K League Championship

The K League Championship was the final competition (playoffs) of the K League season. The K League originally had playoffs after regular seasons, but the name of playoffs was officially decided in 2009.[1][2] This competition was abolished in 2011.

All K League Championship records from 1984 to 1996 are not included in the current K League official statistics.

Summary

  Champions0   Runners-up

Final

The winners of two regular stages in four early editions qualified for the two-legged final.

No. Season First stage winners Second stage winners
1 1984 Yukong Elephants Daewoo Royals
2 1986 POSCO Atoms Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso
3 1995 Ilhwa Chunma Pohang Atoms
4 1996 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Playoffs of the top four (1998–2000)

First round Semi-final Final
              
Regular second-placed team
First round winners
Regular third-placed team
Regular fourth-placed team
Semi-final winners
Regular first-placed team

The top four clubs of the regular league qualified for the championship from 1998 to 2000. The first round was played as a single match, and the semi-final was a two-legged tie. The final also consisted of two matches in 1998, but it changed to best-of-three the next year.

No. Season Regular first place Regular second place Regular third place Regular fourth place
5 1998 Suwon Samsung Bluewings Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i Pohang Steelers Jeonnam Dragons
6 1999 Suwon Samsung Bluewings Bucheon SK Jeonnam Dragons Busan Daewoo Royals
7 2000 Anyang LG Cheetahs Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Bucheon SK

Playoffs of the top four (2004–2006)

Semi-finals Final
        
First stage winners
Overall table winners
Semi-final winners
Semi-final winners
Second stage winners
Overall table runners-up

When the regular league was split into two stages again from 2004 to 2006, the top two clubs in the overall table qualified for the championship in addition to two winners. Each semi-final was a single match, and the final comprised two matches.

No. Season First stage winners Second stage winners Top two of the rest
8 2004 Pohang Steelers Suwon Samsung Bluewings Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i Jeonnam Dragons
9 2005 Busan IPark Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Incheon United Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i
10 2006 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Suwon Samsung Bluewings Pohang Steelers FC Seoul

Playoffs of the top six

First roundSecond roundSemifinalFinal
Regular third-placed teamRegular first-placed team
Regular sixth-placed teamRegular second-placed teamSemi-final winners
First round winnersSecond round winners
First round winners
Regular fourth-placed team
Regular fifth-placed team

The K League Championship increased participating clubs to six since 2007. The winners of regular league directly qualified for the final, and the second-placed team qualified for the semi-final. The other four clubs entered the first round, and the winners of the second round advanced to the semi-final. Each match was played as a single match, excluding the two-legged final.

No. Season Regular first place Regular second place Regular third place Regular fourth place Regular fifth place Regular sixth place
11 2007 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Suwon Samsung Bluewings Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i Gyeongnam FC Pohang Steelers Daejeon Citizen
12 2008 Suwon Samsung Bluewings FC Seoul Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Ulsan Hyundai Pohang Steelers Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
13 2009 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Pohang Steelers FC Seoul Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Incheon United Jeonnam Dragons
14 2010 FC Seoul Jeju United Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Ulsan Hyundai Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Gyeongnam FC
15 2011 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Pohang Steelers FC Seoul Suwon Samsung Bluewings Busan IPark Ulsan Hyundai

Finals

Numbers in yellow background are the numbers of victories, and are not aggregate scores.

No. Season Winners Agg. Runners-up 1st leg 2nd leg 3rd leg
1 1984 Daewoo Royals 2–1 Yukong Elephants 1–0 1–1 —
2 1986 POSCO Atoms 2–1 Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso 1–0 1–1 —
3 1995 Ilhwa Chunma 5–4 Pohang Atoms 1–1 3–3 1–0 (a.e.t.)
4 1996 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i 3–2 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 0–1 3–1 —
5 1998 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 1–0 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i 1–0 0–0 —
6 1999 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2–0 Busan Daewoo Royals 2–1 2–1 (a.e.t.) X
7 2000 Anyang LG Cheetahs 2–0 Bucheon SK 4–1 1–1 (4–2 p) X
8 2004 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 0–0 (4–3 p) Pohang Steelers 0–0 0–0 (a.e.t.) —
9 2005 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i 6–3 Incheon United 5–1 1–2 —
10 2006 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 3–1 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 1–0 2–1 —
11 2007 Pohang Steelers 4–1 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 3–1 1–0 —
12 2008 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 3–2 FC Seoul 1–1 2–1 —
13 2009 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 3–1 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 0–0 3–1 —
14 2010 FC Seoul 4–3 Jeju United 2–2 2–1 —
15 2011 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 4–2 Ulsan Hyundai 2–1 2–1 —

Appearances

By club

  • K League's principle of official statistics is that final club succeeds to predecessor clubs.[3]
Club Appearances
Pohang Steelers 9 (1986, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
Seongnam FC 8 (1995, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
Suwon Samsung Bluewings 8 (1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011)
Ulsan Hyundai 8 (1996, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011)
FC Seoul 7 (1986, 2000, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 5 (2000, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
Jeju United 4 (1984, 1999, 2000, 2010)
Jeonnam Dragons 4 (1998, 1999, 2004, 2009)
Busan IPark 4 (1984, 1999, 2005, 2011)
Incheon United 2 (2004, 2009)
Gyeongnam FC 2 (2007, 2010)
Daejeon Citizen 1 (2007)

By city/province

  • K League introduced home and away system in 1987.
City/Province Apps Clubs
Pohang
8
 Pohang Atoms (1995), Pohang Steelers (1998, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
Suwon
8
 Suwon Samsung Bluewings (1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011)
Ulsan
8
 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (1996, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2007), Ulsan Hyundai (2008, 2010, 2011)
Seongnam
7
 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
Seoul 6 Ilhwa Chunma (1995)
FC Seoul (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
Jeonnam
4
 Jeonnam Dragons (1998, 1999, 2004, 2009)
Jeonbuk
5
 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2000, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
Busan
3
 Busan Daewoo Royals (1999), Busan IPark (2005, 2011)
Bucheon
2
 Bucheon SK (1999, 2000)
Incheon
2
 Incheon United (2004, 2009)
Gyeongnam
2
 Gyeongnam FC (2007, 2010)
Anyang
1
 Anyang LG Cheetahs (2000)
Daejeon
1
 Daejeon Citizen (2007)
Jeju
1
 Jeju United (2010)

By region

  • K League introduced home and away system in 1987.
Region Apps City/Province Clubs
Gyeonggi region
(Seoul Capital Area) 		26 Suwon (8) Suwon Samsung Bluewings (1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011)
Seongnam (7) Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
Seoul (6) Ilhwa Chunma (1995)
FC Seoul (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
Bucheon (2) Bucheon SK (1999, 2000)
Incheon (2) Incheon United (2004, 2009)
Anyang (1) Anyang LG Cheetahs (2000)
Yeongnam region
(Gyeongsang) 		21 Pohang (8) Pohang Atoms (1995), Pohang Steelers (1998, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
Ulsan (8) Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (1996, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2007), Ulsan Hyundai (2008, 2010, 2011)
Busan (3) Busan Daewoo Royals (1999), Busan IPark (2005, 2011)
Gyeongnam (2) Gyeongnam FC (2007, 2010)
Honam region
(Jeolla) 		9 Jeonbuk (5) Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2000, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
Jeonnam (4) Jeonnam Dragons (1998, 1999, 2004, 2009)
Hoseo region
(Chungcheong)
1
 Daejeon (1) Daejeon Citizen (2007)
Jeju region [ko]
1
 Jeju (1) Jeju United (2010)

See also

References

  1. ^ K-리그 포스트시즌의 이름, ‘K-리그 챔피언십 (K LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP) (in Korean). K League. 20 October 2009.
  2. ^ K리그 포스트시즌 명칭 'K리그 챔피언십'. Naver.com (in Korean). Edaily. 20 October 2009.
  3. ^ "The Official K-League Almanac" (in Korean). K-League editorial division.