Korea Republic football league system
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The Korean football league system contains three unconnected leagues for Korean football clubs. The Korean system is different from many other national league systems, in the sense that there is no official direct route for movement between any of the three divisions.
The highest level of football in South Korea is the K-League, the only fully professional football league in the country. Below the level of the K-League is the amateur National League, which serves as the second division. A third level, the K3 League, was added to the setup in 2007.
At present there is no avenue for progression between any of the leagues. In 2006 and 2007, the champions of the National League had been eligible for entry to the K-League provided they met certain criteria. Both Goyang Kookmin Bank and Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, who won the league in 2006 and 2007 respectively, refused the chance to move up to the K-League. In light of those rejections, the National League discontinued the conditional promotion system ahead of the 2008 season.
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[edit] Current system
The K-League was created in 1983 and remained the only officially organized league competition in the country until the creation of the National League in 2003. The K3 League was created in 2007 to give the structure as it exists today. For each division, its official name, sponsored name and number of clubs is given:
| Level | League/Division |
|---|---|
| 1 | K-League (Samsung Hauzen K-League) 14 clubs |
| 2 | Korea National League (Kookmin Bank Korea National League) 14 clubs |
| 3 | K3 League (Daum K3 League) 16 clubs |
Below this league structure there are many amateur, university and youth level competitions at varying levels. From 2008, the U-League, a league competition for university football clubs, will begin though it is likely to remain completely independent from the league structure above.
[edit] Cup eligibility
[edit] Domestic cups
All K-League and National League sides qualify for the Korean FA Cup tournament. The top four sides from the 2007 K3 League season gained qualification to the 2008 FA Cup tournament. Additional qualifiers come from amateur and university level.
The Hauzen Cup competition is open to K-League teams only, whilst sides from the National League and K3 Level can compete in the National Championship.
National League, K3 League, amateur and university sides compete in the Korean President's Cup.
[edit] Continental Competition
At present, two South Korean sides qualify automatically for the AFC Champions League. The K-League champion automatically gains entry to the AFC Champions League along with the A3 Champions Cup. The Korean FA Cup winners qualify for the AFC Champions League only.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- (Korean) Official K-League website
- (Korean) Official National League website
- (Korean) Official K3 League website
- (English) ROKfootball.com website
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