WK League News

With one round left to play, the final rankings of the 2025 WK League are now decided and Hwacheon KSPO are the regular league champions for the second year in a row. Wins for Hwacheon, Seoul and Incheon in Monday’s Round 27 mean that fourth-placed Gyeongju are now mathematically out of contention for the playoff, and the top three teams will remain in the same order in the table regardless of results in Round 28.

2024 WK League runners-up Hwacheon KSPO held onto first position for most of the season, although Seoul City came close to knocking them off the top spot as they closed the points gap in the last few weeks. A decisive 4-0 away win against defending champions Suwon FC on Monday secured KSPO the title with a match to spare. As regular league champions, Hwacheon progress directly to the championship final and will host the second leg of that fixture at their home ground, Hwacheon Sports Park, on 15th November. It’s a deserved result for KSPO, who have been consistently strong throughout the season under new manager Kang Sunmi.

Seoul beat visitors Sejong Sportstoto in a routine 2-0 home victory on Monday, locking in a second place finish in the table and giving them the home advantage in the forthcoming playoff match. Seoul finished the 2024 season in sixth position with 27 points — if they can post another win in Round 28 they will have double that number this year. The Amazones hit the ground running with a 4-1 victory over title favourites Gyeongju in Round 1, and in spite of doubts raised by their run of draws over the summer, the team from the capital have kept momentum and morale high. By finishing the season in second place, Seoul have already equalled their best ever result. They came in second in 2014 and even made it to the championship final but were beaten by Incheon Hyundai Steel, the same team they will now face in the 2025 playoff.

For their part, Incheon were the focus of much media attention last year when the eleven-time champions failed to qualify for the WK League playoff for the first time ever. Under new manager Hur Jeongjae, Incheon had a deceptively slow start to the season, with fixtures postponed due to AWCL commitments, the Red Angels have returned to what fans see as their rightful place in contention for the championship title. Travelling to Gyeongju on Monday, Incheon held the advantage as any result other than a loss would finalise their playoff spot. The home team seemed to have the upper hand for much of the game but a late goal from Kim Sungmi was enough for the visitors to claim a win, progress to the playoff, and put an end to Gyeongju’s season.

We now know for certain that whatever happens in Round 28, Incheon Hyundai will travel to Seoul for the playoff on 1st November. With a place in the final on the line in this one-legged fixture, it’s sure to be a tense and exciting afternoon as both managers seek to put out their best squad and seal up the victory within 90 minutes. Neutral matchgoers, meanwhile, may be hoping for something more similar to last year’s playoff between Suwon FC and Gyeongju KHNP, which ended with a dramatic penalty shootout. Seoul are unbeaten against Incheon this year. In the first half of the season, the two teams drew 1-1 twice, while in their two more recent meetings, Seoul won 2-1 on both occasions. The Red Angels’ squad boasts more experience, while the Amazones’ success this season is largely thanks to their younger players, among them some of the emerging stars of Korea’s national team.

For fans and followers looking to catch the action as these two teams come together for the final time this season, there’s good news — no more mid-week matches, as the playoff is the first WK League fixture of 2025 to be played on a weekend. The clash will take place at the Auxiliary Pitch, Seoul World Cup Stadium at 14:00 on 1st November. The winning team will progress to the two-legged championship final, playing the first leg at home at the same time on 8th November, and the second leg at Hwacheon Sports Park on 15th November.