The draw for the Korea Cup was made on Wednesday. The biggest change is the schedule, as the competition will now begin in June 2026 and conclude in June 2027.

This marks a significant departure from previous editions of the Korea Cup, which traditionally began in spring and ran through to December.

Observers believe this could signal the beginning of the K League’s transition from a summer league to a European-style September-to-May schedule, albeit with some adjustments.

There will be plenty of time to debate the merits and pitfalls should that change eventually come to pass. For now, however, the focus remains on the restructured Korea Cup.

A total of 63 clubs will participate, ranging from K5 sides to defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Here are the dates for each round (correct at the time of publication).

Round	Date	Notes
Free Round	2026-06-20 (Saturday)	8 teams from K5
First Round	2026-07-04/05 (Weekend)	13 K3 and 13 K4 teams enter
Second Round	2026-07-15 (Wednesday)	17 K League 2 teams enter
Third Round	2026-07-29 (Wednesday)	8 K League 1 teams enter
Round of 16	2026-08-19 (Wednesday)	4 AFC-qualified K League 1 teams enter
Quarter-finals	2027-05-19 (Wednesday)
Semi-finals	2027-05-26 (Wednesday)
Final	2027-06-05 (Saturday)	To be determined

As is tradition, the AFC continental qualifiers enter the competition at the Round of 16 stage. Those clubs are Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Daejeon Hana Citizen, Gangwon FC, and Pohang Steelers.

The schedule is confirmed up to the end of the Round of 16, meaning clubs already know whether they will play at home or away, as well as their potential opponents should they progress.

Here is the schedule in full.

We will publish a comprehensive round-by-round preview once the tournament gets under way.

Naturally, there are several intriguing potential fixtures to consider if results go as expected. These include, in no particular order:

Daegu FC vs. Jeonnam Dragons

Now K League 2 rivals, this potential third-round tie would be a repeat of the 2021 Final. Daegu were a top-flight side at the time, but surprisingly lost to Jeonnam on away goals.

Daegu would first need to overcome K3 high-flyers Siheung Citizen in the previous round. Jeonnam, meanwhile, face a difficult opener against Chungnam Asan.

Ulsan Citizen vs. Ulsan HD

Admittedly, this scenario is far-fetched, but the two Ulsan clubs are on the same side of the draw and could meet in the third round.

Citizen would have home advantage, but they would need to progress through two rounds – both at home – including the elimination of Seoul E-Land.

Gimpo FC vs. Incheon United

Fresh from their meetings in K League 2 last season, the Airport Derby could return in the third round if Gimpo advance that far. There is also a strong Incheon influence at Gimpo these days, which adds further intrigue.

Gimpo will travel to the winners of Namyangju or Seoul Jungang in the second round. As a K League 1 side, this would represent Incheon’s entry point into the competition.

Busan IPark vs. FC Seoul

If this fixture were to take place today, it would pit the leaders of K League 2 against a K League 1 giant. More than that, it would bring together two of the most storied clubs in Korean football.

A third-round clash looks possible. Busan will have home advantage in the previous round, likely against Geoje.

These are just four possible fixtures to get excited about. There are many others that could emerge, and they will all be previewed on Below The 38th should they come to pass.