Football in South Korea is run by the Korea Football Association. The association administers the national football team as well as the K League. Football is the most popular sport in South Korea. Approximately 67% of the people in South Korea are interested in football.
Beginning In ancient times, Silla, one of Three Kingdoms of Korea, had a ball game called "Chuk-guk" (). Though Chukguk is similar to today’s football in many aspects, it features the distinctive rule that the ball should stay in the air during game play with the net also being mounted at a fixed distance above the ground. However, Koreans first saw the present version of football in 1882 when British crew members played a game while their vessel, , was visiting the Port of Jemulpo.
After the establishment of a football team at Paichai Academy in Seoul in 1902, there was a footballing boom throughout Korea. The football was adopted as a physical education course at in 1904, and the first senior football match in Korea was contested between Korea Sports Club and Korea YMCA at Seoul Dongdaemun Stadium in 1905. The first Korean national football tournament, named All Joseon Football Tournament, was held by the Joseon Sports Council in 1921 after many football clubs and school football teams were formed since the 1910s including unofficial national team Joseon FC. The Joseon Referees' Association was created in 1928, and was reorganised as the Joseon Football Association (currently Korea Football Association) in 1933. The creation of Joseon FA led to the establishment of several prominent clubs on the peninsula as Korean football began to enter a different form. Kyungsung FC and Pyongyang FC, founded around the same time in the two biggest cities of Korea, made deep impressions at the All Joseon Tournament, and developed a strong rivalry followed by an intercity football series. Kyungsung FC also became the only Korean club to win the Emperor's Cup in Japan.
Main articles History of the South Korea national football team List of Korea Cup winners South Korean football league system List of South Korean football champions K League
Relationships with English football Since Tottenham Hotspur signed South Korean striker Son Heung-min in 2015, the club has been the most supported English Premier League club in South Korea. Previously, Manchester United was the most popular club in South Korea due to South Korean former midfielder Park Ji-sung. In 2020, a poll of South Koreans aged 16 to 69 found that 21.4% of respondents supported Tottenham Hotspur, compared to just 6.1% who supported Manchester United. In 2024, a survey of football fans from eight countries across the Americas, Asia and Europe found that 42.3% of South Korean football fans were Tottenham Hotspur supporters.
Attendances The average attendance per top-flight football league season and the club with the highest average attendance:
Season League average Best club Best club average Variable 2025 10,081 FC Seoul 23,185 — 2024 11,003 FC Seoul 27,838 2023 10,733 FC Seoul 22,633 2022 4,820 FC Seoul 8,786 2021 1,949 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 4,341 2020 535 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1,201 2019 8,013 FC Seoul 17,061 — 2018 5,444 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 11,907 2017 5,471 FC Seoul 14,338 2016 7,872 FC Seoul 18,007 2015 7,720 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 17,413 2014 7,931 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 19,608 2013 7,656 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 17,689 2012 6,767 FC Seoul 20,502 — 2011 11,297 FC Seoul 27,815 2010 10,942 FC Seoul 30,849 — 2009 11,226 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 18,583 2008 12,901 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 23,817 2007 11,871 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 25,194 2006 10,021 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 22,438 2005 11,251 Incheon United 23,436 2004 11,352 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 20,990 2003 9,064 Daejeon Citizen 19,082 2002 15,839 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 23,962 2001 11,847 Bucheon SK 19,471 — 2000 9,761 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 15,424 1999 13,283 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 19,931 1998 14,673 Busan Daewoo Royals 26,995 1997 7,142 Jeonnam Dragons 13,873 1996 9,595 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 14,816 1995 9,246 Hyundai Horang-i 11,795 — 1994 7,791 POSCO Atoms 14,033 1993 8,989 POSCO Atoms 14,447 1992 11,886 POSCO Atoms 15,577 1991 12,251 POSCO Atoms 14,572 1990 5,865 POSCO Atoms 8,590 1989 6,483 POSCO Atoms 10,925 1988 6,011 POSCO Atoms 14,917 1987 4,267 Daewoo Royals 5,260 1986 3,922 POSCO Atoms 4,471 — 1985 5,393 Hanil Bank 9,250 1984 9,190 POSCO Dolphins 12,180 1983 20,974 Daewoo Royals 23,140
One-club men
The following players played for only one professional club for 10 or more seasons without a transfer or loan to another professional club (excluding semi-professional or amateur club).
Player Professional club Career Seasons League appearances Ref. Kim Poong-joo Busan Daewoo Royals 1983–1996 12 159 Lee Tae-ho Daewoo Royals 1983–1992 10 170 Chung Yong-hwan Daewoo Royals 1984–1994 11 150 Yoo Dong-kwan Pohang Atoms 1986–1995 10 186 Pohang Steelers 1987–1998 12 225 Song Ju-seok Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i 1990–1999 10 195 Pohang Steelers 1990–1999 10 187 Park Tae-ha Pohang Steelers 1991–2001 10 189 Kim Tae-young Jeonnam Dragons 1995–2005 11 199 Choi Jin-cheul Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1996–2007 12 240 Kim Jin-woo Suwon Samsung Bluewings 1996–2007 12 197 Lee Jung-hyo Busan IPark 1999–2008 10 165 Hwang Ji-soo Pohang Steelers 2004–2017 12 270 Go Yo-han FC Seoul 2006–2023 18 353
Retired numbers
Professional club No. Player Career League appearances Ref. Busan Daewoo Royals 16 Kim Joo-sung 1987–1992, 1994–1999 198 FC Seoul 13 Go Yo-han 2006–2023 353 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 20 Lee Dong-gook 2009–2020 349 25 Choi Chul-soon 2006–2012, 2014–2025 374 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 38 Yoon Sung-hyo 1996–1998, 2000 53
See also Football in Seoul Women's football in South Korea
References
External links Shin Myung-chul: Histories of Korean sports by event – Football (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14)