WK League News

The Korean Women’s Football Federation (KWFF) have made changes to the WK League salary cap and recruitment rules following the third board meeting of the year, held last week in Goyang. The announcement follows the unveiling of the ‘W-Project’, the KWFF’s 10-year development plan for Korean women’s football, earlier this month.

Salary cap raised by 20% from ₩50m to ₩60m

The WK League has had a salary cap since its inception in 2009. It was raised once previously in 2011, but has remained at ₩50 million ($35,650, £26,550) ever since. From 2026, this cap will be raised to ₩60 million ($42,780, £31,860). Each team will also be able to recruit up to two players with no salary cap, so that WK League clubs can compete with overseas clubs when it comes to attracting the best emerging Korean talent.

For comparison, the average annual salary in the men’s top division K League 1 last year was ₩306 million ($266,000, £213,500). The average in second division K League 2 was ₩130.7 million ($99,332, £79,727). In Korea’s professional women’s basketball and volleyball leagues, teams operate under a total salary cap rather than caps for individual players. Top athletes in those leagues can expect to earn hundreds of millions of won annually. The average annual salary for a female professional footballer globally is $10,900 (£8,400).

Salaries for new draftees raised

Alongside the salary cap increase, newly drafted players will also enjoy bigger wage packets as of the 2026 season. Previously, players selected in the annual WK League draft would be set to earn a salary of ₩30 million ($21,430, £15,950) if picked in the first round. This dropped to ₩27 million for those picked in the second round, ₩24 million for those picked in the third round, and ₩20 million for fourth round selections. Under the new rules, from next year first round draftees will instead earn ₩34 million ($24,285, £18,070), second round draftees ₩32 million, third round draftees ₩30 million, and fourth round draftees ₩26 million.

In addition to the higher starting salaries, there will be changes to draftees’ contracts. In recent years clubs have signed rookie players on ‘3+2’ contracts, thus incurring transfer fees if those players move to another team within the first five years. This will be changed to a more basic three year contract with no transfer fees after the initial three year term. A new Free Agent clause will also allow clubs to recruit one high school player and one university player outside of the draft system. According to the KWFF, the aim of this clause is to protect the rights of players.

KWFF Future Strategy Committee launched

The board meeting also saw the KWFF launch a new Future Strategy Committee, led by chairman Lee Sangki, KWFF board member and CEO of QMIT. Former footballer-turned businessman Kim Taeryung will serve as vice-chairman. They will be joined on the committee by Kim Myung-kwan of Chukguin, Lee Horim of ForBeginner, and E-Daily journalist Kim Gayoung. The Future Strategy Committee will play a key role in the W-Project, the KWFF’s 10-year plan for the development of women’s football in Korea. In particular, the committee will seek to attract sponsors to the WK League, work on ESG (environmental, social and governance) projects, and develop digital content for the KWFF.

KWFF: “The WK League has been stagnant for years”

Besides the above, the KWFF board also discussed the improvement of stadium infrastructure and services for spectators, the treatment of players, and how to improve media exposure of women’s football. By seeking practical solutions in these areas, the federation seeks to “upgrade” the status of Korean women’s football. A representative for the KWFF was quoted as saying that the changes implemented at this board meeting are intended to “lay the groundwork for the WK League, which has been stagnant for years, to grow into a more lively and competitive league”. KWFF Chairman Yang Myungseok said that this board meeting was “not just a meeting but a gathering that could dream of hope and of a leap in the development of Korean women’s football”. He cited the “drastic” revisions to the salary and recruitment rules as evidence of the KWFF’s intention to develop women’s football in Korea and promised that further changes will be coming soon.