Livida Sport: A Global Guide to Football Transfers - Second Edition - Manual / Resource - Page 60
South Korea
K League 1
32/200
The K League 1 is the top professional football division in South Korea. Established in
1983, it is one of the oldest professional leagues in Asia and has been pivotal in shaping
the continent's footballing landscape. The league features 12 teams, including clubs like
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Ulsan Hyundai, and FC Seoul, which have dominated
domestically and performed well in the AFC Champions League.
K League clubs are known for producing and developing top-tier talent, with many
players moving on to Europe9s elite leagues or starring for the South Korean national
team.
What are the foreign player rules?
Under the current rules, which were established in 2009, each K League 1 team can have
up to six foreign players. Previously, one of those players had to be from an Asian
country. However, as of 2025, all six foreign players can be from any country, with a
maximum of four foreign players allowed to feature in each match.
In the AFC Champions League, there is an unlimited amount of foreign players allowed in
the squad.
Furthermore, from 2025, a foreign player who has played in an amateur club registered in
the Korea Football Association for either three consecutive years or five years in total
can be counted as a Korean player when he first signs a contract with a K League team.
60
© Livida Sport Limited
