News: K League 1 set for shake-up in 2026, 2027

K League is set for a big shake-up in 2026 and 2027, with Gimcheon Sangmu set to be relegated regardless of their final league position, and with the top division to grow to 14 teams.

The K League's Board of Directors held a meeting on Monday 1st December to iron out a few issues heading into the winter break. What was decided will mean a very different K League from next year.

K League 1 Expansion

From the 2027 season, the number of teams in K League 1 will increase from 12 to 14 clubs. Beginning in the 2026 season, three new clubs will join K League 2, bringing the total number of teams across both divisions to 29 (12 in K League 1 and 17 in K League 2).

While the number of K League 2 teams has steadily grown — from 10 in 2021 to 11 in 2022, 13 in 2023, 15 in 2025, and 17 in 2026 — K League 1 has remained a 12-team league since the 2014 season.

The latest decision aims to rebalance the size of the two divisions and reflects the narrowing gap between them, with leading K League 2 clubs approaching mid-table K League 1 standards in areas such as revenue, attendance, and player wages.

Under the new structure, K League 1 will operate a 14-team, triple round-robin format, totalling 39 rounds from the 2027 season.

The competition format for K League 2 from 2027 will be decided separately by the  K League Board once the number of participating teams has been finalised.

Gimcheon Relegation in 2026

With the affiliation agreement between the K League, the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Sangmu), and Gimcheon City set to expire at the end of 2026, it has been decided that if Gimcheon City establishes a citizen-owned club, or if the Armed Forces Athletic Corps establishes a new club in a different home city and either side enters the K League from 2027, both clubs will compete in K League 2.

According to K League club regulations, any newly participating club must join as a K League 2 side. Additionally, when an organisation operating a military or police team establishes its own affiliated club, the K League Board of Directors determines the league in which the club will compete.

Promotion & Relegation in 2026

The promotion and relegation system for the 2026 season — reflecting both the expansion of K League 1 to 14 teams from 2027 and Gimcheon Sangmu’s automatic relegation to K League 2 — has been confirmed.

The exact mechanism depends on whether Gimcheon Sangmu finish bottom (12th) of K League 1.

If Gimcheon Sangmu finish 12th, only Gimcheon Sangmu are relegated and K League 2’s top two teams will be automatically promoted. The teams finishing third to sixth enter a four-team play-off, with the winner promoted. No promotion–relegation play-off will be held.

If Gimcheon Sangmu do not finish 12th. Gimcheon Sangmu are relegated regardless, but the team finishing 12th in K League 1 enters the Promotion–Relegation Play-off. K League 2’s top two-placed teams gain automatic promotion. The third to sixth-placed teams compete in a four-team playoff, with the winner promoted. The team that wins the promotion decider faces the K League 1 bottom side in the Promotion–Relegation Playoff.

via K League press release