FC Seoul are champions of Korea for the first time in 10 years. Their success was richly deserved after a superb season on the pitch, built on several years of good recruitment. Despite that, can we view this season as a success for the league?
For the second consecutive season, the title has been won before the league split, rendering the final weeks irrelevant for most clubs. Moreover, there has been no real relegation battle, with Gwangju cut adrift since late spring.
What Has Been a Success?
FC Seoul’s Resurgence
Seoul are a K League powerhouse, but it has been 10 years since their last league title. They drifted into the wilderness after 2016 and even flirted with relegation. Despite lackluster performances and fan protests, Seoul remain the only club capable of regularly attracting crowds of 20,000 or more.
K League 1 has been dominated by the Hyundai clubs, Jeonbuk and Ulsan, for so long that the league must be delighted to see a new name on the trophy. That said, all the issues this season should not distract from what has been a great year for FC Seoul.
Jeju SK’s Rehabilitation
At the end of last season, Jeju looked doomed. Beaten at home by Suwon FC, they lost both the match and their discipline as several red cards were dished out. The Islanders narrowly avoided automatic relegation before producing two outstanding, unexpected performances to dismantle Suwon Samsung in the playoffs.
They began 2026 poorly, and another season scrapping for survival looked likely. After six rounds, they were bottom. Then they simply stopped losing, picked up points and climbed from the relegation zone to the cusp of the top two. Sadly, their fairytale run ended with defeat last weekend in Sungui, dropping Jeju into the bottom half.
The Promoted Teams
Incheon United and Bucheon FC have not weakened the league, although that should come as no surprise in Incheon’s case. They have a K League 1-calibre squad featuring internationals and are coached by a former Manager of the Year. On the final day before the split, they overpowered Jeju to secure a place in the top half.
Bucheon FC 1995, meanwhile, are representing their city in the top flight for the first time since Bucheon SK, now Jeju SK, left nearly two decades ago. Their unlikely promotion has been followed by a surprisingly comfortable debut season. They are woefully out of form now, but it remains highly unlikely that Gwangju can make up the 11-point gap with five matches to play.
What Hasn’t Worked?
No Title Challenge
Unfortunately, this is becoming a trend, with the two most recent seasons particularly galling. It wasn’t always this way, even in the recent past. Jeonbuk and Ulsan were involved in some exceptional final-day drama as recently as 2019.
Seoul went top after Round 5 and could have had the title sewn up a week before the end-of-season split. In 2025, Jeonbuk won the title before the fixtures for the final rounds had even been announced. It isn’t ideal.
No Relegation Scrap
Compounding the lack of a title fight has been the non-story at the opposite end of the table. Gwangju were rooted to the bottom well before the cherry blossoms had fallen in spring. As the weeks went by, the gap between Gwangju and everyone else widened. It was turning into a historically poor season.
Until recently, the team in second was closer to 11th than first, while the team in 11th was closer to second than 12th. Compare that with 2025, when Daegu, Jeju and Suwon FC fought to avoid automatic relegation right into the final weeks.
Gimcheon Sangmu’s Relocation
Sangmu FC announced late last year they would be relocating from their current position in Gimcheon. This isn’t unusual; Sangmu, the sports wing of the Korea Armed Forces, have previously played in Gwangju and Sangju.
The reason for their relocation is Gimcheon city does not want to create a new civic club, and Sangmu’s license in the city has expired. Relocation means relegation.
In hindsight, this has proved to be a major problem. There was only one automatic relegation spot this season, and we knew who that would be before a ball was kicked. That robbed the league of a genuine relegation tussle.
Gwangju have been disappointing throughout the season, winning just three matches so far. But no matter how bad things got, they always knew they had the safety net of a playoff against a K League 2 club to prepare for.
Declining Attendances
Replacing Daegu and Suwon FC with Incheon United and Bucheon FC should not have made a significant dent in attendances, if any at all. Yet average crowds remain down by nearly 1,500 per match.
FC Seoul present a curious case. They have recorded nine crowds of 20,000 or more, with a peak of 35,000. In 2025, they welcomed 41,000 (Anyang) and 48,000 (Jeonbuk) to the World Cup Stadium. Why have they failed to attract similar numbers during their long march to the title?
Struggling Big Teams
This one is obvious: when the bigger, richer clubs are thriving, the league is healthier. Seoul are the exception in 2026. Jeonbuk look certain to start another season with a different manager in the dugout. Ulsan are second but have lost more matches than any other team in the top eight. And then there’s Pohang, consigned to Final B.
K League 2 Comparison
Interestingly, the same weekend K League 1’s title race was settled, K League 2’s was effectively decided, too. Suwon Samsung opened up an eight-point gap over Suwon FC and Seoul E-Land. Five points from their remaining four matches will guarantee the Bluewings the title.
However, this looked unlikely as recently as mid-September. Busan IPark had topped the table for 14 consecutive weeks, while Suwon had slipped to third. A seven-match winning streak, which is still ongoing, has settled the debate in K League 2.
Suwon will claim one of the automatic promotion spots, but there is a tight three-way race for the other. Suwon FC, Seoul E-Land and Daegu are separated by just two points. Their goalscoring records are almost identical in a league that prioritises goals scored over goal difference.
Busan and Hwaseong should round out the playoffs, but the order in which they finish remains undecided. K League 2 has had a title race and a playoff battle that the first division could only dream of.
Verdict
By the time we’ve locked football away for winter, most people won’t remember the finer details of an underwhelming season. We’ll recall a dominant FC Seoul, an exciting K League 2 title race and, hopefully, a gripping set of playoff fixtures in early December.
What we can hope for is a much better 2027, no matter who the champions are. The league expansion should help. Otherwise, there are no solutions. It is just luck.
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