News: 2024 Korean FA Cup gets rebrand, dates & venue of final decided

The Korean FA Cup will now be known as the "Korea Cup" and the final of the 2024 edition will be played over one leg at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Saturday 30th November.
Updated: 22nd February, 15:30.

The Korea Football Association confirmed via press release on Thursday 22nd February that the FA Cup will now be known as the Hana Bank Korea Cup. 

The KFA pointed to cup competitions in other countries as their source of inspiration:

"The FA Cup is a tournament that covers professionals and amateurs to determine the champions of adult football in the country. Cup competitions such as the Coup de France, Copa Italia, and Copa del Rey use symbols in their naming to represent national authority," read the press release.

In addition, the 2024 iteration sees a shift away from the two-leg final that had been in place more or less every year since 2016. Instead, there'll be a one-and-done final played at Seoul World Cup Stadium, with the KFA taking inspiration from the English FA Cup final being played at Wembley.

Other details have emerged, too, such as VAR being utilised from the quarterfinals onwards, not just in the final as had been the case, and teams being able to make five subs, up from three, and one more in extra time.

The winners will qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite if they finish in the top four of K League 1. If the Korea Cup winners finish fifth or lower then they will qualify for ACL2 and the K League 1 runners-up will qualify for ACLE.

The competition will get underway on Saturday 9th March for Round 1 to be played among the 12 teams that finished in the bottom half of K3 teams, 11 from K4, and eight from K5.

Round 2, to be played over the weekend of Saturday 23rd and 24th March, will see the 13 teams from K League 2 enter the competition while Round 3, to be played on Wednesday 17th April, is where the non-ACL teams in K League 1 enter.

The four teams involved in the ACL enter the competition in the Round of 16 which is scheduled for Wednesday 19th June for a place in the quarterfinals which will be played on Wednesday 17th July.

The semifinals will be played over two legs, the first on Wednesday 21st August, and the second exactly a week later.

There'll then be a three-month wait until the final.

Pohang Steelers are the current holders, having beaten Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the final last season for a first trophy in 10 years. 

It was the Steelers's fifth FA Cup triumph, the joint-most along with Jeonbuk and Suwon Bluewings.

Key Dates

Round 1

9th-10th March 

12 bottom-half K3 teams, 11 K4 teams, 8 K5 teams

Round 2

23rd-24th March 
12 top-half K3 teams, 13 K League 2 teams, 3 K3 teams, 16 winners from Round 1

Round 3

Wednesday 17th April
8 K League 1 teams (non-ACL), 16 winners from Round 2

Round of 16

Wednesday 19th June
4 K League 1 teams (ACL participants)
12 winners from Round 3

Quarterfinal

Wednesday 17th July
Eight winners from Round of 16

Semifinals

Leg 1: Wednesday 21st August
Leg 2: Wednesday 28th August

Final

Saturday 30th November