league in Korea. It contains fifteen member clubs. Below the level of the K-League there is the National League, a closed semi-professional/amateur league with fourteen clubs, established in 2003. The third level of football in Korea is the K3 League. There is, at present, no official system of promotion and relegation between any of the three leagues. However, beginning in 2006, the champions of the National League had been eligible for promotion to the K-League provided they had met certain criteria. Goyang Kookmin Bank and Ulsan Mipo Dockyard, National League champions in 2006 and 2007 respectively, both rejected the opportunity to move up to the K-League. After back-to-back K-League promotion refusals, the National League committee decided to discontinue the conditional promotion system prior to the 2008 season. [edit] The league summary The K-League season typically begins around March/April and runs to late November each year. The number of games, clubs and the systems used have varied through the years, but for 2009 the league will operate with a full stage regular season followed by a top six championship playoff system. The fifteen member clubs play each other twice in the regular season giving a total of 28 matches. The top six sides at the end of the regular season will enter the championship playoffs, which decide final standings of the season among the six. In the first two matches, the third-placed team will face the sixth-placed team and the fourth-placed team will face the fifth-placed team, with the two winners then playing off for the right to face the second-placed team. The winner of that match will then progress to the two-legged championship playoff final where the first-placed side lie in wait, with the overall winner of the home and away series being crowned champions for 2009. The K-League champions, runner-up and third place gain entry to the AFC Champions League the following season. Locations of the K-League 2009 clubs A number of the member clubs are owned by major Korean Chaebols, and the club names reflect that fact. Clubs have adopted local city names in an effort to integrate themselves more with the local communities; for example, Daewoo evolved over the years into Daewoo Royals, Busan Daewoo Royals, Busan I'cons and latterly Busan I'Park. Although a number of K-League clubs have relocated in the past, the Lucky Goldstar (LG) corporation caused a huge controversy[not specific enough to verify] at the end of 2003 when they made the decision to uproot their Anyang LG Cheetahs from the Seoul satellite city of Anyang and move into the empty Seoul World Cup stadium, becoming FC Seoul. Then following the 2005 season SK announced it was moving the Bucheon SK FC to the island of Jeju, where they became Jeju United. In the 2009 season, Gangwon FC (Head Coach: Choi Sun-Ho, former Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Chosun head coach) joined the K-League as it's 15th member club. As such, the K-League had one or more club in every Korean Province (Capital, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, Jeonnam, Chungcheong, Gangwon, Jeju) in Korea.
This is the first time in domestic Korean professional sports history that there has been at least two clubs in each Korean province.
[edit] Members for 2009 season As of 2009 Seaon, K-League Clubs By Province | Province (Population) | City / Area (Population) | Clubs | | Capital Region (24,200,705) | Seoul (10,207,304) | FC Seoul | | Incheon (2,693,123) | Incheon United | | Suwon (1,068,033) | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | | Seongnam (941,889) | Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma | | Gyeongsang Region (13,056,617) | Busan (3,562,642) | Busan I'Park | | Daegu (2,493,192) | Daegu FC | | Ulsan (1,112,579) | Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i | | Gyeongnam (3,224,676) | Gyeongnam FC | | Pohang (508,382) | Pohang Steelers | | Jeolla Region (5,757,649) | Gwangju (1,423,519) | Gwangju Sangmu FC | | Jeonnam (1,918,310) | Chunnam Dragons | | Jeonbuk(1,855,171) | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | | Chungcheong Region (5,020,305) | Daejeon (1,481,516) | Daejeon Citizen | | Gangwon Region (1,507,799) | Gangwon (1,507,799) | Gangwon FC | | Jeju Region (560,649) | Jeju (560,649) | Jeju United | - * Population - 2009 census
The following 15 clubs will compete in the K-League during the 2009 season. - K-League's principle of official statistics is that final club succeeds to predecessor club's history & records.
| Club | City / Area | Home Stadium(s) | Joined | Owner(s) / Sponsor(s) | Pohang Steelers
포항 스틸러스 | Pohang | * Steelyard Stadium
0(18,960 seats) | 1983 - | Owner : Pohang Steelworks in POSCO | Jeju United
제주 유나이티드 | Jeju | * Jeju World Cup Stadium
0(35,657 seats) | 1983 - | Owner : SK Energy in SK Group | Busan I'Park
부산 아이파크 | Busan | 0Asiad Main Stadium
0(53,769 seats) | 1983 - | Owner : I'Park Sports in Hyundai Development Group | Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i
울산 현대 호랑이 | Ulsan | * Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
0(44,474 seats) | 1984 - | Owner : Hyundai Heavy Industries in Hyundai Heavy Industries Group | FC Seoul
FC 서울 | Seoul | * Seoul World Cup Stadium
0(68,476 seats) | 1984 - | Owner : GS Sports in GS Group | Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
성남 일화 천마 | Seongnam | 0Tancheon Sports Complex
0(16,146 seats) | 1989 - | Owner : Ilhwa in Tongil Group | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
전북 현대 모터스 | Jeonbuk | * Jeonju World Cup Stadium
0(42,477 seats) | 1994 - | Owner : Hyundai Motor Company in Hyundai Kia Automotive Group | Chunnam Dragons
전남 드래곤즈 | Jeonnam | * GwangYang Stadium
0(13,496 seats) | 1995 - | Owner : Gwangyang Steelworks in POSCO | Suwon Samsung Bluewings
수원 삼성 블루윙즈 | Suwon | * Suwon World Cup Stadium
0(43,959 seats) | 1996 - | Owner : Samsung Electronics in Samsung Group | Daejeon Citizen
대전 시티즌 | Daejeon | * Daejeon World Cup Stadium
0(40,535 seats) | 1997 - | Owners : Government of Daejeon, Citizen Stockholder
Sponsors : Kyeryong Construction Co.,Ltd, Hanwha Group | Daegu FC
대구 FC | Daegu | 0Daegu Stadium
0(66,422 seats) | 2003 - | Owners : Government of Daegu, Citizen Stockholder
Sponsors : Doosan Group, Daegu Bank | Gwangju Sangmu FC
광주 상무 | Gwangju | 0Gwangju World Cup Stadium
0(40,245 seats) | 1985
2003 - | Owners : Government of Gwangju, Ministry of National Defence
Sponsors : Kumho Asiana Group, Gwangju Bank | Incheon United
인천 유나이티드 | Incheon | 0Incheon Munhak Stadium
0(50,256 seats) | 2004 - | Owners : Government of Incheon, Citizen Stockholder
Sponsors : Daewoo E&C, Shinhan Bank, GM Daewoo | Gyeongnam FC
경남 FC | Gyeongnam | 0Changwon Civil Stadium
0(27,085 seats) | 2006 - | Owners : Government of Gyeongsangnam-do, Citizen Stockholder
Sponsors : STX Corporation, Gyeongnam Bank | Gangwon FC
강원 FC | Gangwon | 0Gangneung Stadium
0(22,333 seats)
0Chuncheon Songam Stadium
0(25,000 seats) | 2009 - | Owners : Government of Gangwon-do, Citizen Stockholder
Sponsors : High1 Resort, NongHyup | * In stadium column, * means Football-specific stadium
* Horang-i means tiger, Chunma means Pegasus, Jeonnam = Chunnam [edit] K-League History [edit] Previous Winners [edit] K-League Champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma are the most successful team in terms of championship victories, having lifted the title on no less than seven occasions.
The roll-call of champions is as follows (present-date names included where teams have changed names previously): - K-League's principle of official statistics is that final club succeeds to predecessor club's history & records.
- Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (Ilhwa Chunma) : (7) - (1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006)
- Busan I'Park (Daewoo Royals, Busan Daewoo Royals) : (4) - (1984, 1987, 1991, 1997)
- Pohang Steelers (POSCO Atoms) : (4) - (1986, 1988, 1992, 2007)
- Suwon Samsung Bluewings : (4) - (1998, 1999, 2004, 2008)
- FC Seoul (Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso, Anyang LG Cheetahs) : (3) - (1985, 1990, 2000)
- Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i : (2) - (1996, 2005)
- Jeju United (Yukong Kokkiri) : (1) - (1989)
- Hallelujah FC : (1) - (1983)
- Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors : (1) - (2009)
*Chunma means pegasus, Hwangso means bull, Horang-i means tiger, Kokkiri means elephant [edit] Titles By Season [edit] Titles By Club - K-League's principle of official statistics is that final club succeeds to predecessor club's history & records.
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
(Ilhwa Chunma Inc.) | 7 (1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006) | 3 (1992, 2007, 2009) | Pohang Steelers
(POSCO Atoms, Pohang Atoms Inc.) | 4 (1986, 1988, 1992, 2007) | 4 (1985, 1987, 1995, 2004) | Busan I'Park
(Daewoo Royals, Busan Daewoo Royals Inc.) | 4 (1984, 1987, 1991, 1997) | 3 (1983, 1990, 1999) | | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 4 (1998, 1999, 2004, 2008) | 2 (1996, 2006) | FC Seoul
(Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso, LG Cheetahs,
Anyang LG Cheetahs Inc.) | 3 (1985, 1990, 2000) | 5 (1986, 1989, 1993, 2001, 2008) | | Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (Hyundai Horang-i Inc.) | 2 (1996, 2005) | 5 (1988, 1991, 1998, 2002, 2003) | Jeju United
(Yukong Kokkiri, Bucheon SK Inc.) | 1 (1989) | 3 (1984, 1994, 2000) | | Hallelujah FC | 1 (1983) | 0 | | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 1 (2009) | 0 | | Chunnam Dragons | 0 | 1 (1997) | | Incheon United | 0 | 1 (2005) | [edit] Titles By City / Area - Since 1987 season : K-League introduced home and away matches system in 1987.
| City / Area | Titles | Clubs | | Seoul | 4 | Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso (1990) | | Ilhwa Chunma (1993, 1994, 1995) | | Suwon | 4 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings (1998, 1999, 2004, 2008) | | Seongnam | 4 | Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006) | | Pohang | 3 | POSCO Atoms (1988, 1992), Pohang Steelers (2007) | | Busan | 2 | Daewoo Royals (1991), Busan Daewoo Royals (1997) | | Ulsan | 2 | Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (1996, 2005) | | Anyang | 1 | Anyang LG Cheetahs (2000) | | Busan+Gyeongnam | 1 | Daewoo Royals (1987) | | Incheon+Gyeonggi | 1 | Yukong Kokkiri (1989) | | Jeonbuk | 1 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2009) | - Since 1987 season : K-League introduced home and away matches system in 1987.
| Province | Titles | City / Area | Clubs | | Capital Region | 14 | (4) Seoul | Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso (1990) | | Ilhwa Chunma (1993, 1994, 1995) | | (4) Suwon | Suwon Samsung Bluewings (1998, 1999, 2004, 2008) | | (4) Seongnam | Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006) | | (1) Anyang | Anyang LG Cheetahs (2000) | | (1) Incheon+Gyeonggi | Yukong Kokkiri (1989) | | Gyeongsang Region | 8 | (3) Pohang | POSCO Atoms (1988, 1992), Pohang Steelers (2007) | | (2) Busan | Daewoo Royals (1991), Busan Daewoo Royals (1997) | | (2) Ulsan | Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (1996, 2005) | | (1) Busan+Gyeongnam | Daewoo Royals (1987) | | Jeolla Region | 1 | (1) Jeonbuk | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2009) | | Chungcheong Region | 0 | | | | Gangwon Region | 0 | | | | Jeju Region | 0 | | | - *Kokkiri means elephant, Hwangso means bull, Horang-i means tiger, Chunma means pegasus
[edit] All-time K-League Clubs There have been a total of 19 member clubs in the history of the K-League - those clubs are listed below with their current names (where applicable): - K-League's principle of official statistics is that final club succeeds to predecessor club's history & records.
[1] Yokong renamed to SK Energy
[2] GS Group is separated from LG Group
[3] Hanil Bank is merged by Woori Bank
Note : Kokkiri means elephant, Horang-i means tiger, Hwangso means bull, Chunma means pegasus [edit] Franchise relocations in K-League - Since 1987 season : K-League introduced home and away matches system in 1987.
[1] Actually Bucheon SK held all home matches at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul until 2000. Because Bucheon Stadium was under construction. [edit] K-League Awards [edit] See also [edit] References
[edit] External links |
