K-League 1 (South-Korea)

K League 1 (South Korea) is the top professional club division in South Korean football, run by the Korea Professional Football League. Regulations: 12 clubs compete across 38 rounds, starting with a 33-round regular season in a triple round-robin, after which the league splits into two six-team sections for a five-round final stage played within each section, with all points and records carried over, and final positions locked within the sections so the lower section finishes 7th to 12th regardless of points compared with the upper section. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss, and the table is ordered by points, then goals scored, goal difference, wins, head-to-head results, disciplinary points and finally a drawing of lots. The champion is the team finishing first in the upper section, 12th place is relegated to K League 2, while 10th and 11th place are decided via promotion-relegation play-offs, and clubs must meet the league’s club licensing requirements to participate.