The 2026 K League 2, also known as the Hana Bank K League 2 for sponsorship reasons, is the 14th season of the K League 2, the second-highest division in South Korean football league system.
Overview The league has expand to 17 teams for this season. Two teams relegated from K League 1, and the twelve teams remaining in the league, two teams promoted from the K3 League and one newly established club.
K League 2 will be reduced or expanded to 15 or 16 teams starting next season, due to the expansion of K League 1 from 12 to 14 teams, no team will be automatically relegated from the top tier.
This season, Promotion and Relegation between K League 2 and K3 League have been introduce for 2026 onwards. First and second place are promoted automatically, while third and sixth place face a promotion play-off, the winner of the promotion play-off final will automatically be promoted, the loser of the promotion play-off final will face-off against the 12th place team of K League 1 (only if Gimcheon Sangmu does not finish last).
Last place in K League 2 will face -off against the Champions of K3 League in the inaugural Relegation play-off round.
Teams Team Changes
As the 2025 K League 2 champions, Incheon United and the play-off winners Bucheon FC 1995 have been promoted to the K League 1. Both teams ended in the second tier after one and twelve years, respectively.
Meanwhile, Suwon FC and Daegu FC have been relegated from the K League 1. Daegu FC and Suwon FC return to second tier after nine and five years absence, respectively.
Additionally, Gimhae FC 2008 and Paju Frontier have been accepted into the K League 2 following a decision by the K League Federation, having participated in the K3 League since 2020 and 2021. In August 2025, Yongin FC received approval to join the K League, confirming its intention to participate in the 2026 K League 2. On 16 January 2026, two teams from K3 League and one newly established team will participate in K League 2 for the 2026 season after its final approval for membership in the K League Federation.
+ Incoming Teams Relegated from K League 1 Suwon FC Daegu FC Accepted from K3 League Gimhae FC 2008 Paju Frontier New Club Yongin FC
+ Outgoing Teams Promoted to K League 1 Incheon United Bucheon FC 1995
Locations The following seventeen teams are participating in the 2026 K League 2.
Team City/Province Abbreviation Ansan Greeners Ansan Ansan Busan IPark Busan Busan Cheonan City Cheonan Cheonan Chungbuk Cheongju Cheongju Chungbuk Cheongju Chungnam Asan Asan Chungnam Asan Daegu FC Daegu Daegu Gimpo FC Gimpo Gimpo Gimhae FC 2008 Gimhae Gimhae Gyeongnam FC Gyeongnam Gyeongnam Hwaseong FC Hwaseong Hwaseong Jeonnam Dragons Jeonnam Jeonnam Paju Frontier Paju Paju Seongnam FC Seongnam Seongnam Seoul E-Land Seoul Seoul E Suwon Samsung Bluewings Suwon Suwon Suwon FC Suwon Suwon FC Yongin FC Yongin Yongin
Stadiums Ansan Greeners Busan IPark Cheonan City Chungbuk Cheongju Chungnam Asan Ansan Wa~ Stadium Busan Gudeok Stadium Cheonan Stadium Cheongju Stadium Yi Sun-sin Stadium Capacity: 35,000 Capacity: 12,349 Capacity: 26,000 Capacity: 16,280 Capacity: 19,283 Daegu FC Gimhae FC 2008 Gimpo FC Gyeongnam FC Hwaseong FC Daegu iM Bank Park Gimhae Sports Complex Gimpo Solteo Football Stadium Changwon Football Center Hwaseong Stadium Capacity: 12,415 Capacity: 15,066 Capacity: 5,000 Capacity: 15,074 Capacity: 35,270 Jeonnam Dragons Paju Frontier Seongnam FC Seoul E-Land Suwon FC Gwangyang Stadium Paju Stadium Tancheon Stadium Mokdong Stadium Suwon Sports Complex Capacity: 13,496 Capacity: 23,000 Capacity: 16,146 Capacity: 15,511 Capacity: 11,808 Suwon Samsung Bluewings Yongin FC Suwon World Cup Stadium Yongin Mireu Stadium Capacity: 44,031 Capacity: 37,155
Personnel and sponsoring Team Manager Main sponsor Kit manufacturer Ansan Greeners Choi Moon-sik Ansan City Greeners Hummel Busan IPark Jo Sung-hwan HDC Puma Cheonan City Park Jin-sub Cheonan City Sunderland of Scotland Chungbuk Cheongju Rui Quinta Hanyang Leeps Sports Tribe Chungnam Asan André Chungnam Asan FCMM Daegu FC Choi Sung-yong IM Bank Mizuno Gimhae FC 2008 Choi Myung-sung (Interim) Gimhae City Sports Tribe Gimpo FC Ko Jeong-woon Goobne Sunderland of Scotland Gyeongnam FC Bae Sung-jae Nonghyup Bank Hummel Hwaseong FC Cha Du-ri Hwaseong Special City Kelme Jeonnam Dragons Lim Kwan-sik POSCO Reebok Paju Frontier Gerard Nus Lucell Kelme Seongnam FC Kim Hae-woon Seongnam City Umbro Seoul E-Land Kim Do-kyun E-Land New Balance Suwon FC Park Kun-ha Suwon Special City Hummel Suwon Samsung Bluewings Lee Jung-hyo Samsung Galaxy S26 Umbro Yongin FC Choi Yun-kyum Yongin Special City Puma
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Ansan Greeners Hong Seong-yo (Interim) End of Interim 17 November 2025 Choi Moon-sik 17 November 2025 Cheonan City Cho Sung-yong (Interim) 1 December 2025 Park Jin-sub 1 December 2025 Gyeongnam FC Kim Pil-jong (Interim) 8 December 2025 Bae Sung-jae 8 December 2025 Jeonnam Dragons Kim Hyun-seok End of Contract 4 December 2025 Park Dong-hyuk 16 December 2025 Chungnam Asan Cho Jin-soo (Interim) End of Interim 17 December 2025 Lim Kwan-sik 17 December 2025 Suwon Samsung Bluewings Byun Sung-hwan Resigned 7 December 2025 Lee Jung-hyo 24 December 2025 Suwon FC Kim Eun-jung Mutual consent 24 December 2025 Park Kun-ha 24 December 2025 Chungbuk Cheongju Kim Gil-sik End of Contract 12 December 2025 Rui Quinta 30 December 2025 Yongin FCInaugural season Choi Yun-kyum 4 January 2026 Chungnam Asan Lim Kwan-sik Resigned 15 April 2026 Kim Hyo-il (Interim) 15 April 2026 Daegu FC Kim Byung-soo Resigned 20 April 2026 Choi Sung-yong 20 April 2026 Jeonnam Dragons Park Dong-hyuk Change of Position 27 April 2026 Lim Kwan-sik 30 April 2026 Chungnam Asan Kim Hyo-il (Interim) End of Interim 29 April 2026 André 29 April 2026 Seongnam FC Jeon Kyung-jun End of Contract 4 August 2026 Han Dong-hoon (Interim) 4 August 2026 Seongnam FC Han Dong-hoon (Interim) End of Interim 11 August 2026 Kim Hae-woon 11 August 2026 Gimhae FC 2008 Son Hyun-jun Resigned 1 October 2026 Choi Myung-sung (Interim) 1 October 2026
Foreign players Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Former players Ansan Greeners Gabriel Lima Marlon Milan Obradović Machop Chol Tim Hartzell Busan IPark Antonio Gutemberg Cristian Renato Gabriel Honório Xavier Otabek Ahadov Cheonan City Bruno Lamas Gustavo Sarjani Willyan Ivanildo Aboubacar Toungara Chungbuk Cheongju Ménder García Francisco Geraldes Rafael Bandeira Enzo Monteiro Finley Welch Irakli Bugridze Chungnam Asan Charles Lokolingoy Denisson Silva Dudu Nardini Vitinho Maks Čelić Naeem Mohammed Wiliam Marcílio Daegu FC Cesinha Danrlei Edgar Matheus Serafim Marcus Dackers Geovani Jatobá Gimhae FC 2008 Miguel Baggio Beka Mikeltadze Rúben Macedo Maissa Fall Bruno Costa Gimpo FC Connor Chapman Djalma Luan Dias Paulo Henrique Amar Muhsin Luis Mina Gyeongnam FC Felipe Fonseca Lucão Aleksa Karadzić Chigozie Mbah Danrlei Marcus Uberaba Rúben Macedo Hwaseong FC Aleksandar Vojnović Demethryus Leonard Pllana Stanislav Iljutcenko Sava Petrov Jeonnam Dragons Mirandinha Ronan Valdívia Irakli Bugridze Jérémy Corinus Keelan Lebon Paju Frontier Walterson Julián Bonilla Jafar Arias Luke Amos Julio Báez Borja Bastón Siam Yapp Seongnam FC Elionay Freitas Rodrigo Angelotti Venício Paul Villero Ryoji Fujimori Shun Kudo Seoul E-Land Alan Cariús Caio Marcelo Euller Gabriel Santos Osmar John Iredale Francisco Geraldes Suwon FC Derlan Matheus Babi Matheus Frizzo Koki Tsukagawa Willyan Martin Hoel Andersen Suwon Samsung Bluewings Bruno Silva Fessin Reis Luis Mina Edgaras Dubickas Keelan Lebon Paulo Henrique Stanislav Iljutcenko Yongin FC Gabriel Tigrão Vitinho Jardel Emanuel Novo Valter Zacarias
League table
Positions by matchday
Results Teams played each other twice, once at home, once away.
Promotion play-off Bracket
Semi-finals
Final
Statistics Top goalscorers RankPlayerTeamGoals 1 Matheus FrizzoSuwon FC 13 Ménder GarcíaChungbuk Cheongju 3 Luis MinaGimpo FCSuwon Samsung Bluewings 12 4 Leonard PllanaHwaseong FC 11 5 Park Jae-yongSeoul E-Land 10 6 EdgarDaegu FC 8 Sava PetrovHwaseong FC Kim Hyeon-ohGyeongnam FC Ha Jeong-wooSuwon FC Cristian RenatoBusan IPark EullerSeoul E-Land Matheus SerafimDaegu FC
Top assist providers RankPlayerTeamGoals 1 Matheus SerafimDaegu FC 10 2 Leonard PllanaHwaseong FC 9 3 Rafael BandeiraChungbuk Cheongju 7 4 CesinhaDaegu FC 6 Matheus FrizzoSuwon FC Son Jun-hoChungnam Asan Kim Bo-subYongin FC ValdíviaJeonnam Dragons 9 Han Kyo-wonChungnam Asan 5 Kim Beom-sooJeonnam Dragons Lee Si-youngSuwon FC Lee Geon-heeSuwon Samsung Bluewings Gabriel HonórioBusan IPark Jegal Jae-minHwaseong FC EullerSeoul E-Land
Awards Weekly awards
RoundPlayer of the RoundPlayerClub1 Matheus FrizzoSuwon FC2 EdgarDaegu FC3 Gabriel HonórioBusan IPark4 Cristian RenatoBusan IPark5 Kang Hyeon-jeSeoul E-Land6 Kim Jong-minChungnam Asan7 Baek Ga-onBusan IPark8 XavierBusan IPark9 Kim Min-wooYongin FC10 Ha Jeong-wooSuwon FC11 Kim Jong-minChungnam Asan12 Ha NamJeonnam Dragons13 Sava PetrovHwaseong FC14 Gabriel HonórioBusan IPark15 Ménder GarcíaChungbuk Cheongju16 Kim Ju-gongDaegu FC17 Matheus FrizzoSuwon FC
RoundPlayer of the RoundPlayerClub18 Kim Hyeon-ohGyeongnam FC19 Alan CariúsSeoul E-Land20 Leonard PllanaHwaseong FC21 Luan DiasGimpo FC22 EullerSeoul E-Land23 Paul VilleroSeongnam FC24 CesinhaDaegu FC25 An Joo-wanSeoul E-Land26 Matheus SerafimDaegu FC27 Park Jae-yongSeoul E-Land28293031323334
Annual awards
AwardWinnerClubMost Valuable PlayerYoung Player of the YearTop goalscorerTop assist providerManager of the Year
PositionBest XIGoalkeeperDefendersMidfieldersForwards
See also 2026 in South Korean football 2026–27 Korea Cup 2026 K League 1 2026 K3 League 2026 K4 League
References
External links Official K League website