This article is a summary of the 2026 football season in South Korea. The season began on 28 February for the men's professional divisions K League 1 and K League 2. The third tier K3 League and fourth tier K4 League began on 7 March. The women's top tier WK League is due to start on 4 April.
Domestic leagues
Team changes Division Promoted to Relegated to Newly joined Withdrawn K League 1 Incheon United Bucheon FC 1995 — — — K League 2 Gimhae FC 2008 Paju Frontier Suwon FC Daegu FC Yongin FC — K3 League Dangjin Citizen — — — K4 League — — Geumsan Insam Seosan Pioneer Jecheon Citizen Jincheon HR Haman FC Daegu FC B Yeoncheon FC
K League 1
K League 2
Regular season
K3 League
League table
K4 League
Regular season
WK League
Domestic cups Korea Cup
The KFA announced a restructuring of the Korea Cup ahead of the 2026 season, with the competition switching fron a spring-autumn format to an autumn-spring format. The first four rounds of the 2026-27 Korea Cup are expected to take place in July and August 2026.
K League Super Cup
The K League Super Cup returned to the footballing calendar after a 20-year hiatus. It was contested between previous year's Double winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and 2025 K League 1 runners-up Daejeon Hana Citizen on 21 February at Jeonju World Cup Stadium.
K3·K4 Championship
W Korea Cup
The KFA established the W Korea Cup in the 2026 season, with fifteen teams taking part across four rounds of competition between June and November 2026. Round 1
Hwacheon KSPO received a bye to the second round as 2025 WK League champions.
International club competitions
AFC Champions League Elite 2025–26 season
The league stage matches until matchday 6 were held in 2025.
AFC Champions League Two 2025–26 season
The group stage matches were held in 2025.
AFC Women's Champions League 2025–26 season
The group stage matches were held in 2025.
National teams Men's senior FIFA World Cup
After previous manager Jürgen Klinsmann, directly appointed by KFA president Chung Mong-gyu, was sacked for his lack of capability at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, the KFA established their committee in charge of finding the next manager. At first, the selection committee tried negotiating with foreign managers including Jesse Marsch, who met KFA executives before choosing Canada. However, they changed their targets to domestic managers despite some committeemen's opposition, and then selected Hong Myung-bo, who had managed South Korea at the 2014 World Cup. President Chung, who preferred foreign manager, refused this recommendation and arbitrarily authorized another executive Lee Lim-saeng to negotiate with other nominees, but Lee reached the same conclusion. The announcement of Hong's appointment caused great controversy due to his poor result of the past, and Park Joo-ho, a committeeman who disagreed with this announcement, disclosed problems about the selection process through YouTube.
Chung stood trial for the violation of procedure, but Hong's appointment was not reversed. Hong led South Korea to qualify for the 2026 World Cup without a defeat in the qualifiers, but did not show steady results in friendlies against World Cup participants prior to the tournament. In the group stage, South Korea made a good start by defeating Czech Republic 2–1. Afterwards, however, opposing managers easily made countermeasures against Hong's unchanging tactics, and South Korea shiftlessly lost 1–0 to both Mexico and South Africa. Hong's lack of tactical change shocked South Korean media and fans, and he was strongly criticised for being eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup twice.
Friendlies
Women's senior
AFC Women's Asian Cup
EAFF Championship (preliminary)
2026 Asian Games
Friendlies
Men's under-23 AFC U-23 Asian Cup
Friendlies
Women's under-20 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup
Men's under-17
AFC U-17 Asian Cup
Women's under-17
AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup
See also Football in South Korea Women's football in South Korea References
External links