 | |
| Organising body | K League Federation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013; 13 years ago (2013) |
| Country | South Korea |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 17 |
| Level onpyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | K League 1 |
| Relegation to | K3 League |
| Domestic cup | Korea Cup |
| Current champions | Incheon United (2025) |
| Most championships | Gwangju FC Sangju Sangmu Gimcheon Sangmu (2 titles each) |
| Broadcaster(s) | Sky Sports (South Korea) Life & Sports TV |
| Website | kleague.com |
| Current:2026 K League 2 | |
TheK League 2 (Korean: K리그2) is the men's second-highest division of theSouth Korean football league system. Established in 2013 asK League Challenge, it is contested by 17 professional clubs.
In 2011, the originalK League announced a plan to begin apromotion and relegation system between the K League and a proposed second division.[1] The K League then took steps to create the new second division, mainly with the addition of a split-system during the2012 K-League season in which the bottom clubs were placed in a competition for safety with the last-placed club being relegated to the new second division (originally two clubs were going to be relegated but the withdrawal ofSangju Sangmu meant only one would be relegated).[2][3]
The second division was going to get the name of K League, and the original K League's name was changed to K League Classic along with the new logo.[4] However, the change caused some degree of confusion and controversy, and on 11 March 2013 the official name was changed to K League Challenge.[5][6] On 22 January 2018, its name was once again changed to K League 2.[7]
In the2014 season, two additional teams were relegated from the K League Classic, reducing the number of participating teams to ten. Furthermore, the promotion-relegation playoff system was expanded. The league champion earned automatic promotion, while the third and fourth-placed teams competed in a playoff. The winner of this match faced the second-placed team, and the victor of this fixture advanced to the promotion-relegation playoff against the 11th-placed team from the K League Classic.[8]
In mid-2016, the city ofAnsan announced the formation of a new professional football club,Ansan Greeners FC. The club's foundation involved acquiring the squad ofUlsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Dolphins, a team with sevenNational League titles, and entering the league from the2017 season.[9] As a result of this development,Ansan Mugunghwa, which had previously represented Ansan, was dissolved at the conclusion of the2016 season. Meanwhile, the police football team, which had served as the foundation for Ansan Mugunghwa, reached an agreement with the city of Asan to relocate and rebrand as Asan Mugunghwa.[10]
The regular season consists of 34 rounds. Each team plays a total of 32 matches, playing every other team two times (home and away). As there is an odd number of teams in the league, one team rests each round. Teams receivethree points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points. In the case that teams are level on points, tie-breakers are applied in the following order:
The champions and runners-up of K League 2 automatically qualify forK League 1.[11]
From the 2026 season onwards, the third, fourth, fifth and sixth-placed teams compete in the promotion play-offs. The winner of the K League 2 promotion play-off gain promotion to K League 1, while promotion play-off runners-up plays against the twelfth-placed team in K League 1 in theK League promotion-relegation play-offs.[12]
In the 2026 season, a promotion and relegation system was introduced between K League 2 andK3 League.[13]
| Club | Location | Stadium | First season | Current spell | Seasons[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ansan Greeners | Ansan | Ansan Wa~ Stadium | 2017 | 2017– | 10 |
| Busan IPark | Busan | Busan Gudeok Stadium | 2016 | 2021– | 10 |
| Cheonan City | Cheonan | Cheonan Stadium | 2023 | 2023– | 4 |
| Chungbuk Cheongju | Cheongju | Cheongju Sports Complex Stadium | 2023 | 2023– | 4 |
| Chungnam Asan | Asan | Yi Sun-sin Stadium | 2020 | 2020– | 7 |
| Daegu FC | Daegu | Daegu iM Bank Park | 2014 | 2026– | 4 |
| Gimhae FC 2008 | Gimhae | Gimhae Sports Complex | 2026 | 2026– | 1 |
| Gimpo FC | Gimpo | Gimpo Solteo Football Stadium | 2022 | 2022– | 5 |
| Gyeongnam FC | Changwon | Changwon Football Center | 2015 | 2020– | 10 |
| Hwaseong FC | Hwaseong | Hwaseong Stadium | 2025 | 2025– | 2 |
| Jeonnam Dragons | South Jeolla | Gwangyang Football Stadium | 2019 | 2019– | 8 |
| Paju Frontier | Paju | Paju Stadium | 2026 | 2026– | 1 |
| Seongnam FC | Seongnam | Tancheon Stadium | 2017 | 2023– | 6 |
| Seoul E-Land | Seoul | Mokdong Stadium | 2015 | 2015– | 12 |
| Suwon FC | Suwon | Suwon Stadium | 2013 | 2026– | 8 |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | Suwon | Suwon World Cup Stadium | 2024 | 2024– | 3 |
| Yongin FC | Yongin | Yongin Mireu Stadium | 2026 | 2026– | 1 |
| Club | Champions | Runners-up | Seasons won | Seasons runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwangju FC | 2 | 1 | 2019, 2022 | 2014 |
| Sangju Sangmu | 2 | 0 | 2013, 2015 | — |
| Gimcheon Sangmu | 2 | 0 | 2021, 2023 | — |
| Daejeon Hana Citizen | 1 | 2 | 2014 | 2021, 2022 |
| Ansan Mugunghwa[a] | 1 | 1 | 2016 | 2013 |
| Gyeongnam FC | 1 | 0 | 2017 | — |
| Asan Mugunghwa[a] | 1 | 0 | 2018 | — |
| Jeju SK | 1 | 0 | 2020 | — |
| FC Anyang | 1 | 0 | 2024 | — |
| Incheon United | 1 | 0 | 2025 | — |
| Busan IPark | 0 | 3 | — | 2017, 2019, 2023 |
| Suwon FC | 0 | 2 | — | 2015, 2020 |
| Daegu FC | 0 | 1 | — | 2016 |
| Seongnam FC | 0 | 1 | — | 2018 |
| Chungnam Asan | 0 | 1 | — | 2024 |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 0 | 1 | — | 2025 |
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