2026 K League 2
| Season | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 28 February – 29 November 2026 |
| Matches | 24 |
| Goals | 83 (3.46 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Matheus Frizzo (Suwon FC) Gabriel Tigrão (Yongin FC) (3 goals at each) |
| Biggest home win | Daegu 4-2 Jeonnam Dragons (7 March) Suwon FC 3-1 Yongin (7 March) |
| Biggest away win | Gimhae 1-4 Ansan Greeners (28 February) Chungbuk Cheongju 1-4 Suwon FC (1 March) Gyeongnam 1-4 Jeonnam Dragons (1 March) |
| Highest scoring | Daegu 4-2 Jeonnam Dragons (7 March) |
| Longest winning run | 3 Daegu, Suwon FC, Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
| Longest losing run | 3 Gimhae |
| Highest attendance | 24,071 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2-1 Seoul E-Land (28 February) |
| Lowest attendance | 1,639 Hwaseong 2-2 Cheonan City (15 March) |
| Total attendance | 122,821 |
| Average attendance | 7,676 |
← 2025 2027 →
All statistics correct as of 15 March 2026. | |
The 2026 K League 2, also known as the Hana Bank K League 2 for sponsorship reasons, is the 14th season of the K League 2, the second-highest division in South Korean football league system.
Overview
The league has expand to 17 teams for this season. Two teams relegated from K League 1, and the twelve teams remaining in the league, two teams promoted from the K3 League and one newly established club.
K League 2 will be reduced or expanded to 15 or TBD teams starting next season, due to the expansion of K League 1 from 12 to 14 teams, no team will be automatically relegated from the top tier.
This season, Promotion and Relegation between K League 2 and K3 League have been introduce for 2026 onwards. First and second place are promoted automatically, while third and sixth place face a promotion play-off, the winner of the promotion play-off final will automatically be promoted, the loser of the promotion play-off final will face-off against the 12th place team of K League 1 (only if Gimcheon Sangmu does not finish last).
Last place in K League 2 will face -off against the Champions of K3 League in the inaugural Relegation play-off round.
Teams
Team Changes
As the 2025 K League 2 champions, Incheon United and the play-off winners Bucheon FC 1995 have been promoted to the K League 1.[1][2] Both teams ended in the second tier after one and twelve years, respectively.
Meanwhile, Suwon FC and Daegu FC have been relegated from the K League 1.[3][4] Daegu FC and Suwon FC return to second tier after nine and five years absence, respectively.
Additionally, Gimhae FC 2008 and Paju Frontier have been accepted into the K League 2 following a decision by the K League Federation, having participated in the K3 League since 2020 and 2021.[5] In August 2025, Yongin FC received approval to join the K League, confirming its intention to participate in the 2026 K League 2.[6] On 16 January 2026, two teams from K3 League and one newly established team will participate in K League 2 for the 2026 season after its final approval for membership in the K League Federation.
| Relegated from K League 1 |
|---|
| Accepted from K3 League |
| New Club |
| Promoted to K League 1 |
|---|
Locations
The following seventeen teams are participating in the 2026 K League 2.[7]
| Team | City/Province | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Ansan Greeners | Ansan | Ansan |
| Busan IPark | Busan | Busan |
| Cheonan City | Cheonan | Cheonan |
| Chungbuk Cheongju | Cheongju | Chungbuk Cheongju |
| Chungnam Asan | Asan | Chungnam Asan |
| Daegu FC | Daegu | Daegu |
| Gimpo FC | Gimpo | Gimpo |
| Gimhae FC 2008 | Gimhae | Gimhae |
| Gyeongnam FC | Gyeongnam | Gyeongnam |
| Hwaseong FC | Hwaseong | Hwaseong |
| Jeonnam Dragons | Jeonnam | Jeonnam |
| Paju Frontier | Paju | Paju |
| Seongnam FC | Seongnam | Seongnam |
| Seoul E-Land | Seoul | Seoul E |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | Suwon | Suwon |
| Suwon FC | Suwon | Suwon FC |
| Yongin FC | Yongin | Yongin |
|
Locations of the 2026 K League 2 teams |
Stadiums
| Ansan Greeners | Busan IPark | Cheonan City | Chungbuk Cheongju | Chungnam Asan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ansan Wa~ Stadium | Busan Gudeok Stadium | Cheonan Stadium | Cheongju Stadium | Yi Sun-sin Stadium |
| Capacity: 35,000 | Capacity: 12,349 | Capacity: 26,000 | Capacity: 16,280 | Capacity: 19,283 |
| Daegu FC | Gimhae FC 2008 | Gimpo FC | Gyeongnam FC | Hwaseong FC |
| Daegu iM Bank Park | Gimhae Sports Complex | Gimpo Solteo Football Stadium | Changwon Football Center | Hwaseong Stadium |
| Capacity: 12,415 | Capacity: 15,066 | Capacity: 5,000 | Capacity: 15,074 | Capacity: 35,270 |
| Jeonnam Dragons | Paju Frontier | Seongnam FC | Seoul E-Land | Suwon FC |
| Gwangyang Stadium | Paju Stadium | Tancheon Stadium | Mokdong Stadium | Suwon Sports Complex |
| Capacity: 13,496 | Capacity: 23,000 | Capacity: 16,146 | Capacity: 15,511 | Capacity: 11,808 |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | Yongin FC | |||
| Suwon World Cup Stadium | Yongin Mireu Stadium | |||
| Capacity: 44,031 | Capacity: 37,155 | |||
Personnel and sponsoring
| Team | Manager | Main sponsor | Kit manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ansan Greeners | Choi Moon-sik | Ansan City Greeners | Hummel |
| Busan IPark | Jo Sung-hwan | HDC | Puma |
| Cheonan City | Park Jin-sub | Cheonan City | Sunderland of Scotland |
| Chungbuk Cheongju | Rui Quinta | Sports Tribe | |
| Chungnam Asan | Lim Kwan-sik | Chungnam Asan | FCMM |
| Daegu FC | Kim Byung-soo | IM Bank | Mizuno |
| Gimhae FC 2008 | Son Hyun-jun | Gimhae City | Sports Tribe |
| Gimpo FC | Ko Jeong-woon | Goobne | Sunderland of Scotland |
| Gyeongnam FC | Bae Sung-jae | Nonghyup Bank | Hummel |
| Hwaseong FC | Cha Du-ri | Hwaseong Special City | Kelme |
| Jeonnam Dragons | Park Dong-hyuk | POSCO | Reebok |
| Paju Frontier | Gerard Nus | Lucell | Kelme |
| Seongnam FC | Jeon Kyung-jun | Seongnam City | Umbro |
| Seoul E-Land | Kim Do-kyun | E-Land | New Balance |
| Suwon FC | Park Kun-ha | Suwon Special City | Hummel |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | Lee Jung-hyo | Samsung Galaxy S26 | Umbro |
| Yongin FC | Choi Yun-kyum | Yongin Special City | Puma |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ansan Greeners | Hong Seong-yo (Interim) | End of Interim | 17 November 2025 | Choi Moon-sik | 17 November 2025 |
| Cheonan City | Cho Sung-yong (Interim) | 1 December 2025 | Park Jin-sub | 1 December 2025 | |
| Gyeongnam FC | Kim Pil-jong (Interim) | 8 December 2025 | Bae Sung-jae | 8 December 2025 | |
| Jeonnam Dragons | Kim Hyun-seok | End of Contract | 4 December 2025 | Park Dong-hyuk | 16 December 2025 |
| Chungnam Asan | Cho Jin-soo (Interim) | End of Interim | 17 December 2025 | Lim Kwan-sik | 17 December 2025 |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | Byun Sung-hwan | Resigned | 7 December 2025 | Lee Jung-hyo | 24 December 2025 |
| Suwon FC | Kim Eun-jung | Mutual consent | 24 December 2025 | Park Kun-ha | 24 December 2025 |
| Chungbuk Cheongju | Kim Gil-sik | End of Contract | 12 December 2025 | Rui Quinta | 30 December 2025 |
| Yongin FC | Inaugural season | Choi Yun-kyum | 4 January 2026 | ||
Foreign players
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suwon FC | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 9 | Promotion to K League 1 |
| 2 | Daegu FC | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 9 | |
| 3 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 9 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 4 | Busan IPark | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 7 | |
| 5 | Gimpo FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 | |
| 6 | Hwaseong FC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 | |
| 7 | Ansan Greeners | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 3 | |
| 8 | Jeonnam Dragons | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 3 | |
| 9 | Chungnam Asan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | |
| 10 | Paju Frontier | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 | |
| 11 | Seoul E-Land | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 | |
| 12 | Chungbuk Cheongju | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 2 | |
| 13 | Cheonan City | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 2 | |
| 14 | Seongnam FC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | |
| 15 | Yongin FC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 1 | |
| 16 | Gyeongnam FC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 1 | |
| 17 | Gimhae FC 2008 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 0 | Qualification for relegation play-off round |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference; 4) Wins; 5) Head-to-head points
Positions by matchday
Leaders, promotion to K League 1
Promotion to K League 1
Qualification for promotion play-offs semi-final
Qualification for relegation play-off
Promotion play-off
Bracket
| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
| 6 | |||||||||
| 4 | |||||||||
| 5 | |||||||||
Semi-finals
| v | ||
|---|---|---|
| v | ||
|---|---|---|
Final
| v | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player[8] | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Lokolingoy | Chungnam Asan | 3 |
| Gabriel Tigrão | Yongin FC | ||
| Edgar | Daegu FC | ||
| Sava Petrov | Hwaseong FC | ||
| Matheus Frizzo | Suwon FC | ||
| Bruno Lamas | Cheonan City | ||
| 7 | Jeong Hyun-woo | Ansan Greeners | 2 |
| Ha Jeong-woo | Suwon FC | ||
| Kim Chan | Busan IPark | ||
| Jeong Ji-yong | Jeonnam Dragons | ||
| Park Jae-yong | Seoul E-Land | ||
| Willyan | Suwon FC | ||
| Ménder García | Chungbuk Cheongju | ||
| Cristian Renato | Busan IPark | ||
| Matheus Serafim | Daegu FC |
Top assist providers
| Rank | Player[8] | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valdívia | Jeonnam Dragons | 3 |
| 2 | Gabriel Honório | Busan IPark | 2 |
| Euller | Seoul E-Land | ||
| Matheus Frizzo | Suwon FC | ||
| Cristian Renato | Busan IPark | ||
| Lee Si-young | Suwon FC | ||
| Matheus Serafim | Daegu FC | ||
| 8 | 36 players | 1 | |
Awards
Weekly awards
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Annual awards
| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | ||
| Young Player of the Year | ||
| Top goalscorer | ||
| Top assist provider | ||
| Manager of the Year |
| Position | Best XI | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | ||||
| Defenders | ||||
| Midfielders | ||||
| Forwards | ||||
See also
- 2026 in South Korean football
- 2026–27 Korea Cup
- 2026 K League 1
- 2026 K3 League
- 2026 K4 League
References
- ^ "Bucheon FC 1995 Secures Historic Promotion to K League 1".
- ^ "Incheon United Sweeps K League 2 Title, Awards, Promotion".
- ^ "Daegu FC has been demoted".
- ^ "Suwon FC Relegated After Benching Top Scorer Ssabak". The Chosun Daily. 9 December 2025. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ 김해·용인·파주 회원가입 승인…내년 K리그2 17개 팀으로 (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ Ham, Seung-tae (18 August 2025). "용인FC, K리그2 가입 승인받아 창단 현실화" [Yongin FC confirms its foundation with approval to join K League 2]. Yonin Simin Shinmun (in Korean). Retrieved 31 December 2025.
- ^ "Record" (in Korean). K League. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ a b "K LEAGUE / Record".