2023 in South Korean football

Football in South Korea
Season2023
Men's football
K League 1Ulsan Hyundai
K League 2Gimcheon Sangmu
K3 LeagueHwaseong FC
K4 LeagueYeoju FC
Korean FA CupPohang Steelers
Women's football
WK LeagueIncheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels
← 2022 South Korea 2024 →

This article shows a summary of the 2023 football season in South Korea.

National teams

FIFA World Cup qualification

South Korea  v  Singapore
16 November AFC second round, Group C South Korea  5–0  Singapore Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9 Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)		 Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium
Attendance: 64,381
Referee: Bijan Heydari (Iran)
China  v  South Korea
21 November AFC second round, Group C China  0–3  South Korea Shenzhen, China
20:00 UTC+8 Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Stadium: Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre
Attendance: 39,969
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)

Summer Olympics qualification

AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification

South Korea  v  Kyrgyzstan
9 September Group B South Korea  1–0  Kyrgyzstan Changwon, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9 Report Stadium: Changwon Football Center
Attendance: 7,021
Referee: Zhang Lei (China)
South Korea  v  Myanmar
12 September Group B South Korea  3–0  Myanmar Changwon, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9
Report Stadium: Changwon Football Center
Attendance: 3,838
Referee: Majed Al-Shamrani (Saudi Arabia)
Group B table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  South Korea (H) 2 2 0 0 4 0 +4 6 Qualification for U-23 Asian Cup
2  Kyrgyzstan 2 0 1 1 1 2 −1 1
3  Myanmar 2 0 1 1 1 4 −3 1
Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts

Women's qualification

South Korea  v  Thailand
26 October AFC second round, Group B South Korea  10–1  Thailand Xiamen, China
15:30 UTC+8
Report
  • Moondong 90+3'
 Stadium: Xiamen Egret Stadium
Attendance: 2,269
Referee: Lê Thị Lý (Vietnam)
North Korea  v  South Korea
29 October AFC second round, Group B North Korea  0–0  South Korea Xiamen, China
15:30 UTC+8 Report Stadium: Xiamen Egret Stadium
Attendance: 7,582
Referee: Lê Thị Lý (Vietnam)
China  v  South Korea
1 November AFC second round, Group B China  1–1  South Korea Xiamen, China
19:30 UTC+8 Wang Shanshan 78' Report Shim Seo-yeon 62' Stadium: Xiamen Egret Stadium
Attendance: 21,958
Referee: Kate Jacewicz (Australia)
AFC second round, Group B table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  North Korea 3 2 1 0 9 1 +8 7 Qualification for AFC third round
2  South Korea 3 1 2 0 11 2 +9 5
3  China (H) 3 1 1 1 5 3 +2 4
4  Thailand 3 0 0 3 1 20 −19 0
Source: AFC
(H) Hosts

Asian Games

Men's tournament

Kuwait  v  South Korea
19 September Group E Kuwait  0–9  South Korea Jinhua, China
19:30 UTC+8 Report
Stadium: Jinhua Stadium
Attendance: 2,936
Referee: Hasan Akrami (Iran)
South Korea  v  Thailand
21 September Group E South Korea  4–0  Thailand Jinhua, China
19:30 UTC+8
Report Stadium: Jinhua Stadium
Attendance: 3,166
Referee: Ahmad Yacoub Ibrahim (Jordan)
South Korea  v  Bahrain
24 September Group E South Korea  3–0  Bahrain Jinhua, China
19:30 UTC+8 Report Stadium: Jinhua Stadium
Referee: Yousif Saeed Hasan (Iraq)
Group E table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  South Korea 3 3 0 0 16 0 +16 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Bahrain 3 0 2 1 2 5 −3 2
3  Thailand 3 0 2 1 2 6 −4 2
4  Kuwait 3 0 2 1 2 11 −9 2
Source: Asian Games
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
South Korea  v  Kyrgyzstan
27 September Round of 16 South Korea  5–1  Kyrgyzstan Jinhua, China
19:30 UTC+8
Report
  • Maksat Alygulov 28'
 Stadium: Jinhua Stadium
Attendance: 18,393
Referee: Alex King (Australia)
China  v  South Korea
1 October Quarter-finals China  0–2  South Korea Hangzhou, China
20:00 UTC+8 Report
Stadium: Huanglong Sports Centre Stadium
Attendance: 38,158
Referee: Qasim Al-Hatmi (Oman)
South Korea  v  Uzbekistan
4 October Semi-finals South Korea  2–1  Uzbekistan Hangzhou, China
20:00 UTC+8 Report Stadium: Huanglong Sports Centre Stadium
Attendance: 38,019
Referee: Ammar Ashkanani (Kuwait)
South Korea  v  Japan
7 October Final South Korea  2–1  Japan Hangzhou, China
20:00 UTC+8 Report
Stadium: Hangzhou Sports Park Stadium
Attendance: 68,018
Referee: Ammar Mahfoodh (Bahrain)

Women's tournament

South Korea  v  Myanmar
22 September Group E South Korea  3–0  Myanmar Wenzhou, China
19:30 UTC+8
Report Stadium: Wenzhou Sports Center Stadium
Attendance: 3,234
Referee: Doumouh Al Bakkar (Lebanon)
Philippines  v  South Korea
25 September Group E Philippines  1–5  South Korea Wenzhou, China
19:30 UTC+8
Report
Stadium: Wenzhou Sports Center Stadium
Attendance: 2,974
Referee: Asaka Koizumi (Japan)
South Korea  v  Hong Kong
28 September Group E South Korea  5–0  Hong Kong Wenzhou, China
19:30 UTC+8
Report Stadium: Wenzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium
Attendance: 22,083
Referee: Lê Thị Lý (Vietnam)
Group E table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  South Korea 3 3 0 0 13 1 +12 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Philippines 3 2 0 1 7 6 +1 6
3  Myanmar 3 1 0 2 1 6 −5 3
4  Hong Kong 3 0 0 3 1 9 −8 0
Source: Asian Games
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
South Korea  v  North Korea
30 September Quarter-finals South Korea  1–4  North Korea Wenzhou, China
16:30 UTC+8
  • An Myong-song 11' (o.g.)
 Report
Stadium: Wenzhou Sports Centre
Attendance: 6,171
Referee: Pansa Chaisanit (Thailand)

FIFA Women's World Cup

South Korea next qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. As in 2019, the team scored only one goal, but achieved a notable result by drawing their final match with Germany 1–1, which resulted in the Germans exiting the tournament at the group stage despite being second in the FIFA Ranking at the time.[1][2][3]

  • v
  • t
  • e
South Korea squad – 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
South Korea
Colombia  v  South Korea
25 July 2023 (2023-07-25) Group H Colombia  2–0  South Korea Sydney, Australia
12:00 UTC+10
Report Stadium: Sydney Football Stadium
Attendance: 24,323
Referee: Rebecca Welch (England)
South Korea  v  Morocco
30 July 2023 (2023-07-30) Group H South Korea  0–1  Morocco Adelaide, Australia
14:00 UTC+9:30 Report Jraïdi 6' Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium
Attendance: 12,886
Referee: Edina Alves Batista (Brazil)
South Korea  v  Germany
3 August 2023 (2023-08-03) Group H South Korea  1–1  Germany Brisbane, Australia
20:00 UTC+10 Cho So-hyun 6' Report Popp 42' Stadium: Lang Park
Attendance: 38,945
Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley (New Zealand)
Group H table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Colombia 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2 6 Advance to knockout stage
2  Morocco 3 2 0 1 2 6 −4 6
3  Germany 3 1 1 1 8 3 +5 4
4  South Korea 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 1

Friendlies

Senior team

South Korea  v  Colombia
24 March South Korea  2–2  Colombia Ulsan, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9
Report Stadium: Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
Attendance: 35,727
Referee: Jumpei Iida (Japan)
South Korea  v  Uruguay
28 March South Korea  1–2  Uruguay Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9 Report
Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium
Attendance: 63,952
Referee: Yudai Yamamoto (Japan)
South Korea  v  Peru
16 June South Korea  0–1  Peru Busan, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9 Report
Stadium: Busan Asiad Main Stadium
Attendance: 52,443
Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)
South Korea  v  El Salvador
20 June South Korea  1–1  El Salvador Daejeon, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9 Report
Stadium: Daejeon World Cup Stadium
Attendance: 39,823
Referee: Muhammad Taqi (Singapore)
Wales  v  South Korea
7 September Wales  0–0  South Korea Cardiff, Wales
19:45 UTC+1 Report Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium
Attendance: 13,668
Referee: Willie Collum (Scotland)
Saudi Arabia  v  South Korea
12 September Saudi Arabia  0–1  South Korea Newcastle upon Tyne, England
17:30 UTC+1 Report Stadium: St James' Park
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Andrew Madley (England)
South Korea  v  Tunisia
13 October South Korea  4–0  Tunisia Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9
Report Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium
Attendance: 59,018
Referee: Amirul Izwan Yaacob (Malaysia)
South Korea  v  Vietnam
17 October South Korea  6–0  Vietnam Suwon, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9 Report Stadium: Suwon World Cup Stadium
Attendance: 42,175
Referee: Amirul Izwan Yaacob (Malaysia)

Under-23 team

South Korea  v  Oman
22 March South Korea  3–0  Oman Doha, Qatar
20:30 UTC+3
Report Stadium: Thani bin Jassim Stadium
Attendance: 0
Referee: Abdulhadi Al-Ruwaili (Qatar)
Iraq  v  South Korea
25 March Iraq  0–1  South Korea Doha, Qatar
20:30 UTC+3 Report Stadium: Suheim bin Hamad Stadium
Attendance: 0
Referee: Khalid Al-Nabit (Qatar)
South Korea  v  United Arab Emirates
28 March South Korea  3–0  United Arab Emirates Doha, Qatar
20:30 UTC+3
Report Stadium: Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium
Attendance: 0
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)
China  v  South Korea
15 June China  1–3  South Korea Zhejiang, China
18:00 UTC+8 Report Stadium: Jinhua Sports Centre Stadium
Referee: Wang Di (China)
China  v  South Korea
19 June China  1–0  South Korea Zhejiang, China
19:30 UTC+8 Report Stadium: Jinhua Sports Centre Stadium
Attendance: 24,468
Referee: Jin Jingyuan (China)
South Korea  v  Qatar
6 September South Korea  0–2  Qatar Changwon, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9 Report Stadium: Changwon Football Center
Attendance: 4,352
Referee: Abdullah Jamali (Kuwait)
France  v  South Korea
20 November France  0–3  South Korea Le Havre, France
18:30 UTC+1 Stadium: Stade Océane

Women's team

England  v  South Korea
16 February England  4–0  South Korea Milton Keynes, England
19:45 UTC±0
Report Stadium: Stadium MK
Attendance: 21,013
Referee: Andreza de Siqueira (Brazil)
Belgium  v  South Korea
19 February Belgium  2–1  South Korea Coventry, England
18:15 UTC±0
Report Lee Geum-min 10' Stadium: Coventry Building Society Arena
Referee: Frida Nielsen (Denmark)
South Korea  v  Italy
22 February South Korea  1–2  Italy Bristol, England
Report Stadium: Ashton Gate Stadium
South Korea  v  Zambia
7 April South Korea  5–2  Zambia Suwon, South Korea
19:00 UTC+9
Report
Stadium: Suwon World Cup Stadium
Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley (New Zealand)
South Korea  v  Zambia
11 April South Korea  5–0  Zambia Yongin, South Korea
  • Lee Geum-min 33' (pen.), 53', 77' (pen.)
  • Park Eun-sun 35', 89'
 Report Stadium: Yongin Mireu Stadium
Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley (New Zealand)
South Korea  v  Haiti
8 July South Korea  2–1  Haiti Seoul, South Korea
17:00 UTC+9 Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium

Leagues

K League 1

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation[a]
1 Ulsan Hyundai (C) 38 23 7 8 63 42 +21 76 Qualification for Champions League Elite league stage[b]
2 Pohang Steelers 38 16 16 6 53 40 +13 64
3 Gwangju FC 38 16 11 11 47 35 +12 59
4 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 38 16 9 13 45 35 +10 57 Qualification for Champions League 2 group stage
5 Incheon United 38 14 14 10 46 42 +4 56
6 Daegu FC 38 13 14 11 42 43 −1 53
7 FC Seoul 38 14 13 11 63 49 +14 55
8 Daejeon Hana Citizen 38 12 15 11 56 58 −2 51
9 Jeju United 38 10 11 17 43 49 −6 41
10 Gangwon FC (O) 38 6 16 16 30 41 −11 34 Qualification for relegation play-offs
11 Suwon FC (O) 38 8 9 21 44 76 −32 33
12 Suwon Samsung Bluewings (R) 38 8 9 21 35 57 −22 33 Relegation to K League 2
Source: Soccerway, K League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference; 4) Wins; 5) Head-to-head points
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league was split into two groups, the top six and the bottom six.
  2. ^ The third-placed team Gwangju FC also qualified, since second-placed team Pohang Steelers qualified for the league stage as Korean FA Cup champions. They were later confirmed for the league stage[4] based on their association's higher rank.

K League 2

Regular season

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification
1 Gimcheon Sangmu (C, P) 36 22 5 9 71 37 +34 71 Promotion to K League 1
2 Busan IPark 36 20 10 6 50 29 +21 70 Qualification for promotion play-offs final round
3 Gimpo FC 36 16 12 8 40 25 +15 60 Qualification for promotion play-offs second round
4 Gyeongnam FC 36 15 12 9 54 42 +12 57 Qualification for promotion play-offs first round
5 Bucheon FC 1995 36 16 9 11 45 35 +10 57
6 FC Anyang 36 15 9 12 58 51 +7 54
7 Jeonnam Dragons 36 16 5 15 55 56 −1 53
8 Chungbuk Cheongju 36 13 13 10 37 42 −5 52
9 Seongnam FC 36 11 11 14 43 50 −7 44
10 Chungnam Asan 36 12 6 18 39 46 −7 42
11 Seoul E-Land 36 10 5 21 36 54 −18 35
12 Ansan Greeners 36 6 7 23 40 72 −32 25
13 Cheonan City 36 5 10 21 33 62 −29 25
Source: K League Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference; 4) Wins; 5) Head-to-head points
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted

Promotion play-offs

First round Second round Final 1
           
3 Gimpo FC 2
4 Gyeongnam FC 1
4 Gyeongnam FC 0
5 Bucheon FC 1995 0
Gimpo FC 0 1 1
Gangwon FC 0 2 2
Final 2
Busan IPark 2 2 4
Suwon FC (a.e.t.) 1 5 6

K3 League

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Hwaseong FC (C) 28 17 9 2 42 21 +21 60
2 FC Mokpo 28 15 8 5 48 26 +22 53
3 Gimhae FC 28 13 10 5 42 26 +16 49
4 Ulsan Citizen 28 13 8 7 36 29 +7 47
5 Daejeon Korail 28 11 6 11 34 32 +2 39
6 Siheung Citizen 28 10 9 9 37 36 +1 39
7 Paju Citizen 28 11 5 12 32 27 +5 38
8 Chuncheon Citizen 28 9 11 8 25 26 −1 38
9 Busan Transportation Corporation 28 9 7 12 34 36 −2 34
10 Gyeongju KHNP 28 8 10 10 28 32 −4 34
11 Pocheon Citizen 28 7 12 9 26 33 −7 33
12 Gangneung Citizen 28 8 8 12 27 35 −8 32
13 Yangpyeong FC 28 7 6 15 28 43 −15 27
14 Changwon City (O) 28 7 6 15 23 39 −16 27 Qualification for relegation play-off
15 Yangju Citizen (R) 28 4 7 17 29 50 −21 19 Relegation to K4 League
Source: JoinKFA Livesport
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Wins
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated

K4 League

Regular season

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Yeoju FC (C, P) 30 20 3 7 63 44 +19 63 Promotion to K3 League
2 Daegu FC B (P) 30 16 7 7 51 36 +15 55
3 Geoje Citizen 30 15 8 7 64 37 +27 53 Qualification for promotion play-offs
4 Jinju Citizen 30 16 4 10 45 37 +8 52
5 Pyeongchang United 30 14 8 8 61 54 +7 50
6 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors B 30 14 7 9 59 45 +14 49
7 Dangjin Citizen 30 15 4 11 52 43 +9 49
8 Busan IPark Futures 30 12 7 11 51 40 +11 43
9 FC Chungju 30 12 6 12 44 45 −1 42
10 Pyeongtaek Citizen 30 10 10 10 55 54 +1 40
11 Seoul Nowon United 30 10 5 15 49 60 −11 35
12 Jeonju Citizen 30 8 10 12 45 46 −1 34
13 Daejeon FC B 30 8 6 16 37 62 −25 30
14 Gangwon FC B 30 6 7 17 46 68 −22 25
15 Seoul Jungnang 30 6 7 17 32 57 −25 25
16 Sejong Vanesse 30 8 1 21 38 64 −26 25
Source: JoinKFA
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Head-to-head points; 4) Goals scored; 5) Wins
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted

Promotion play-offs

First round Final
K3 Changwon City 2
3 Geoje Citizen 1 K4 Jinju Citizen 0
4 Jinju Citizen 4

WK League

Regular season

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 21 13 3 5 36 14 +22 42 Qualification for play-offs final
2 Hwacheon KSPO 21 12 5 4 33 18 +15 41 Qualification for play-offs semi-final
3 Suwon FC 21 12 4 5 36 15 +21 40
4 Gyeongju KHNP 21 9 6 6 25 21 +4 33
5 Sejong Sportstoto 21 6 4 11 27 33 −6 22
6 Mungyeong Sangmu 21 5 6 10 20 38 −18 21
7 Seoul WFC 21 4 7 10 22 38 −16 19
8 Changnyeong WFC 21 3 5 13 15 37 −22 14
Source: Soccerway

Championship play-offs

Semi-final Final
1 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels 1 6 7
2 Hwacheon KSPO 1 Suwon FC 3 2 5
3 Suwon FC (a.e.t.) 2

Final table

Pos Team 0
1 Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels (C)   
2 Suwon FC   
3 Hwacheon KSPO   
Source: Soccerway
(C) Champion

Domestic cups

Korean FA Cup

 
Round of 16
(Fourth round)		Quarter-finals
(Fifth round)		Semi-finals
(Sixth round)		Final
(Seventh round)
 
              
 
 
 
 
Pohang Steelers030
 
 
 
Seongnam FC0
 
Pohang Steelers2
 
 
 
Gangwon FC1
 
Gangwon FC3
 
 
 
Gimpo FC2
 
Pohang Steelers (p)1 (4)
 
 
 
Jeju United1 (3)
 
Jeju United4
 
 
 
Daejeon Hana Citizen3
 
Jeju United (p)1 (6)
 
 
 
Ulsan Hyundai1 (5)
 
Ulsan Hyundai (a.e.t.)2
 
 
 
Jeonnam Dragons1
 
Pohang Steelers040
 
 
 
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors2
 
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (a.e.t.)5
 
 
 
Paju Citizen2
 
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors4
 
 
 
Gwangju FC0
 
Gwangju FC1
 
 
 
Seoul E-Land0
 
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors3
 
 
 
Incheon United1
 
Incheon United3
 
 
 
Gyeongnam FC0
 
Incheon United3
 
 
 
Suwon Samsung Bluewings2
 
Suwon Samsung Bluewings1
 
 
Daegu FC0
 

International cups

AFC Champions League

Team Round Opponent First leg V Second leg V Aggregate Result
Incheon United Qualifying play-offs Vietnam Haiphong 3–1 (a.e.t.) — 3–1 Group stage
Group G Japan Yokohama F. Marinos 4–2 A 2–1 H Third place
Philippines Kaya–Iloilo 4–0 H 3–1 A
China Shandong Taishan 0–2 H 1–3 A
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Group F Hong Kong Kitchee 2–1 H 2–1 A Runners-up Knockout stage
Thailand Bangkok United 2–3 A 3–2 H
Singapore Lion City Sailors 3–0 H 0–2 A
Pohang Steelers Group J Vietnam Hanoi FC 4–2 A 2–0 H Winners Knockout stage
China Wuhan Three Towns 3–1 H 1–1 A
Japan Urawa Red Diamonds 2–0 A 2–1 H
Ulsan Hyundai Group I Thailand BG Pathum United 3–1 H 3–1 A Runners-up Knockout stage
Japan Kawasaki Frontale 0–1 A 2–2 H
Malaysia Johor Darul Ta'zim 3–1 H 1–2 A

See also

References

  1. ^ Kane, Desmond (3 August 2023). "Women's World Cup 2023: Seismic shock as Germany crash out in group stages after South Korea draw". Eurosport. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  2. ^ Wrack, Suzanne (3 August 2023). "Germany crash out of World Cup in huge upset after draw with South Korea". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  3. ^ Bosher, Luke (3 August 2023). "Germany crash out in one of the biggest upsets in Women's World Cup history". The Athletic. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  4. ^ "광주FC - GWANGJU FOOTBALL CLUB". www.gwangjufc.com (in Korean). Retrieved 24 April 2024.

External links

  • v
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  • e
2023 in South Korean football
« 2022
2024 »
National teams
  • FIFA World Cup qualification
  • Summer Olympics qualification
  • Asian Games
  • FIFA Women's World Cup
  • Friendlies
Leagues
Domestic cups
International cups
  • AFC Champions League
Club seasons