K League to unify promotion-relegation system across all 7 leagues

The K League 2 flag, left, and K3 flag [KOREA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION]

In just a few years it will be theoretically possible for a club to climb all the way up the ranks from the K7 to the K League 1, as the KFA revamps the Korean football ecosystem in to a single promotion-relegation system.

The KFA announced Thursday that the three disparate promotion-relegation systems in Korean football would be combined into one from 2027, making it possible for a team in the bottom-ranked K7 to have top-tier aspirations.

Under current K League rules, promotion-and-relegation systems only apply between leagues at the same level: Professional, semi-professional or amateur.

The K League 1 and K League 2 are professional, K3 and K4 are semi-professional and K5, K6 and K7 are amateur.

Even if a K League 2 team finishes at the bottom of the second tier league, it does not face relegation to the K3. It is the same story the other way around — K3 winners don’t earn promotion to the K League 2 — and K5 champions cannot reach the K4.

With the rule change, a K3 team can now reach the K League 2 and turn pro by winning the third division, provided they meet K League licensing requirements covering issues like infrastructure, academy system and administration size.

If a K3 team meets all the requirements, it will move up to the K League 2 and the last K League 2 side will be relegated. If the winning K3 side is unable to meet the requirements, they will remain in the K3 and no K League 2 team will be relegated.

Over in the K5, teams that finished in the top two the previous season and meet another set of requirements will advance to the K4. When the program initially rolls out, corresponding K4 teams will not be relegated.

“We will suspend relegation for [K4 teams] as we considered factors like expanding the number of K4 teams and the fact that the K4 is semi-professional and the K5 is where amateur club members play,” the KFA said in a statement.

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