The 2025 K League 1, also known as the Hana Bank K League 1 for sponsorship reasons, was the 43rd season of the top division of professional football in South Korea, and the twelfth season of the K League 1. Ulsan HD were the three-time defending champions.
Rule changes The following rules were newly introduced for the 2025 season. Concussion substitution rule Homegrown foreign player rule for players of foreign nationality who have spent a significant period of their youth career in South Korea Domestic foreign player rule for players of foreign nationality who have been registered with a domestic amateur team for at least three consecutive years or a total of five years before their first professional contract Introduction of a one-off Special Player Registration Period 1–10 June 2025 Increase in the number of players a club can loan in or out (from five to six), and in the number of players that can be loaned between two clubs (from one to two)
Teams Team changes FC Anyang were promoted from the K League 2 for the first time in the club's history. Incheon United were relegated to the K League 2, absenting from the top flight of South Korean football for the first time in the club's history.
Promoted from K League 2 Relegated to K League 2 FC Anyang Incheon United
Locations The following twelve clubs are competing in the 2025 K League 1. Team City/ProvinceAbbreviation Daegu FC Daegu Daegu Daejeon Hana Citizen Daejeon Daejeon FC Anyang Anyang Anyang Gangwon FC Gangwon Gangwon Gimcheon Sangmu GimcheonGimcheon Gwangju FC Gwangju Gwangju Jeju SK Jeju Jeju Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Jeonbuk Jeonbuk Pohang Steelers Pohang Pohang FC Seoul Seoul Seoul Suwon FC Suwon Suwon FC Ulsan HD Ulsan Ulsan
Stadiums Daegu FC Daejeon Hana CitizenGangwon FC DGB Daegu Bank Park Daejeon World Cup Stadium Chuncheon Songam Sports Town Gangneung Stadium Capacity: 12,415 Capacity: 40,903 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 22,333 FC Anyang Gimcheon Sangmu Gwangju FC Jeju SK Anyang Stadium Gimcheon Stadium Gwangju World Cup Stadium Jeju World Cup Stadium Capacity: 17,143 Capacity: 25,000 Capacity: 40,245 Capacity: 29,791 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Pohang Steelers FC Seoul Suwon FC Jeonju World Cup Stadium Pohang Steel Yard Seoul World Cup Stadium Suwon Stadium Capacity: 42,477 Capacity: 17,443 Capacity: 66,704 Capacity: 11,808 Ulsan HD Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium Capacity: 44,102
Personnel and sponsoring Team Manager Kit manufacturer Main sponsor Other sponsor(s)FC Anyang Ryu Byeong-hoonV-EXXOsang Healthcare Daegu FC Kim Byung-soo Goal Studio iM Bank Daejeon Hana Citizen Hwang Sun-hong Puma Hana Bank Gangwon FC Chung Kyung-ho Fila High1 Resort Gimcheon Sangmu Chung Jung-yong Kelme Happy Gimcheon Gwangju FC Lee Jung-hyo Goal Studio Kwangju Bank Jeju SK Kim Jung-soo (caretaker)FilaSK Energy Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Gus Poyet Adidas Hyundai N Pohang Steelers Park Tae-ha Puma POSCO FC Seoul Kim Gi-dong Pro-Specs Xi (home)GS Caltex (away) Suwon FC Kim Eun-jungHummelSuwon Special City Ulsan HD Roh Sang-rae (caretaker) Adidas HD Hyundai
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyTableReplaced byDate of appointment Gangwon FC Yoon Jong-hwan End of contract 30 November 2024 Pre-season Chung Kyung-ho 6 December 2024 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Kim Do-heon Mutual consent 16 December 2024 Pre-season Gus Poyet 24 December 2024 Daegu FC Park Chang-hyun Mutual consent 13 April 2025 11th Kim Byung-soo 1 June 2025 Ulsan HD Kim Pan-gon Mutual consent 2 August 2025 7th Shin Tae-yong 5 August 2025 Jeju SK Kim Hak-bum Resigned 29 September 2025 11th Kim Jung-soo (caretaker) 30 September 2025 Ulsan HD Shin Tae-yong Sacked 9 October 2025 10th Roh Sang-rae (caretaker) 9 October 2025
Foreign players Each team may have up to six foreign players registered, but may only field up to five at any given time. As a military-owned team, Gimcheon Sangmu are not allowed to sign any foreign players.
A North Korean player is considered to be a domestic player under South Korean nationality law. As of 2025, K League has a homegrown system under which players of foreign nationality who have grown up in Korea are considered to be domestic players when registering as new players.
Players in bold were registered during the mid-season transfer window.
Team Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Homegrown Former FC Anyang Ivan Jukić Bruno Mota Eduardo Matheus Oliveira Yago César Thomas Oude Kotte Daegu FC Bruno Lamas Caio Marcelo Césinha Edgar Geovani Jatobá Isaac Osei Kyohei Yoshino Daejeon Hana Citizen Anton Kryvotsyuk Hernandes Rodrigues João Victor Victor Bobsin Masatoshi Ishida Aaron Calver Kelvin Vladislavs Gutkovskis Gangwon FC Bruno Oliveira Vitor Gabriel Marko Tući Mario Ćuže Franko Kovačević Romário Baldé Gwangju FC Reis Hólmbert Friðjónsson Jasir Asani Bruno Oliveira Gabriel Tigrão Jeju SK Denílson Evandro Italo Pedrinho Tiago Alves Yuri Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Tiago Orobó Patrick Twumasi Andrea Compagno João Gamboa Joel Anasmo Andrigo Hernandes Rodrigues Nana Boateng Pohang Steelers Jonathan Aspropotamitis Jorge Teixeira Juninho Rocha Oberdan Wanderson FC Seoul Anderson Oliveira Lucas Rodrigues Marko Dugandžić Jesse Lingard Yazan Al-Arab Patryk Klimala Gbato Seloh Samuel Willyan Suwon FC Andrigo Luan Dias Willyan Pablo Sabbag Anderson Oliveira Leroy Abanda Mohamed Ofkir Ulsan HD Erick Farias Marcão Miłosz Trojak Darijan Bojanić Gustav Ludwigson Matías Lacava Yago Cariello Giorgi Arabidze
League table
Positions by matchday
Round 1–33
Round 34–38
Results Matches 1–22 Teams played each other twice, once at home, once away.
Matches 23–33 Teams played each other once, either at home or away.
Matches 34–38 Teams played each other once, either at home or away.
Final A
Final B
Relegation play-offs The tenth-placed team and the eleventh-placed team played the play-off winners and the runners-up of the K League 2, respectively, in the relegation play-offs.
The first leg between Suwon FC and Bucheon FC 1995 was postponed from 4 December to 5 December due to heavy snow.
Jeju SK won 3–0 on aggregate and therefore both clubs remain in their respective leagues.
Bucheon FC 1995 won 4–2 on aggregate and was promoted to K League 1, while Suwon FC was relegated to K League 2.
Statistics Top goalscorers RankPlayerTeamGoals 1 Pablo SabbagSuwon FC 17 2 Jeon Jin-wooJeonbuk Hyundai Motors 16 3 Lee Ho-jaePohang Steelers 15 4 Joo Min-kyuDaejeon Hana Citizen 14 Bruno MotaFC Anyang 6 Andrea CompagnoJeonbuk Hyundai Motors 13 YuriJeju SK Lee Dong-gyeongGimcheon SangmuUlsan HD 9 CesinhaDaegu FC 12 Park Sang-hyeokGimcheon SangmuGangwon FC
Top assist providers RankPlayerTeamAssists 1 CesinhaDaegu FC 12 Lee Dong-gyeongGimcheon SangmuUlsan HD 3 Anderson OliveiraSuwon FCFC Seoul 8 Kim Jin-suFC Seoul 5 Yago CésarFC Anyang 6 Lee Seung-wonGimcheon SangmuGangwon FC Kim Jin-gyuJeonbuk Hyundai Motors 8 8 players 5
Awards Weekly awards
RoundPlayer of the RoundPlayerClub1 Joo Min-kyuDaejeon Hana Citizen2 Lee Dong-gyeongGimcheon Sangmu3 Jasir AsaniGwangju FC4 Heo YoolUlsan HD5 Kim Da-solFC Anyang6 Jeong Seung-wonFC Seoul7 Thomas Oude KotteFC Anyang8 Lee Hyun-yongSuwon FC9 Jeon Jin-wooJeonbuk Hyundai Motors10 Jeon Jin-wooJeonbuk Hyundai Motors11 Song Bum-keunJeonbuk Hyundai Motors12 Lee Ji-hoGangwon FC13 Lee Ho-jaePohang Steelers14 Anderson OliveiraSuwon FC15 Erick FariasUlsan HD16 Jeon Jin-wooJeonbuk Hyundai Motors17 Yu In-sooJeju SK18 Bruno MotaFC Anyang19 Kang Sang-yoonJeonbuk Hyundai Motors
RoundPlayer of the RoundPlayerClub20 Mo Jae-hyeonGangwon FC21 Andrea CompagnoJeonbuk Hyundai Motors22 Jesse LingardFC Seoul23 WillyanSuwon FC24 Pablo SabbagSuwon FC25 Kim Jun-beomDaejeon Hana Citizen26 Pablo SabbagSuwon FC27 Jorge TeixeiraPohang Steelers28 Park Dae-hoonDaegu FC29 Lee You-hyeonGangwon FC30 Joo Min-kyuDaejeon Hana Citizen31 Lee Dong-gyeongGimcheon Sangmu32 Masatoshi IshidaDaejeon Hana Citizen33 Bruno MotaFC Anyang34 YuriJeju SK35 Anton KryvotsyukDaejeon Hana Citizen36 Kim Hyeon-junDaegu FC37 Park Tae-junGimcheon Sangmu38 Seo Jin-suDaejeon Hana Citizen
Monthly awards MonthPlayer of the MonthYoung Player of the MonthGoal of the MonthPlayerClubPlayerClubPlayer ClubFebruary–March Joo Min-kyuDaejeon Lee Ji-hoGangwon Jeong Seung-wonSeoulApril Jeon Jin-wooJeonbuk Shin Min-haGangwon CesinhaDaeguMay Jeon Jin-wooJeonbuk Han Hyeon-seoPohang Jeon Jin-wooJeonbukJune Andrea CompagnoJeonbuk Lee Seung-wonGimcheon Kim Dae-won GangwonJuly Jesse LingardSeoul Hwang Do-yunSeoul CesinhaDaeguAugust Pablo SabbagSuwon FC Lee Seung-wonGimcheon Lee Yeong-jaeJeonbukSeptember CesinhaDaegu Lee Seung-wonGimcheon Jang Seong-wonDaeguOctober CesinhaDaegu Han Tae-heeDaegu Han Ga-ramAnyang
MonthManager of the MonthSave of the MonthManagerClubPlayer ClubFebruary–March Hwang Sun-hongDaejeon1 Lee Gwang-yeonGangwonApril Yoon Jong-hwanIncheon2 Lee Chang-geunDaejeonMay Gus PoyetJeonbuk1 Song Bum-keunJeonbukJune Gus PoyetJeonbuk1 Lee Gwang-yeonGangwonJuly Kim Eun-jungSuwon FC1 Song Bum-keunJeonbukAugust Ko Jeong-woonGimpo2 Han Tae-heeDaeguSeptember Jeon Kyung-junSeongnam2 Song Bum-keunJeonbukOctober Hwang Sun-hongDaejeon1 Song Bum-keunJeonbuk
Annual awards The 2025 K League Awards was held on 1 December 2025.
AwardWinnerClubMost Valuable Player Lee Dong-gyeongGimcheon Sangmu Ulsan HDYoung Player of the Year Lee Seung-wonGimcheon Sangmu Gangwon FCTop goalscorer Pablo SabbagSuwon FCTop assist provider CesinhaDaegu FCManager of the Year Gus PoyetJeonbuk Hyundai Motors
PositionBest XIGoalkeeper Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk)Defenders Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon) Hong Jeong-ho (Jeonbuk) Yazan Al-Arab (Seoul) Lee Myung-jae (Daejeon)Midfielders Kang Sang-yoon (Jeonbuk) Park Jin-seob (Jeonbuk) Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk) Song Min-kyu (Jeonbuk)Forwards Pablo Sabbag (Suwon FC) Lee Dong-gyeong (Gimcheon, Ulsan)
Attendance
See also 2025 in South Korean football 2025 Korea Cup 2025 K League 2
References
External links