Each K League 1 team's nearest away matches in 2025
With no inter-city derby matches in K League this season, it begs the question 'Who are each club's nearest teams?' K League United has taken a look at K League 1...
The fixtures are out and it's time to plan those away trips. There are the ones you make a weekend out of but sometimes it's nice to be able to get to do what's called 'dang-il-chi-gi' in Korean. That being, getting to an away game - or anywhere for that matter - and back on the same day. So, just how near are the nearest away trips?
The closest away game for any team is 14km, that being FC Seoul versus FC Anyang and vice versa. The furthest "nearest" away game is Gangwon's 230km trip to FC Seoul.
The average distance for K League clubs' nearest away match is 84km, excluding Jeju SK who complicate matters by being off the mainland and needing to fly to all their matches away from Seogwipo.
FC Anyang
Newly-promoted FC Anyang's shortest away trips in 2025 will be away to Suwon FC and FC Seoul. The former's ground is 14km away from Anyang's, while FC Seoul's is 23km. The Violets faithful will have gotten used to short away trips in K League 2 with a handful of teams in the Gyeonggi Province-capital region but at least won't have to travel too far for their much anticipated 'derby' of sorts with FC Seoul and have three relatively nearby away matches for their maiden season in the top flight.
2025 Away Fixtures
Suwon FC: R18, 14th June
FC Seoul: R2, 22nd February; R28, 31st August
Daegu FC
Despite having two other clubs located in the province of Gyeongsangbuk-do which surrounds Daegu Metropolitan City, Daegu FC's nearest clubs are quite far away. Gimcheon are the closest at 74km, followed by Pohang at 93km. Daegu will play the nearest club Gimcheon twice and Pohang only once in 2025.
2025 Away Fixtures
Gimcheon: R5, 5th April; R29, 14th September
Pohang: R3, 1st March
Pohang: R3, 1st March
Daejeon Hana Citizen
Daejeon Hana Citizen's nearest club is 71km south in Jeollabuk-do, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Daejeon fans have enjoyed their trips to Jeonju over the last two seasons, picking up wins there in 2023 and 2024. Gimcheon, meanwhile, the place where the Purples sealed promotion in 2022 is 93km away. Daejeon only have one away match each against their two nearest teams this season.
2025 Away Fixtures
Jeonbuk: R12, 6th May
Gimcheon: R9, 19th April
Gangwon FC (Chuncheon)
Gangwon will begin the 2025 season in Chuncheon, just outside the capital region but connected to it, and end it in Gangneung on the east coast. While the Bears are in Chuncheon in 2025, up until Round 18 in mid-June, their nearest away matches are FC Anyang at 114km and Daejeon at 232km. Jeong Kyung-ho's men take on who would be their two nearest clubs, FC Seoul and Suwon FC, while they are in Gangneung from Round 19 onwards.
2025 Away Fixtures
FC Anyang: R7, 6th April
Daejeon: R19, 27th April
Daejeon: R19, 27th April
Gangwon FC (Gangneung)
Gangwon's second home, the stadium they usually end the season at, is in the east coast city of Gangneung. Their nearest clubs from Gangneung are FC Seoul at 230km and Pohang at 246km. They represent by far the furthest "near" away games in the league. Direct trains connecting Gangneung with two both cities will make these two trips much easier for away fans.
2025 Away Fixtures
FC Seoul: R19, 17th June
Pohang: R17, 1st June
Gimcheon Sangmu
Gimcheon are one of three clubs in the North Gyeongsang area. One of the other teams is their nearest away trip, that being Daegu FC who are 72km away but their second-nearest team is one in a different area of the country - Daejeon Hana Citizen at 92km.
Daegu: R22, 18th July
Daejeon: R19, 18th June
Gwangju FC
Unsuprinsgly, with Jeonnam Dragons still in K League 2, Gwangju's nearest club is in the 'Honam' region, that being the two Jeolla provinces but on the northern side. Jeonbuk are the nearest, in the city of Jeonju but it's still a 103km trip away. After that, Gwangju's nearest away match in 2025 would be Daejeon at 169km.
2025 Away Fixtures
Jeonbuk: R2, 23rd February
Daejeon: R6, 29th March; R28 31st August
Daejeon: R6, 29th March; R28 31st August
Jeju SK
Jeju SK, being the only team located off the mainland, have to fly to all their away matches. South Korea has a number of regional airports that would enable the islanders to fly fairly close to their opponent's stadiums. Jeju airport, located on the north side of the island, is a 48km drive from Jeju World Cup Stadium, located in the southern city of Seogwipo. Gwangju are the nearest, taking 55 minutes and then an 8km drive to the stadium. Ulsan are the next nearest at one hour and five minutes and then a 15km drive to the Munsu.
2025 Away Matches
Gwangju: R7, 6th April
Ulsan: R4, 9th March; R25 9th August
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Much like Daejeon's nearest team being Jeonbuk, Jeonbuk's nearest is Daejeon at 71km. Jeonju Castle being at the north end of the city means the team bus will get onto the motorway quick enough, but Daejeon's home stadium is located in the north of the city too so there's still a bit to go even after arriving in the city of Daejeon. Gwangju is next at 103km, located south of Jeonju, in a Honam derby of sorts.
2025 Away Matches
Daejeon: R7, 5th April
Gwangju: R13,11th May; R24, 27th July
Gwangju: R13,11th May; R24, 27th July
Pohang Steelers
As might be expected, Pohang's nearest club is their East Coast Derby rivals Ulsan HD. The Horangi are 67km south of the Steelyard although a more scenic drive down right along the coast road would be a bit more enjoyable, it would add a few extra kilometers to the journey. Pohang's second-nearest is fellow Gyeongsangbuk region side Daegu FC at 99km.
2025 Away Fixtures
Ulsan: R12, 5th May
Daegu: R19, 17th June; R24, 27th July
Daegu: R19, 17th June; R24, 27th July
FC Seoul
With Seoul E-Land falling short in the playoffs last year, it means that the first-ever K League Seoul Derby will have to wait. Seoul's nearest club is FC Anyang at just 25km, followed by Suwon FC at just under double that with a 49km drive. Seoul have never played FC Anyang away yet as their only-ever meeting came in the FA Cup at Sangam in 2017.
2025 Away Fixtures
FC Anyang: R12, 6th May
Suwon FC: R4, 8th March; R32 5th October
Suwon FC: R4, 8th March; R32 5th October
Suwon FC
With only three capital region clubs left in K League 1, it's easy to see which teams are nearest for FC Seoul, FC Anyang, and Suwon FC. FC Anyang are the closest at 14km, followed by FC Seoul at 44km. Perhaps frustratingly for Suwon FC fans, there is just one trip to Anyang and Seoul each this season pre-split.
2025 Away Fixtures
FC Anyang: R9, 19th April
FC Seoul: R15, 24th May
Ulsan HD
Unsurprisingly, Ulsan's nearest club are Pohang Steelers, located 72km up the East Coast. Daegu are the second-nearest club for Ulsan at 116km. Ulsan have a fair bit of traveling to do whenever they play away from home, making their recent dominance all the more impressive but Kim Pan-gon's men are the only team in K League to have two matches against each of their two nearest clubs pre-split this season.
2025 Away Fixtures
Pohang: R6, 29th March; R29, 13th September
Daegu: R8, 13th April; R31 27th September
Daegu: R8, 13th April; R31 27th September
For fans overseas who can't do Jeju away, then there's K League TV which provides free live coverage and with English commentary.
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