The 2023 K League 1, also known as the Hana 1Q K League 1 for sponsorship reasons, was the 41st season of the top division of professional football in South Korea, and the eleventh season of the K League 1. Defending champions Ulsan Hyundai successfully defended their title.
After progressing 33 regular rounds as ever, the league was divided into two groups, the top six and the bottom six, and each team played five matches against other teams in its group.
Teams Team changes Gwangju FC and Daejeon Hana Citizen (both promoted after absences of one and seven years, respectively) were promoted from the 2022 K League 2. Gimcheon Sangmu and Seongnam FC (both relegated after one and four years in the top flight, respectively) were relegated to 2023 K League 2.
Promoted from K League 2 Relegated to K League 2 Gwangju FC Daejeon Hana Citizen Gimcheon Sangmu Seongnam FC
Locations
The following twelve clubs competed in the K League 1 during the 2023 season. Team City/ProvinceAbbreviation Daegu FC Daegu Daegu Daejeon Hana Citizen Daejeon Daejeon Gangwon FC Gangwon Gangwon Gwangju FC Gwangju Gwangju Incheon United Incheon Incheon Jeju United Jeju Jeju Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Jeonbuk Jeonbuk Pohang Steelers Pohang Pohang FC Seoul Seoul Seoul Suwon Samsung Bluewings Suwon Suwon Suwon FC Suwon Suwon FC Ulsan Hyundai Ulsan Ulsan
Stadiums Jeju United Daegu FC Incheon United Jeju World Cup Stadium DGB Daegu Bank Park Incheon Football Stadium Capacity: 29,791 Capacity: 12,415 Capacity: 20,891 Pohang Steelers Suwon FC Daejeon Hana Citizen Pohang Steel Yard Suwon Stadium Daejeon World Cup Stadium Capacity: 17,443 Capacity: 11,808 Capacity: 40,903 FC Seoul Ulsan Hyundai Suwon Samsung Bluewings Seoul World Cup Stadium Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium Suwon World Cup Stadium Capacity: 66,704 Capacity: 44,102 Capacity: 44,031 Gwangju FC Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Gwangju Football Stadium Jeonju World Cup Stadium Capacity: 10,007 Capacity: 42,477 Gangwon FC Chuncheon Songam Leports Town Gangneung Stadium Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 22,333
Personnel and sponsoring Team Manager Main sponsor Kit manufacturer Other sponsor(s) Daegu FC Choi Won-kwon Daegu Government Goal Studio DGB Daegu BankAJIN Industrial Co., Ltd.Daejeon Hana Citizen Lee Min-sungHana Financial Group Astore Gangwon FC Yoon Jong-hwan Gangwon Provincial Government Fila High1 Resort Gwangju FC Lee Jung-hyo Gwangju Government Kelme Incheon United Jo Sung-hwan Incheon Government Macron Shinhan BankIncheon International Airport Jeju United Nam Ki-ilSK EnergyFila Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Dan Petrescu Hyundai Motor Company Adidas Pohang Steelers Kim Gi-dong POSCO Puma Pohang Government FC Seoul An Ik-soo GS Group Pro-Specs Suwon Samsung Bluewings Kim Byung-soo Cheil Worldwide Puma Samsung Electronics Deutsch MotorsSuwon FC Kim Do-kyunSuwon GovernmentHummel Ulsan Hyundai Hyundai Heavy Industries Adidas Hyundai Oil Bank
Foreign players The number of allowed foreign players was kept strictly to six per team, including a guaranteed slot for a player from the Asian Football Confederation countries. Teams could field at most five foreign players at any given time, including at least one player from the AFC confederation.
North Korean player An Byong-jun, who played for Suwon Samsung Bluewings, was deemed as a native player by South Korean nationality law.
Players in bold were registered during the mid-season transfer window.
Team Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 AFC player Former player(s) Daegu FC Césinha Edgar Lucas Barcellos Victor Bobsin Keita Suzuki Daniel Penha Marcos Serrato Daejeon Hana Citizen Anton Kryvotsyuk Leandro Ribeiro Tiago Orobó Vladislavs Gutkovskis Masatoshi Ishida Gangwon FC Galego Vitor Gabriel Welinton Júnior Yago Cariello Marko Tući Ikromjon Alibaev Dino Islamović Kevin Höög Jansson Gwangju FC Jasir Asani Thomás Bedinelli Beka Mikeltadze Timo Letschert Aaron Calver Sandro Lima Incheon United Hernandes Paul-José M'Poku Gerso Fernandes Stefan Mugoša Harrison Delbridge Jeju United Reis Yuri Jonathan Ring Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors André Luis Gustavo Rafael Silva Tomáš Petrášek Nana Boateng Jun Amano Pohang Steelers Oberdan Wanderson Zeca Alex Grant FC Seoul Willyan Bjørn Maars Johnsen Stanislav Iljutcenko Aleksandar Paločević Osmar Hosam Aiesh Suwon Samsung Bluewings Rodrigo Bassani Werik Popó Boadu Maxwell Acosty Dave Bulthuis Fejsal Mulić Kazuki Kozuka Suwon FC Hugo Gomes Ricardo Lopes Walterson Lachlan Jackson Luan Ferreira Murilo Henrique Lars Veldwijk Ulsan Hyundai Valeri Qazaishvili Martin Ádám Darijan Bojanić Gustav Ludwigson Ataru Esaka
League table
Positions by matchday
Round 1–33
Round 34–38
Results Matches 1–22 Teams played each other twice, once at home, once away.
Matches 23–33 Teams played each other once, either at home or away.
Matches 34–38 Teams played each other once, either at home or away.
Final A
Final B
Relegation play-offs The tenth-placed team and the eleventh-placed team played against the play-offs winners and the runners-up of the K League 2, respectively, in the relegation play-offs.
Gangwon FC won 2–1 on aggregate and therefore both clubs remain in their respective leagues.
Suwon FC won 6–4 on aggregate and therefore both clubs remain in their respective leagues.
Statistics Top goalscorers Joo Min-kyu, who appeared in less time than Tiago Orobó, won the top goalscorer award. RankPlayerTeamGoals 1 Joo Min-kyuUlsan Hyundai 17 Tiago OrobóDaejeon Hana Citizen 3 ZecaPohang Steelers 12 Na Sang-hoFC Seoul 5 Valeri QazaishviliUlsan Hyundai 11 6 YuriJeju United 10 Lee Seung-wooSuwon FC 8 Lars VeldwijkSuwon FC 9 EdgarDaegu FC Go Jae-hyunDaegu FC
Top assist providers RankPlayerTeamAssists 1 Baek Sung-dongPohang Steelers 8 2 Leandro RibeiroDaejeon Hana Citizen 7 Kim Seung-daePohang Steelers Tiago OrobóDaejeon Hana Citizen ZecaPohang Steelers Doo Hyeon-seokGwangju FC 7 Kim In-kyunDaejeon Hana Citizen 6 Hong ChulDaegu FC Gerso FernandesIncheon United 10 7 Players 5
Hat-tricks PlayerForAgainstResultDate Jasir AsaniGwangju FCIncheon United5–023 March 2023 Tiago OrobóDaejeon Hana CitizenPohang Steelers3–420 August 2023
Awards Weekly awards
RoundPlayer of the RoundPlayerClub1 Lee Ho-jaePohang Steelers2 Goh Young-joonPohang Steelers3 Moon Seon-minJeonbuk Hyundai Motors4 Jasir AsaniGwangju FC5 Baek Sung-dongPohang Steelers6 Lars VeldwijkSuwon FC7 Lee Jin-hyunDaejeon Hana Citizen8 Cheon Seong-hoonIncheon United9 Anton KryvotsyukDaejeon Hana Citizen10 Na Sang-hoFC Seoul11 Hwang Jae-hwanUlsan Hyundai12 Paik Seung-hoJeonbuk Hyundai Motors13 Valeri QazaishviliUlsan Hyundai14 Song Min-kyuJeonbuk Hyundai Motors15 Goh Young-joonPohang Steelers16 Kim Bo-subIncheon United17 Thomás BedinelliGwangju FC18 CesinhaDaegu FC19 Valeri QazaishviliUlsan Hyundai
RoundPlayer of the RoundPlayerClub20 OberdanPohang Steelers21 Oh Seung-hoonDaegu FC22 Na Sang-hoFC Seoul23 Gerso FernandesIncheon United24 Ko Seung-beomSuwon Samsung Bluewings25 Lee Seung-wooSuwon FC26 YuriJeju United27 ZecaPohang Steelers28 Eom Ji-sungGwangju FC29 Hugo GomesSuwon FC30 ZecaPohang Steelers31 Lee Seung-moFC Seoul32 Go Jae-hyunDaegu FC33 Kim Ju-chanSuwon Samsung Bluewings34 Kim Geon-ungJeju United35 WillyanFC Seoul36 Kim Dae-wonGangwon FC37 Park Seung-hoIncheon United38 EdgarDaegu FC
Monthly awards MonthPlayer of the MonthYoung Player of the MonthGoal of the MonthPlayerClubPlayerClubPlayer ClubFebruary/March Joo Min-kyuUlsan Jeong Ho-yeonGwangju Lee Jin-hyunDaejeonApril Na Sang-hoSeoul Cheon Seong-hoonIncheon Na Sang-hoSeoulMay Paik Seung-hoJeonbuk Hwang Jae-wonDaegu Lee Ki-jeSuwonJune Valeri QazaishviliUlsan Lee Ho-jaePohang Joo Min-kyuUlsanJuly Na Sang-hoSeoul Kim Ju-chanSuwon Kim Ju-chanSuwonAugust Lee Seung-wooSuwon FC Eom Ji-sungGwangju Tiago OrobóDaejeonSeptember ZecaPohang Heo YoolGwangju Beka MikeltadzeGwangjuOctober–December Seol Young-wooUlsan Kim Ju-chanSuwon Ki Sung-yuengSeoul
MonthManager of the MonthSave of the MonthManagerClubPlayer ClubFebruary/March Hong Myung-boUlsan1 Kim Kyeong-minGwangjuApril Ko Jeong-woonGimpo2 Lee Chang-geunDaejeonMay Nam Ki-ilJeju1 Hwang In-jaePohangJune Lee Jung-hyoGwangju1 Lee Chang-geunDaejeonJuly Jo Sung-hwanIncheon1 Lee Chang-geunDaejeonAugust Choi Yun-kyumChungbuk Cheongju2 Jo Hyeon-wooUlsanSeptember Park Jin-subBusan2 Jo Hyeon-wooUlsanOctober–December Chung Jung-yongGimcheon2 Lee Chang-geunDaejeon
Annual awards The 2023 K League Awards was held on 4 December 2023.
AwardWinnerClubMost Valuable Player Kim Young-gwonUlsan HyundaiYoung Player of the Year Jeong Ho-yeonGwangju FCTop goalscorer Joo Min-kyuUlsan HyundaiTop assist provider Baek Sung-dongPohang SteelersManager of the Year Hong Myung-boUlsan Hyundai
PositionBest XIGoalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan)Defenders Seol Young-woo (Ulsan) Alex Grant (Pohang) Kim Young-gwon (Ulsan) Wanderson (Pohang)Midfielders Um Won-sang (Ulsan) Lee Soon-min (Gwangju) Oberdan (Pohang) Gerso Fernandes (Incheon)Forwards Zeca (Pohang) Joo Min-kyu (Ulsan)
Attendance Attendants who entered with free ticket are not counted.
See also 2023 in South Korean football 2023 Korean FA Cup
References
External links
2023 K League Technical Report (Archived)