South Korean K League 1

South Korean K League 1 聯盟介紹

The K League 1 (Hangul: K리그1) is the men's top professional football division of the South Korean football league system. The league is contested by twelve clubs. The K League season typically begins around March and runs to late November each year. The number of games, clubs and the systems used have varied through the years. The K League champions, runners-up, and third-placed team gain entry to the AFC Champions League the following season, with the exception of Sangju Sangmu due to their unique status as an army team. The 12th team is automatically relegated, while the 11th team plays a match against the winner of the K League 2 promotion playoffs. A number of the member clubs are owned by major South Korean chaebols. Those clubs have adopted local city names in an effort to integrate themselves more with the local communities. All other teams are owned by local governments.