Everything in store for the K League 1 in 2024

Ulsan Hyundai, now called Ulsan HD, celebrate winning the 2023 K League 1 at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on Dec. 3, 2023. [NEWS1]

The 2024 K League 1 season kicks off Friday with 12 clubs joining the nine-month journey toward the coveted league title.

The upcoming season will see 11 K League 1 teams back in action from last year alongside Gimcheon Sangmu — the only promoted side from the K League 2.

Ulsan HD, formally called Ulsan Hyundai, have dominated the league for the past two seasons during which they won back-to-back titles for the first time in team history.

The key to their success last season was manager Hong Myung-bo’s attacking football where players were aggressive whether they were losing or winning the game.

As Ulsan aces like Joo Min-kyu, last season’s top scorer, and fullback Seol Young-woo are still with the club — and will be joined by new signees defender Hwang Seok-ho and midfielder Ko Seung-beom — the defending champions may have a shot to win third straight league title for the very first time.

Ulsan, however, will have a busier schedule than most other teams, as they have to compete in the 2023-24 AFC Champions League quarterfinals against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors for a two-game series on March 5 and March 12.

Jeonbuk could be the biggest competitor for Ulsan next season, as they have already shown strong form with their beefed-up squad.

After failing to win a single trophy for the first time since 2013 last year, they made multiple signings such as Tiago Orobo, the league's second-most prolific scorer of 2023, and fullback Kim Tae-hwan.

Their impact was visible in Jeonbuk’s two-game Champions League round of 16 series against the Pohang Steelers earlier this month where they both recorded assists and saw the team win the series 3-1 on aggregate.

The Steelers, on the other hand, may need some time during the early days of the 2024 season to reclaim their best form.

The Pohang side had an impressive run last year under then-manager Kim Gi-dong, but Kim left the team to join FC Seoul in December.

Last year under Kim, the Steelers managed a league runner-up finish, won the 2023 Korean FA Cup and reached the Champions League knockout stage as the only unbeaten K League team.

The club failed to ride that rhythm into the round of the 16 against Jeonbuk, the first test for the Steelers' new boss, Park Tae-ha. Crafting the best XI that might recreate last season’s glory could be a matter of time.

Gwangju FC could again prove to be a strong contender for the title. The club won crucial matches against Ulsan HD and Pohang Steelers to manage a third-place finish last season.

Gwangju signed forwards Joao Magno and Gabriel Tigrao, who are both from Brazil, to reinforce their attack and pose a bigger threat to other teams in the league.

Incheon United, meanwhile, did not make significant changes to their squad after the end of the last season, as manager Cho Seong-hwan is keen to see success with his current roster.

“The players produced good results last year and did their very best, and young players showed good cohesion with older players,” Cho said during an interview with Korean media at Incheon Global Campus in Incheon on Sunday. “There was no big change [on the team] as we try to maintain that rhythm.”

Incheon have shown a better performance in the league for the past two seasons, finishing in fourth place in 2022 and fifth place in 2023, compared to eighth in 2021 and 11th in 2020.

For Daegu FC, the upcoming season will be a chance for the club to continue their upward climb and claim a higher spot on the table after finishing in eighth place in 2022 and sixth place last year.

As for FC Seoul, the 2024 campaign will bring another chance to end a long trophy drought that has left the former frontrunners without any silverware since 2016, the last time they were crowned league champions. The capital side saw another unimpressive season last year, finishing the league in eighth place despite briefly reaching the top three in the early days of the season.

With the notable and perhaps surprising addition of former Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard and the hiring of ex-Steelers manager Kim, the club has a shot to recreate the glory of the 2010s — league champions in 2010, 2013 and 2016 — this year.

Daejeon Hana Citizen could show a more impressive run this year than last season when they finished in eighth place after earning promotion in 2023, as the squad added Lee Soon-min, one of the K League's best midfielders last season, and center-back Aaron Calver, both from Gwangju.

For Jeju United, Gangwon FC and Suwon FC, the upcoming season will be about whether they can correct their troubles that defined a disappointing 2023, as they stayed in the relegation zone for the majority of the second half.

Newly-promoted Gimcheon may face some challenges when squad changeups hit in the middle of the season, as some players are set to leave the club in July upon the end of their military service.

The 12 teams will each play 33 matches from March 1 through Oct. 6 before being split into two groups for the final leg of the season.

The top six teams will then compete for the league title, while the bottom six will fight to avoid relegation in five remaining league games. The schedule for the last five regular-season games will be announced after the conclusion of the initial 33.

Defending champions Ulsan will play their opener against the Steelers at home, followed by the clash between Jeonbuk and Daejeon at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, North Jeolla later that day.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]