K League 2 fixtures are out, so what does it all mean? | OneFootball

The recently expanded K League 2 season is just over a month away. The fixtures have been released, teams are in training, and most squads have been finalised. What matches should you look out for?

Team previews are in the can, and we will take a deeper dive into how we believe the championship race will pan out, but here’s a quick breakdown featuring new teams, league changes, derbies, and potential relegation prospects.

What changes will there be?

The biggest change is the jump from 14 to 17 teams, which means one club will sit out every matchweek. Teams will now face each other on a home-and-away basis only. In recent years, clubs played each other three times, which handed unfair financial and scheduling advantages to some teams.

Not only that, but the top two teams will now be automatically promoted. Incheon United went up automatically in 2025, whereas Suwon Samsung (second) were sent to the playoffs, which ended in defeat. Furthermore, the third-to-sixth playoff winner will also be promoted without facing a K League 1 side. And — bear with me — should Gimcheon Sangmu (who will be relegated) not finish 12th, then the beaten K League 2 playoff finalist could get another chance, this time against the bottom-placed K League 1 side.

Opening weekend fixtures. Image: K League 

The reason for this is the expansion of K League 1 in 2027. There will be changes at the foot of the table, too. For the first time, relegation from K League 2 is possible, though it will not be automatic. The 17th-placed team will face the K3 League winners, but only if the latter meet the requirements for promotion. This alteration finally gives meaning to the bottom half of the league. For too long, teams below mid-table have had nothing to play for after June.

Who’s in it?

K League 2 has expanded again, this time to 17 teams. This marks a sharp increase from the 11 clubs that competed for promotion back in 2021. The figure is up from 14 in 2025, thanks to three new clubs joining the league. Here is the geographical breakdown of the clubs.

Gimpo FC's Solteo Field will be one of 17 K League 2 stadiums in 2026.

Seoul:

Seoul E-Land FC

Gyeonggi Province (North):

Paju Frontier

Gyeonggi Province (South):

Ansan Greeners

Gimpo FC

Hwaseong FC

Seongnam FC

Suwon FC

Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Yongin FC

South Chungcheong Province:

Cheonan City FC

Chungnam Asan FC

North Chungcheong Province:

Chungbuk Cheongju

Daegu:

Daegu FC

South Jeolla:

Jeonnam Dragons

Busan:

Busan IPark

South Gyeongsang:

Gimhae FC

Gyeongnam FC

Who joined from K League 1?

Daegu FC were automatically relegated last winter. Suwon FC joined them in K League 2 for the first time since 2020 after losing both playoff legs to Bucheon FC 1995.

Who’s here for the first time?

Gimhae and Paju Frontier were playing in K3 last year. Gimhae won the league, but they have not been promoted in the traditional sense, as the pyramid has not fully opened yet. Gimhae and Paju applied to join the fully professional K League 2 and, after meeting all requirements, were accepted. Yongin FC are a brand new club who, like Gimhae and Paju, meet K League’s criteria.

Paju Stadium prepares to host K League football for the first time.

Suwon Derby

For the very first time, the Suwon Derby will take place in K League 2. As recently as 2023, the two clubs — separated by just 3.3 km — were competing in the top division, where they finished last and second-last. After two unsuccessful promotion campaigns, Suwon Bluewings remain in K League 2. Suwon FC lost 4–2 on aggregate in the playoff decider to meet their great rivals.

The fixtures have been announced, with the first head-to-head coming at Castle Park on May 3. The return meeting, at Big Bird, is scheduled for August 15.

Other derbies

No other clubs in K League are as close geographically as the Suwon sides, but several other derbies and rivalries have been established over the years. One such rivalry is between Cheonan City and Chungnam Asan, who share a major KTX station south of Seoul. The respective cities (and their stadiums) are separated by the train line. You can see them face off on May 3 (in Cheonan) and September 19 (in Asan).

Another club with several rivalry matches is Seongnam FC, due to a mix of location and history. The Magpies are one of K League’s most successful clubs, but they have fallen well short of expectations this decade. Attendances are down, but as a legacy club, crowds will return if performances improve. Their biggest rivals in the league are Suwon Bluewings (July 4 away, and October 25 home). Seoul E-Land are another, dating back to when the Leopards were based in Jamsil. They visit Tancheon on August 29.

Big guns

Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Daegu FC will be the firm favourites to claim the two automatic promotion spots. Of course, it does not always work out that way, but their meetings will be among the most eagerly anticipated. Daegu’s iM Bank Park sells out regularly, thanks to its modest 12,000 capacity, and will surely do so again when Suwon visit on Halloween night.

Will Bird Bird break the K League 2 attendance record again this year?

Even though Suwon FC are just a stone’s throw from Big Bird, they do not have a particularly large fanbase. There will still be a strong crowd when the sides meet at the World Cup Stadium, but the season’s biggest gate is likely to be Daegu’s visit on May 9. The current K League 2 attendance record is 22,625, set when Suwon hosted Incheon United last summer.

Pretenders

The club to keep an eye on is Seoul E-Land. After years of being the laughing stock of the second division, Seoul have got their house in order, culminating in back-to-back playoff appearances. They came agonisingly close to promotion in 2024, and despite a drop-off in performances last year, they were just nine minutes away from a winner-takes-all clash with neighbours Bucheon FC.

Strong investment in recent seasons, along with smart coaching recruitment, means this is their best chance yet of joining FC Seoul in K League 1. One of the two automatic spots will be a target, but even if they finish in the playoffs, Seoul look stronger on paper than the other contenders. Their key matches will be against Suwon (February 28 away, and September 12 home) and Daegu (March 29 away, and September 19 home).

Elsewhere, Suwon FC will be aiming for an immediate return. Beating Suwon Bluewings, Daegu (April 11 home, and July 25 away), and Seoul E-Land (April 4 and July 18) will be crucial.

For those looking at a real outsider, newly formed Yongin FC have big pockets and big ambitions. They hoovered up a dozen former K League 1 free agents over the winter. Even though this is a brand new team, they have enough quality to make an impression. Mireu Stadium will welcome Suwon Bluewings (March 28), Daegu (May 30), Suwon FC (September 5), and Seoul E-Land (October 31) in their four biggest matches.

Ansan Greeners

After several seasons of narrowly avoiding the bottom spot, Ansan Greeners finally picked up the wooden spoon in 2025. A disastrous campaign saw the Wolves claim just five victories and 27 points, finishing three adrift of Cheonan City. Between weeks 16 and 39, they won just one game. After briefly reaching the dizzying heights of 11th, Bruno Lapa even talked about the playoffs. Sadly, Ansan then lost eight straight matches as part of a gaudy 18-game winless run.

Ansan Wa~ Stadium will look magnificent in K3.

Their season ended in disgrace, hammered 6–0 by Seoul E-Land on the final day. Why is all this important? As mentioned above, for the first time relegation from K League 2 is a very real possibility, and Ansan will be among the favourites. Fortunately, it will not be automatic. Ansan will have a two-legged tie against the K3 champions to preserve their status, but it will not be easy. The club has essentially built a brand-new squad made up largely of lower-division players and academy recruits.

Their matches with Paju Frontier and Gimhae will now take on extra significance. Ansan visit Paju on the opening day (February 28), before welcoming them on March 15. The return fixture is on July 26, a week before Gimhae come to Wa~ on August 2.