get the latest K LEAGUE News
1. Incheon United (Champions, promoted)
Incheon United's K League 2 tour lasted just one year, with the Durumi soaring back to the top flight at the first time of asking. Incheon, thanks to 23 wins, finished six points clear but held onto top spot from Round 8 all the way through to Round 39. Incheon swept many of the end-of-season awards, too, with Stefan Mugosa winning the Golden Boot, Gerso Fernandes winning MVP, Park Seung-ho winning Young Player of the Year, Yoon Jong-hwan winning Manager of the Year, as well as six players named in the Best XI.
2. Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Suwon Bluewings bettered their finish from 2024, ending the season as runners-up, but lost to Jeju SK in Promotion-Relegation Playoff 1. It means that the four-time K League 1 champions will spend a third season in the second division. Byun Sung-hwan's side earned five more wins than the Bluewings of 2024, to be 16 points better off. Suwon may have finished second overall, but 76 goals scored was the highest total in the division.
3. Bucheon FC 1995 (Promoted)
Bucheon FC 1995 made history by winning promotion to K League 1 for the very first time in the club's history. Not only that, but Bucheon became the first K League 2 team to win Promotion-Relegation 2. Lee Young-min's men beat Suwon FC of K League 1 4-2 on aggregate, via a 1-0 first-leg win at home and a 3-2 away win, to earn a spot in K League 1 in 2026. Third place also matched the club's best-ever finish to a season, previously set in 2016.
4. Seoul E-Land
Seoul E-Land reached the playoffs for the second year in succession, something the Leopards have never done before. Seoul E-Land, though, lost to Seongnam in the K League 2 Semi-playoff to see their season come to an end at 40 matches. Despite finishing a place lower than in 2024, Kim Do-kyun led his team to the same number of wins (17). Brazilian attacking midfielder Euller won the Top Assist Maker Award, having teed up a teammate on 11 occasions. Euller was also named in the K League 2 Best XI.
5. Seongnam FC
Seongnam FC enjoyed something of a comeback year, finishing fifth and reaching the K League 2 Promotion Playoff. It was quite the turnaround following last season's last-place finish, credit to the work that manager Jeon Kyung-joon did with his players. Seongnam went on an incredible late-season run to sneak into the playoffs and dared to dream after beating Seoul E-Land in the Semi-playoff. A loss to Bucheon, though, brought their season to an end. Meanwhile, Venicio, Shin Jae-won and Leonardo Ruiz were named in the Best XI.
6. Jeonnam Dragons
The 2025 season will be one to forget for Jeonnam Dragons, who slipped out of the playoff places on the final day of the season. The Dragons actually earned one win more in 2025, showing just how competitive the race for the playoffs was this season. Kim Hyun-seok's side also scored two more goals than last year. Brazilian attacking midfielder Valdivia was named in the Best XI as Jeonnam's sole representation in the end-of-season awards.
7. Gimpo FC
Much like Gimpo FC have been for the last few seasons, Ko Jeong-woon's men had another go at reaching the playoffs. Gimpo were in the hunt all the way into the last few rounds of the season but had to settle for seventh place, the exact same position as in 2024.
8. Busan IPark
Busan IPark will look back on the 2025 campaign as one to move on from and not dwell on. Busan had been among the main contenders for the playoffs for most of the campaign. Between Rounds 10 and 32, Jo Sung-hwan's men spent just three rounds out of the top five before slipping out of contention in Round 33.
9. Chungnam Asan
Chungnam Asan quietly went about their business in 2025 and were still playoff contenders right up until late in the campaign. The Owls were always going to have a job on their hands bettering last year's runner-up spot, but were able to reach double-figures for victories. Asan only lost two more games than last year, but the difference in 2025 was a higher number of draws.
10. Hwaseong FC
Hwaseong FC's first-ever season in K League 1 can be seen as a success, finishing well away from last place following nine wins and 13 draws. Led by Korean football legend Cha Du-ri, Hwaseong finished 13 points clear of last place and picked up wins against teams that finished about them, notably Seongnam, Busan, and Jeonnam.
11. Gyeongnam FC
Gyeongnam FC can look back on 2025 as a year of incremental progress. The Roses finished second-bottom last year (12th), but were able to finish one place and seven points better off. Gyeongnam won far more games this year, too, with 11 compared to seven last year. The four-match unbeaten run from Round 2 to 5 was their best in 2025.
12. Chungbuk Cheongju
Chungbuk Cheongju will look at 2025 as a year to learn from, as one of the few teams that took a step backwards compared to 2024. But 12th place meant that the Lions were able to avoid the so-called 'wooden spoon' of last place. Chungbuk Cheongju enjoyed two three-match unbeaten runs in 2025, first from Round 8 to 10, which yielded two wins, then from Rounds 17 to 19.
13. Cheonan City
Cheonan City have finished in last place before, so the fact that the 2025 campaign saw them avoid that same fate can be chalked up as a relative success. It was, however, a step back from last year when they finished ninth. City enjoyed a four-batch unbeaten run with back-to-back wins from Rounds 16 to 19, sealing wins over Chungnam Asan away and Seoul E-Land at home.
14. Ansan Greeners
Someone has to finish last, and this year it was Ansan Greeners. The Green Wolves' best run of 2025 was four unbeaten, with back-to-back wins and with clean sheets, having overcome Seongnam at home in Round 14, then Busan on the road 2-0 in Round 15.
