Well played Pohang. Nice back to back titles.

2024 K League season was a historic one that saw the biggest attendance numbers since promotion-relegation was implemented, with an average attendance of about 11000 in the top flight and 4000 in the second tier.

Despite the relegation of one of the most popular teams in the country (Suwon Samsung) from K League 1 and the promotion of Gimcheon Sangmu in place, K1 still saw a small increase in total attendance from 2.45 million attendees in 2023 to 2.51 million in 2024.

On the other hand, K League 2 saw a HUGE increase in total attendance from 560 thousand in 2023 to over 900 thousand in 2024. It's estimated that Suwon's relegation led to the injection of millions of dollars across K2 teams through ticket sales.

FC Seoul saw a record total attendance for any K League club ever, with over 500 thousand total matchday attendees.

Gangwon's historic numbers can be read here: https://www.reddit.com/r/KLeague/comments/1gyazbw/gangwon_fcs_historic_season_by_numbers/

Daegu had 12 sold out games in their 12.5 thousand-seater stadium, including five in a row in the heat of summer. They ranked fourth in average attendance. Hope they don't go down!

Ulsan continued to see an increase in attendance, from about 345 thousand in 2023 to 354 thousand in 2024, ranking second. They are estimated to have earned about 12 billion won (nine million US dollars) in profit from ticket sales, sponsors, food and beverage, and merchandise.

Daejeon was the only club in the top flight to see a decrease in average attendance, from nearly 13 thousand in 2023 to just under 10 thousand in 2024. They have fallen from fourth to eighth in average attendance in K League 1, and ninth including Suwon in K League 2.

Jeonbuk saw an increase in total attendance from 240 thousand in 2023 to nearly 300 thousand in 2024, ranking third. Despite the increase in attendance, they had an awful season, with their lowest ever finish (10th) since the implementation of pro-rel.

Incheon also saw an impressive increase in total attendance, from 170 thousand last year to nearly 210 thousand this year. However, they were relegated for the first time ever. Their relegation is also expected to greatly boost attendance in K League 2.

Of the 12 other teams besides Suwon in K League 2, seven of them had their most attended match be versus Suwon. This includes well over 13 thousand fans attending Anyang versus Suwon. The most attended game in the league was the reverse fixture, with over 15 thousand attending Suwon versus Anyang.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhuHd4XV1m0

Bonus fact: Gwangju is in serious financial trouble with a reported debt of 6 billion won (4.5 million US dollars), and some people are predicting the club will be taken over by a private company due to their recent successes in both the league and CL.

Hi everyone I'm in Korea since 2 weeks and I'm going back to Europe in a few days. I've would love to buy some football jerseys but I've never found it in stores or even markets I would really appreciate to buy some different clubs as a huge football fan.

Thank you for all your help and maybe see some of you at the final tomorrow 🙌🏻

Hello,

As a foreign football fan in Seoul I would like to attend the final of the Korea cup, but I am unable to buy tickets online.

I know that on site sales take place in case the match is not sold out. Due to the 2 participating teams being from the east coast I presume this is unlikely.

Is there anyone who can confirm if there is still good ticket availabilty for the match?

Thanks in advance!

These are the numbers as reported by Transfermarkt. if anyone has a more reliable source that is also easy to use, please let me know because I'll be happy to use that instead.

K League 2

I'm sure it doesn't surprise anyone that the Bluewings had the highest average attendance of the season at 10,362. They are followed by Anyang with 5,250, a significant increase from 3,588 the previous season. After Anyang, there is a steady decline until we reach Ansan with 1,768 per game (about the same as Hwaseong's 2023 season!)

The total number of tickets sold in the league came to 864,209. This is a huge rise from the 2023 number of 560,016. Suwom padded that number a bit, but they can't account for all of it.

K3:

The average reported attendance for the entire league was exactly 500. Throughout the season 116,134 "tickets" were sold.

The behemoth that is Hwaseong FC had an average of 1,296 spectators at every game—impressive for a team in Korea's semi-professional leagues. Gimhae was second at 913. The numbers start falling dramatically as you make your way down the list, where Daejeon Korail posted an average attendance of 153 per game. Despite Siheung's efforts and success, they were only 13th in attendance, with an average of 312 spectators per game.

Comparing these numbers to 2023 is interesting. In 2023 Hwaseong had an average attendance of 1,761 with the next team at only 536. However, most teams showed higher attendance this season (great) and this year's attendance was much better than last year's 90,746.

K4:

In this league, Namyangju had far and away the highest average attendance at 639. The rest of the league ranged from roughly 350 to 200. Jeonju and Sejeong were outliers at 138 and 96 respectively. These two are also the two teams that will not compete again in the league for at least 3 years after their financial troubles.

During the season 40,449 spectators were reported to have attended games, down from 53,942 in 2023.

WK League

I'm struggling to find a source for numbers, but I will update it when I find it, somewhere :(

The most recent round of stadium awards is out.

My favourite part is Anyang who gets 93. 6 points, whatever that means, and is considered the Fan Friendly Stadium. Sure, fan-friendly, but f*** the visitors.

The promotion-relegation playoff will see two Fun Zone™ teams face off against two K League 1 teams for the honour of playing in the top division for the 2025 season.

I am planning to go to the champions league game tomorrow between Ulsan and Shanghai. But I am not able to buy online because of authentication issues here: https://www.ticketlink.co.kr/sports/football/66#reservation
Probably since I am a foreigner.
I live in Busan so I dont want to travel if i am not guaranteed tickets. Does anybody know of another place to buy tickets online, or if it is ok to buy at the stadium tomorrow? Will there be tickets left right before the game?

Gangwon may have missed out on the title, but their runners-up campaign was nothing short of remarkable. Besides a second place finish, they achieved:

An average home audience of over 9000 - an increase of nearly 40% and a record paying audience.

36% increase in ticket sales.

212% increase in merchandise sales.

58% in sponsorship revenue.

800% increase in YouTube viewership.

A record sale of a K League player to Europe - 4 million euros for Yang, with a sell-on clause of a reported 10% included.

Gangwon's revenue this year, including Yang's sale, could be north of 20 billion won (15 million US dollars), more than double last year's. To give you an idea of how significant this is, FC Seoul's revenue last year was about 34 billion won (and maybe about 40 billion this year). A club based in Gangneung reached half of the revenue of one based in Mapo. If they can sustain their success and finally build a football-specific stadium, they can establish themselves as one of the wealthiest clubs in the league. I personally think they should build it in Gangneung, near where their clubhouse and feeder high school already are.

Kim Byung-ji has renewed his contract as club president to continue leading the club.

Wow, what a weird game. The result is embarrassing but I really thought our boys didn't play that badly. Maybe they're tired from back-to-back games in the Middle East. Palestine's defense was really good and they actually pressed, unlike all the other teams we've faced, so credit where credit's due. Our dominance and control of the game disappears when the opponent elects to press, and Hong's got to figure this out.

Still, 3-6 points on top. We move.

The Fun Zone™ is nearing its end, and we will have two K League 2 playoff games this weekend to determine who will face a K League 1 team to try and win promotion.

After a long season, you play possibly two one-off games against teams against which you are at a disadvantage (The higher-placed teams only need to draw, at home, to advance). As your reward, you must face an upper-league team not just once but twice, with the second league being the away trip. That is at least 3 games where you have the disadvantage. Holy Advantage-To-The-Big-Teams, Batman! Anyway...

K League 2

The winner of the E-Land match will play the team that finishes 1Oth in K League 1, while Asan will play the team that finishes 11th.

* Why do two teams have to go through this rubbish? You can make an argument for 3rd last in K League 1 having to play off, but last and second last means you were s*** during the season and should suffer the consequences of being relegated.

Comfortable win but could've been better. I think Oh Se-hun might go to Europe after this season. Bae's goal was a thing of beauty and good to see Lee Hyun-ju get some playing time.

CURRENT TABLE:

1) South Korea (3-1-0, 10 pts) 8-3

2) Jordan (2-1-1, 7 pts) 8-4

3) Iraq (2-1-1, 7 pts) 4-3

4) Oman (1-0-3, 3 pts) 5-8

5. Kuwait (0-3-1, 3 pts) 3-7

6. Palestine (0-2-2, 2 pts) 3-6

SOUTH KOREA XI (4-2-3-1): Jo Hyeon-woo, Lee Myung-jae, Kim Min-jae, Cho Yu-min, Seol Young-woo, Park Yong-woo, Hwang In-beom, Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung, Lee Kang-in, Oh Se-hun.

Hwang has been on fire at Feyenoord, and fans have created a new chant just for him with the following lyrics:

Hwang is onze Koreaan... (Hwang is our Korean...)

Niemand die hem nog kan verslaan! (No one can defeat him anymore!)

En zelfs niet Kim Jong-Un, (And not even Kim Jong-Un,)

Kan daar nog wat aan doen... (Can do about it...)

Hwang, maakt Feyenoord Kampioeeeen!! (Hwang, makes Feyenoord Champions!!)

https://x.com/i/status/1855631232068899267

I can't remember a Dutch chant for a Korean player since Park at PSV.

Hello everyone,

As you must have all seen by now, the blue black ship has sunk today, though fighting bravely on the second half against DHC. I really hope they'll be able to make it back to the top flight as soon as possible, and that the team won't be too much pillaged... Now I have something that has been stuck in my mind since it happened : Cho Sung Hwan departure. This guy built a team that managed to qualify for the Champions league and avoid being in a relegation position as it used to be, and quite surprisingly for this season the transfers weren't so interesting to replace the players gone (to my humble opinion), and though we kept most of our players, we struggled a lot (I definitely know that the overall level of the team wasn't the best, but certainly not the worst). I haven't been able to find any news, so here I'm asking if any of you knows what motivated the board from accepting his departure aside from the team's poor ranking ? And furthermore, was it a really good decision ? To me, it wasn't, I felt it was still possible for him to turn the situation around. It wasn't the first time that Incheon experienced such situation and the man seemed determined enough to make it all up.

https://preview.redd.it/ih03yk29azzd1.jpg?width=3456&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e54423facac0d3371208b31c451589615d8f9af2

Scarves of teams I follow to some degree.
Top:
Springboks (South African Rugby National Team)
FC Seoul (K League 1)
HL Anyang (Isial League Ice Hockey)

Bottom:
AFC Wimbledon (English League 2)
Cheonan City (K League 2)
Nowon United (K4, gifted to me at the playoff game)

Missing:
Blue Bulls (Rugby scarfs are not always available in South Africa)
FC Anyang (No idea why I never bought one)

I have other scarves, but they are the last option when I visit other teams. I prefer to get pins, then key rings, then scarves.

https://preview.redd.it/1n0za6i99zzd1.png?width=3000&format=png&auto=webp&s=c5f291bb79fdf7762e113c84f68090143775f03d

A 10-hour day, but it was worth it despite the loss. I was gifted a scarf by the Nowon supporters. Right now it's hanging with the other scarfs, but I hope to make regular trips to Nowon with it next season.

Hello everyone, really looking forward to (trying) to go to the KFA Cup Final in Seoul on Nov 30th. How can I buy tickets online, and if not, will there be tickets available allocated for purchase at the gate?

18 year old winger Kim Min-su of Girona subbed on for Bryan Gil in the 79th minute in a 0-4 loss to PSV. The game was already lost by the time he came on (0-2 with a red card), but he still got a few touches in his limited playing time. I thought his passes looked sharp, and he showcased his speed in a good moment of ball progression. He was still dispossessed by PSV's relentless pressing.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but he may be the youngest Korean ever to play in the UCL. I hope he develops well in Girona. The club is a member of the City Football Group, so perhaps he can make a move to Man City one day.

The future of Korea's attack looks bright with all these youngsters in Europe.

GK: Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan), Lee Chang-geun (Daejeon), Kim Kyeong-min (Gwangju).

DF: Kim Min-jae (Bayern), Kwon Kyung-won (Khor Fakkan), Jung Seung-hyun (Al-Wasl), Seol Young-woo (Red Star), Cho Yu-min (Sharjah), Lee Myung-jae (Ulsan), Hwang Mun-ki (Gangwon), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), Lee Tae-seok (Pohang).

MF: Son Heung-min (Spurs), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Lee Kang-in (PSG), Jeong Woo-yeong (Union Berlin), Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham), Park Yong-woo (Al-Ain), Hong Hyun-seok (Mainz), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke), Kim Bong-soo (Gimcheon), Lee Hyun-ju (Hannover, on loan from Bayern II).

FW: Oh Hyeon-gyu (Genk), Joo Min-kyu (Ulsan), Oh Se-hun (Machida Zelvia).

Notable absentees: Hwang Hee-chan (Wolves, due to injury), Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland, due to injury), Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland, due to injury), Kim Seung-gyu (Al-Shabab, due to injury), Kim Ji-soo (Brentford), Yang Min-hyeok (Gangwon/Spurs), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea), Kwon Hyeok-kyu (Hibernian, on loan from Celtic), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Moon Seon-min (Jeonbuk), Kim Min-su (Girona), Lee Seung-woo (Jeonbuk).

My biggest disappointments: Including Joo Min-kyu, not including Yang Min-hyeok, Kim Ji-soo, Lee Han-beom, Kwon Hyeok-kyu, Kim Min-su.

Players on the squad I want to see get playing time: Bae Jun-ho, Lee Hyun-ju, Hong Hyun-seok, Seol Young-woo, Paik Seung-ho, Hwang Mun-ki, Lee Tae-seok.

Our game against Kuwait on the 14th could be a great opportunity to play these up and coming lads.

Four games, zero wins, zero goals scored, ten goals conceded. Probably a dozen traveling fans. The worst CL performance by any K League team in history. You guys are the embarrassment of this league and nation. Retire the nursing home disguised as a back line and give the youth a chance. The resuls will be the same, but at least you'll have players in the future.

"But at least we beat the potato farmers and won the (300)K League" xddd