40 years of the K-League

The 2023 campaign marks a significant anniversary in the history of South Korea’s top flight

- JOHN DUERDEN

On February 25, the 2023 K-League season kicked-off with defending South Korean champions Ulsan Hyundai defeating runners-up Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2-1.

“We want to tackle a fresh set of challenges and chart a new path? Ulsan coach Hong Myung-bo said. We will do the best we can in every match, just as we've done all along. We want to have the same approach this season as last”

That opening game marked the 40th anniversary of Asia’s oldest professional league. Back in 1983, five teams fought it out with the winners of the inaugural competition, the church-backed club Hallelujah, finishing above Daewoo Royals, Yukong Elephants, POSCO Dolphins and Kookmin Bank.

Much has changed since then, with plenty of ups and downs along the way. There was a massive boost to attendances in the league for a while after the 2002 World Cup, when South Korea reached the semi-finals on home soil, but that excitement was not built upon. By 2011 there were 16 teams but a massive match-fixing scandal in that season brought in a reorganisation that saw the top tier reduced to 12 by 2014 and relegation and promotion introduced.