The WK League (Hangul: WK리그) is a semi-professional women's football league,[1][2] run by the Korea Football Association (KFA) and the Korea Women's Football Federation (KWFF), which represents the sport's highest level in South Korea.[3]

WK League
Founded2009; 15 years ago (2009)
CountrySouth Korea
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Number of teams8
Level on pyramid1
International cup(s)AFC Women's Club Championship
Current championsIncheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels
(2023)
Most championshipsIncheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels
(11 titles)
Websitekwff.or.kr
Current: 2024 WK League

Icheon Daekyo won the inaugural edition of the WK League in 2009 and won two more titles in 2011 and 2012. Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels are the most successful team, having won eleven consecutive titles since 2013.

Competition format edit

During the regular season, contested from March to September, each team plays a total of 28 games, playing four times against each of the other seven teams. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points.[4]

In the case that teams are level on points, tie-breakers are applied in the following order:

  1. Goal difference
  2. Head-to-head results
  3. Total goals scored
  4. Total wins
  5. Drawing lots

Then, the second and third-placed teams of the regular season face off in a one-legged semi-final, with the winners facing the first-placed team of the regular season in a two-legged championship game. The remaining teams are ranked from fourth to eighth.[4]

The regular season was reduced to 21 games in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.[5][6] A shortened season was maintained in 2022 due to the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and the 2022 Asian Games, and again in 2023 due to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[7][8] The 2024 edition of the league saw a return to the 28-round regular season.[9]

The WK League is the only women's league in the country and as such there is no relegation system in place.

Clubs edit

Current clubs edit

Team Location Stadium First season Current spell Seasons[a] Last title
Changnyeong WFC Changnyeong Changnyeong Sports Park 2018 2018–present 6
Gyeongju KHNP Gyeongju Gyeongju Football Park 2017 2017–present 7
Hwacheon KSPO Hwacheon Hwacheon Stadium 2011 2011–present 13
Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels Incheon Incheon Namdong Asiad Rugby Field 2009 2009–present 15 2023
Mungyeong Sangmu Mungyeong Mungyeong Civic Stadium 2009 2009–present 15
Sejong Sportstoto Sejong Sejong Central Park 2011 2011–present 13
Seoul WFC Seoul Seoul World Cup Auxiliary Stadium 2009 2009–present 15
Suwon FC Suwon Suwon Sports Complex 2009 2009–present 15 2010
  1. ^ As of the 2023 season.

Former clubs edit

Club First season Last season
Chungnam Ilhwa Chunma 2009 2012
Icheon Daekyo 2009 2017

Champions edit

The following is a list of all seasons' finals.

Finals edit

Season Regular season winners Aggregate Semi-final winners 1st leg 2nd leg
2009 Daekyo Kangaroos 2–0 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 1–0 1–0
2010 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 1–2 Suwon FMC 1–0 0–2
2011 Goyang Daekyo Noonnoppi 5–3 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 2–2 3–1
2012 Goyang Daekyo Noonnoppi 3–2 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 0–1 3–1
2013 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 4–2 Seoul WFC 1–1 3–1
2014 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 1–0 Goyang Daekyo Noonnoppi 1–0 0–0
2015 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 1–1 (4–3 p) Icheon Daekyo 0–0 1–1 (a.e.t.)
2016 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 4–0 Icheon Daekyo 0–0 4–0
2017 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 6–0 Hwacheon KSPO 3–0 3–0
2018 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 4–4 (3–1 p) Gyeongju KHNP 0–3 4–1 (a.e.t.)
2019 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 1–0 Suwon UDC 0–0 1–0
2020 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 2–0 Gyeongju KHNP 0–0 2–0
2021 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 2–1 Gyeongju KHNP 1–1 1–0
2022 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 2–0 Gyeongju KHNP 0–0 2–0
2023 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 7–5 Suwon FC 1–3 6–2

Performance by club edit

Club Champions Runners-up Seasons won Seasons runner-up
Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels
11
4
2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Icheon Daekyo
3
3
2009, 2011, 2012 2014, 2015, 2016
Suwon FC
1
2
2010 2019, 2023
Gyeongju KHNP
0
4
2018, 2020, 2021, 2022
Seoul WFC
0
1
2013
Hwacheon KSPO
0
1
2017

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ 프로팀 하나 없는 종목에 여대생들이 모였다···척박한 환경에서도 '골 때리는 그녀들' (in Korean). Korea Economic Daily. 20 October 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  2. ^ 세미프로 여자축구, '프로' 명칭 빼고 리그 운영 (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 5 January 2007.
  3. ^ 개요 (in Korean). WK League. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  4. ^ a b DEVELON WK League 2024 규정 [DEVELON WK League 2024 Regulations] (in Korean). Korean Women's Football Federation. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  5. ^ 2020 WK리그, 6월 15일 개막 [2020 WK League to begin on June 15th] (in Korean). Korea Women's Football Federation. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  6. ^ WK리그 4월 26일 개막...현대제철-서울시청 개막전 격돌 [WK League to begin on April 26th...Incheon Hyundai and Seoul WFC to clash in opening game]. Korea Women's Football Federation (in Korean). 20 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  7. ^ 여자축구 WK리그, 3월 19일 개막…현대제철-수원FC 개막전 격돌 [Women's Football WK League season begins March 19th... Incheon Hyundai and Suwon FC to clash in opening game]. Korea Women's Football Federation (in Korean). 5 February 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  8. ^ 2023 WK리그, 3월 24일 개막..따뜻한 봄과 함께 여자축구가 온다! [2023 WK League to open on March 24th.. Along with the warm spring, women's football is coming!]. Korea Women's Football Federation (in Korean). 3 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  9. ^ 女실업축구 WK리그 3월 16일 개막...총 28라운드 7개월 대장정 돌입 [Women's commercial football WK League season to open 16th March... With 28 rounds, the 7-month-long journey begins]. Korea Women's Football Federation (in Korean). 27 February 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.

External links edit