WK League News

If the relatively small scale of the WK League leaves you wanting for more women’s football, look no further than the (W)U League, a newly established competition jointly administered by the KWFF and the Korea University Sports Federation (KUSF). Comprising seven elite college teams from across the country, the (W)U League is where you can keep an eye on some of South Korea’s rising talent. Here’s what you need to know.

What’s new… and what isn’t?

The WU League itself is new, but the teams competing in it are not. The universities represented in this league have elite women’s football programmes (축구부) which have existed for a while. The oldest team, Ulsan College, was established in 1994. Daekyeung University has the newest women’s football team, having entered the scene in 2023. The participating sides have previously competed in domestic competitions organised by the KWFF, such as the National Women’s Football Championship and the Queen’s Cup. What’s new is the league system, which will see all teams play each other twice during the academic year.

U League? WU League? (W)U League?

Speaking of things that are not new, the ‘U League’ is also a pre-existing concept. ‘U League’ refers to several elite-track college sports leagues organised by the KUSF — there are existing leagues for basketball, baseball, ice hockey, volleyball, and (men’s) football. The men’s football U League was established in 2008 with ten teams, and now comprises over 80 teams in two divisions. When the launch of the women’s competition was announced as part of the KWFF’s W-Project, it was referred to as the ‘WU League’ (WU리그). In some cases (such as on the KWFF’s website), the league is known simply as ‘U-League’, but in other cases, particularly where clarification is required, it is called the ‘(women’s) U League’ (‘(여) U-리그’). To keep things simple in English and avoid any confusion with the men’s league or other university sports leagues, we’ll keep using the term ‘WU League’, at least for now.

What teams are involved?

There are seven teams participating in the inaugural season of the WU League, most (if not all) of which will be familiar to anyone who has taken an interest in the WK League draft, KWFF tournaments, or South Korea’s U-20 team. They are: Korea University (Sejong); Daeduk University (Daejeon); Uiduk University (Gyeongju); Gangwon State University (Gangneung); Ulsan College (Ulsan); Dankook University (Cheonan); and Daekyeung University (Gyeongsan).

Some elite women’s football programmes at other universities, including Yeoju University and Kyunghee University, have been disbanded in recent years despite having produced some of the country’s top athletes. The seven teams listed above do not represent the full extent of women’s student football — these are the elite programmes (축구부) for student athletes. There are also amateur women’s football teams and clubs (클럽, 동아리) in existence at universities up and down the country, several of which compete in the Let’s Play Women’s University Football Club League, established in 2022.

How to watch the WU League

WU League matches take place on Friday afternoons at 15:00, with a few exceptions for rescheduled matches. Most teams play at stadiums or on football pitches within their university campuses; Daekyeung University are the exception, playing their home matches at Gyeongsan Civic Stadium. Spectators are welcome but generally few in number, limited to family and friends who happen to be free on a Friday afternoon. The KWFF lists all fixtures and results on its website and social media; individual teams also post on social media and we do recommend checking before you set out to watch a match in case of schedule or venue changes.

At the time of writing, there is no way to watch WU League matches online, but the KUSF is said to be working to rectify this, so keep an eye out for further announcements.

Where else can I see the university teams in action?

The seven WU League teams are also expected to play alongside the eight clubs of the WK League in the inaugural edition of the W Korea Cup, starting later this year. The same fifteen sides will also compete in the same division of the National Sports Festival. Previously, university teams and semi-professional clubs have been in separate divisions at this major annual event. If you’re really serious about catching every match, the university teams occasionally play against WK League sides in friendly matches during pre-season training or mid-season breaks.