The Korea Professional Soccer League, more commonly known today as the K-League, was founded in 1983 with five member clubs - Hallelujah, Daewoo, POSCO, Yukong Elephants and Kookmin Bank.
Since 1983, the league has expanded from the initial five teams to the current fourteen members as of the 2006 season. Of the five initial clubs, only Daewoo, POSCO and Yukong Elephants remain in the K-League in their current guises of Busan I'Park, Pohang Steelers and Jeju United respectively. Kookmin Bank dropped out of the league at the end of 1984, and Hallelujah followed the season after, though the latter continue to play in the K2 League.
Most of the clubs in the league are owned by major Korean corporations, with some of the corporations owning stakes in more than one side (Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i and Cheonbuk Hyundai Motors, for example).
[edit] Korean football league structure
At present there is only one professional league in Korea, the K-League, and it contains fourteen member clubs. It is a closed league with no promotion and relegation. Below the level of the K-League there is the K2 League, a closed semi-professional/amateur league with twelve members, established in 2003.
Plans are afoot for promotion and relegation between the K-League and K2 to be introduced in time for the 2007 season, with a rumoured K3 division sometime in the future.
[edit] The league season
The K-League season typically begins around March and runs to late November each year. The amount of games, clubs and the systems used have varied through the years, but for 2006 the league will again run a two-part season with championship play-offs at the end of the year.
The fourteen member clubs play each other once in the first and second stages, giving a total of 26 matches for each club. The winners of both stages advance to the championship play-offs, together with the two teams holding the best overall record from the combined stages. The winner of the play-off tournament (two semi-finals at a neutral venue followed up by a home and away final) will be declared league Champion.
The K-League champions gain entry to the Asian Champions League the following season.
[edit] Tickets & Attendances
With a number of the K-League teams utilising the 2002 World Cup stadia, it is very rare for K-League matches to sell out and tickets are usually in plentiful supply on matchday and readily available at stadium ticket offices. Ticket prices vary from team to team but generally range between 5,000~7,000 won for behind-the-goals seating to 8,000~10,000 won for touchline or main stand seats.
[edit] K-League history
Ilhwa Chunma are the most successful team in terms of championship victories, having lifted the title on no less than six occasions. The roll-call of champions is as follows (present-date names included where teams have changed names previously):
[edit] K-League champions
- Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma: 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003
- Suwon Samsung Bluewings: 1998, 1999, 2004
- Pohang Steelers: 1986, 1988, 1992
- Hallelujah: 1983
- Jeju United: 1989
- Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i: 1996, 2005
- Busan I'Park: 1984, 1987, 1991, 1997
- FC Seoul: 1985, 1990, 2000
[edit] Current K-League member clubs
[edit] External links
