
K League 1Schedule
There are 12 teams in the Korean K-League, which are played in three rounds of home and away games (the home team in the third round is determined by drawing lots). Score calculation: The winner of each game earns 3 points, the loser gets no points, and the two teams in a draw earns 1 point each. Finally ranked based on points.
The first stage is the regular season. The ranking is determined by points. The top six teams enter the championship group, and the bottom six teams enter the relegation group. The championship group and the relegation group then conduct a single round-robin group stage.
If two or more teams have equal points, they will be ranked in the following order:
a), total number of goals scored
b), goal difference;
c), number of wins;
d), mutual competition results;
e), fair competition points;
f), drawing lots;
Asian Championship Qualifications & Relegated Teams:
1. The first, second and third runner-up in the championship group will directly participate in the 2027-28 AFC Champions League Elite League group stage, and the fourth place in the championship group will participate in the 2027-28 AFC Champions League Elite League play-offs;
2. The winner of the Korean Cup will participate in the AFC Champions League Secondary League group stage in the 2027-28 season. If the Korean Cup champion overlaps with the top four in the championship group, the fifth place in the championship group will participate in the AFC Champions League Secondary League group stage;
3. Since the cooperation agreement between the Korean Armed Forces Sports Team (Gimcheon Sangmu) and Gimcheon City will expire at the end of 2026. Therefore, whether Gimcheon City forms a new citizen club, or the Armed Forces Sports Team moves to other cities and forms a new K-League club, both teams will participate in the 2027 K2 League.
4. Since the Korean K1 League will expand to 14 teams in the 2027 season, the last place in the league and the winner of the K2 League play-offs will play a home and away two-leg promotion and relegation play-off. The winner of the play-off final and the top two teams of the K2 League will advance to the K1 League. If Jinquan Shangwu ranks last (12th) in the K1 League in the 2026 season, the winner of the K2 League play-offs will directly advance to the K1 League. If Jinquan Shangwu is not ranked at the bottom (before 12th place) in the K1 League in the 2026 season, the winner of the K2 League play-offs will directly advance to the K1 League, and the loser of the play-offs will play a relegation play-off with the last place in the K1 League points.