A new addition to the Korean footballing calendar, the W Korea Cup is set to begin in June as clubs from the WK League and WU League compete for the biggest prize money in domestic women’s football.

The KFA this week revealed the draw for the 2026 W Korea Cup, with Round 1 matches set to take place next month in Icheon. This will be the first edition of the competition after years of talk about a women’s equivalent to the Korea Cup.

Fifteen teams will compete across four rounds, with the winner set to take home a tidy ₩30m in prize money. This sum makes the W Korea Cup the most lucrative opportunity in domestic women’s football; the WK League champions earn a relatively modest ₩20m.

The competition is being jointly organised by the KFA and the Gyeonggi FA, with Gyeonggi Province footing the bill. All matches will be held in Icheon, at either Icheon Sports Complex or Icheon Gongseol Football Field.

Seven WK League clubs and seven university teams will compete in Round 1, with 2025 WK League champions Hwacheon KSPO receiving a bye to the second round, scheduled for late August.

Here’s a quick overview of the competition:

Arguably the most eye-catching fixture of Round 1 is the meeting between WK League sides Suwon FC and Gyeongju KHNP. These two clubs have met in the WK League championship playoff six times in the nine seasons since Gyeongju joined the league.

Suwon beat Gyeongju on penalties at the 2024 playoff, going on to win the championship final and lift the WK League trophy — but several members of that winning squad now play for the other side. The teams’ current league positions might suggest an easy win for Suwon, but this is a clash that always has the potential to get interesting.

For more information and a full list of W Korea Cup Round 1 fixtures, visit WK League News, a site dedicated to news and updates about the women’s game in South Korea.