WK League

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

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]

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 in the league, having won eleven consecutive titles since 2013.[4]

Competition format

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.[5]

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.[5]

The regular season was reduced to 21 games in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.[6][7][8][9] 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.[10][11][12][13] The 2024 edition of the league saw a return to the 28-round regular season.[14][15]

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

Clubs

Current clubs

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 Stadium Auxiliary Pitch 2009 2009–present 15 —
Suwon FC Suwon Suwon Sports Complex 2009 2009–present 15 2010
  1. ^ As of the 2023 season.

Former clubs

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

Champions

The following is a list of all seasons' finals.

Finals

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

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

References

  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. ^ Lee, Jun-ho (25 November 2023). "인천 현대제철, WK리그 통합 11연패... 손화연 해트트릭" [Incheon Hyundai Steel seal 11th consecutive championship... Son Hwa-yeon hat-trick]. The Munhwa Il-bo (in Korean). Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 2020 WK리그, 6월 15일 개막 [2020 WK League to begin on June 15th] (in Korean). Korea Women's Football Federation. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ "WK리그, 6월 15일 개막 확정... 21라운드로 축소 운영" [WK League confirmed to start on June 15th... reduced to 21 rounds]. KBS News. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  9. ^ Im, Jae-hoon (17 March 2021). "女축구 WK리그, 올해도 21R축소 운영...4월 26일 현대제철-서울시청 개막전" [Women's football WK League reduced to 21 rounds again this year... season opener between Hyundai Steel and Seoul WFC on April 26th]. Sports W (in Korean). Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Oh, Chang-won (4 February 2022). "여자축구 WK리그, 3월 19일 개막...현대제철-수원FC 개막전 격돌" [Women's football WK League opens March 19th...Hyundai Steel and Suwon FC to clash in opening game]. Joongboo Daily. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  13. ^ Kim, Yong-il (3 March 2023). "'월드컵의 해' WK리그, 2023 시즌 정규리그 28R-21R 축소 운영" ['World Cup year' 2023 WK League regular season reduced from 28 to 21 rounds]. Sports Seoul (in Korean). Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ Lee, Young-ho (20 February 2024). "2024시즌 WK리그, 3월 16일 킥오프...챔프전은 11월" [2024 WK League kicks off on March 16th... Championship final in November]. Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved 16 April 2024.

External links

  • Official website (in Korean)
  • WK League at Soccerway
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