WK League News

The draw for the second round of the inaugural W Korea Cup took place last Thursday (9th July), with eight teams set to battle for a place in the semi-finals. Two university teams are left in the competition and will be hoping to cause an upset against their WK League seniors as they face off in Icheon this August.

Uiduk University saw off Daeduk University in the first round and will now meet Sejong Sportstoto. Uiduk are currently in second place in the WU League table and could be a tricky opponent for Yoon Deokyeo’s Sejong. Sportstoto should have enough strength and experience in their squad to progress, but they did miss out on the right to represent the city of Sejong at this year’s National Sports Festival after losing in a qualifying match against Korea University earlier this year, so the side will be keen to avoid another upset in the cup.

Meanwhile, Uiduk’s local rival team Ulsan College overcame Dankook University 2-1 in Round 1, and will also now square up against WK League opponents as they take on Yoo Youngsil’s Seoul City. Following their outstanding performance in the 2025 WK League, Seoul are struggling this season, with a small squad made smaller by injuries. The Amazones cannot afford to be complacent heading into a cup fixture against a side loaded with South Korea U-20 internationals.

The other two quarter-finals are to be contested by WK League teams, with mid-table sides Mungyeong Sangmu and Incheon Hyundai meeting in a match that really could go either way. After strong starts to the season for both, the clubs currently sit in third and fourth place in the league respectively, separated by just two points and with Gyeongju KHNP close behind in the race for playoff contention.

However, the headline fixture of this round is without a doubt the matchup between defending WK League champions Hwacheon KSPO, and 2024 champions Suwon FC, currently sitting 8 points clear at the top of the table. Suwon beat Gyeongju KHNP 2-0 in Round 1 of the competition, while Hwacheon received a bye to the second round as 2025 WK League champions. This should be a good match, of interest to many neutrals as well as fans of the two teams, so it’s rather a shame that it is scheduled for 16:00 on a weekday.

All matches take place in Icheon in late August; see below for the full schedule. The winners will progress to the semi-finals on Sunday 11th October, with the final set to take place on Saturday 21st November. There will be another draw before the semi-finals, so at this point it is hard to predict which teams will be able to go all the way.

2026 W Korea Cup Round 2

Monday, 24th August

Incheon Hyundai vs. Mungyeong Sangmu (16:00, Icheon Sports Complex)

Uiduk University vs. Sejong Sportstoto (20:00, Icheon Sports Complex)

Tuesday, 25th August

Suwon FC vs. Hwacheon KSPO (16:00, Icheon Sports Complex)

Ulsan College vs. Seoul City (20:00, Icheon Sports Complex)