WK League News

Upcoming WK League matches have been moved from afternoon to evening kick-off times to ensure the safety of players, the KWFF announced yesterday. Football federations in Korea have come under scrutiny recently over match scheduling during extreme heat.

All four Round 24 matches were originally scheduled for 14:00 on Saturday, 5th September, but three of the fixtures have now been moved to 19:00. Gangjin’s home fixture against Gyeongju KHNP will go ahead in the original afternoon kick-off slot.

It’s not the first time this season the league schedule has seen changes due to the weather conditions. Criticism has been levelled at the KWFF and Chungju Football Association over the extreme temperatures experienced by youth players at the recent National Women’s Football Championship.

The Korea Pro Footballers Association (KPFA) has also called for stronger protections against extreme heat, citing a recent emergency survey of its members that found a significant number of players in the WK League and K League have experienced physical strain and concerning side-effects from playing in the summer heat.

With the exception of Gangjin’s home match in Round 24, all WK League matches until the October international window are now set to played in the evening. It is reasonable to expect temperatures in Korea to drop significantly by the time afternoon fixtures return at the end of October.

Questions still remain over afternoon kick-off times in the W Korea Cup, with the second round set to take place next week.