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New K League 1 season to kick off Feb. 28

Published: 13 Jan. 2026, 19:37

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors celebrate winning the 2025 K League 1 season at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, North Jeolla on Nov. 8, 2025. [NEWS1]

The new season for the top football league will kick off with three matches on Feb. 28.

The K League announced the fixtures for the first 33 matches of the 2026 K League 1 season on Tuesday.

The 12 teams will each play 38 matches for the season. They will first play each opponent three times for 33 matches, and they will be split into "Final A" for the top six clubs and "Final B" for the bottom six clubs. Teams will then play the remaining five matches, once against each opponent in their own group, to wrap up the campaign.

Incheon United, promoted back to the top competition after a season in the second-tier K League 2, will play the K League 1 opener against FC Seoul at 2 p.m. on Feb. 28 at Incheon Football Stadium in Incheon.

Ulsan HD will host Gangwon FC also at 2 p.m. on Feb. 28 at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan. It will be the K League 1 coaching debut for Ulsan's new bench boss Kim Hyun-seog, who was named to the post in December.

Ulsan HD celebrate scoring during a K League 1 match against Daejeon Hana Citizen at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon on Feb. 23, 2025. [YONHAP]

Then at 4:30 p.m. on the same day, Gimcheon Sangmu FC will take on Pohang Steelers at Gimcheon Stadium in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will open their title defense under new head coach Chung Jung-yong against Bucheon FC 1995 at 2 p.m. on March 1 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, North Jeolla. In addition to their coaching change, Jeonbuk have undergone a major squad overhaul, parting ways with former captains Park Jin-seob and Hong Jeong-ho on defense while bringing in former national team defender Park Ji-soo and winger Kim Seung-sub.

This will be Bucheon FC's first K League 1 match after their promotion from K League 2 via a playoff.

At 4:30 p.m. on March 1, Jeju SK and Gwangju FC will square off at Jeju World Cup Stadium in Jeju, with both clubs under new head coaches — Sergio Costa for Jeju and Lee Jung-kyu for Gwangju.

Daejeon Hana Citizen and FC Anyang will duke it out in the final match of the opening weekend at 2 p.m. on March 2. After finishing as the runners-up to Jeonbuk last year, Daejeon further shored up their squad by acquiring midfielders Um Won-sang and Gustav Ludwigson, and defender Cho Seong-gwon.

Yonhap