K3 League
{{About|a semi-professional football league founded in 2020|the former amateur football league from 2007 to 2019|K3 League (2007–2019)}}
{{short description|South Korean association football league}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox football league
| name = K3 League
| logo = K3_League_Logo_2020.png
| country = South Korea
| organiser = Korea Football Association
| confed =
| founded = {{Start date and age|2020}}
| folded =
| divisions =
| teams = 15
| feeds =
| promotion = K League 2 (from 2027)
| relegation = K4 League
| pyramid = South Korean football league system
| levels = 3
| domest_cup = Korean FA Cup
| champions = Siheung Citizen
| season = 2024
| most_champs = Gimhae FC
Gimpo FC
Hwaseong FC
Changwon City
Siheung Citizen
(1 title each)
| tv = Coupang Play
YouTube
| website = [https://www.kfa.or.kr/competition/k3_k4.php kfa.or.kr] {{in lang|ko}}
| current = 2025 K3 League
}}
{{Infobox Korean name
|hangul=K3리그
|mr=K3 Rigŭ
|rr=K3 Rigeu
}}
The K3 League is the third-highest division in the South Korean football league system. It was run as an amateur league until 2019, but was relaunched as a semi-professional league after absorbing the Korea National League in 2020. It is currently contested by 15 clubs.
== History ==
The Korean National Semi-Professional Football League was founded in 1964 and lasted until it was replaced by the Korea National League in 2003. The National League (K2 League) was established to introduce the promotion and relegation system between semi-professional clubs and K League clubs. However, National League clubs which formed independent federation were reluctant to invest for their professionalization, and the plan was miscarried due to their refusal.{{cite web |script-title=ko:N리그, 승격제 폐지 합의… 아이엔지 '퇴출' |url=https://sports.hankooki.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=3317415 |publisher=Sports Hankook |access-date=2023-06-18 |date=2008-03-07 |language=ko}}
The Korea Football Association (KFA) continued its plan to complete the South Korean football league system. The KFA made its amateur league K3 League in 2007, and introduced promotion and relegation in the amateur K3 League after dividing it into two divisions K3 League Advanced and K3 League Basic in 2017.{{cite web |script-title=ko:아마추어리그, 디비전 시스템 추진...2020년까지 4부 리그 확대 |url=https://sports.news.naver.com/news.nhn?oid=413&aid=0000027218 |publisher=InterFootball |access-date=12 February 2020 |date=23 December 2015 |language=ko}} Meanwhile, the number of National League clubs gradually decreased, while some of them joined second-tier professional league K League 2 (K League Challenge) or were dissolved due to financial problems. The K3 League Advanced and K3 League Basic were relaunched as semi-professional leagues under the name of K3 League and K4 League respectively, and the National League was merged into the newly-developed K3 League.
At present, there is promotion and relegation between the K3 League and K4 League, but clubs cannot be promoted from K3 to the K League 2. However, the KFA has announced plans to unify the K League system, meaning that from the 2027 season onwards, there will be promotion and relegation between the K3 League and K League 2.{{Cite news |last=Paik |first=Ji-hwan |date=March 28, 2024 |title=K League to unify promotion-relegation system across all 7 leagues |url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-03-28/sports/football/K-League-to-unify-promotionrelegation-system-across-all-7-leagues/2013297 |access-date=April 22, 2024 |work=Korea JoongAng Daily}}
Competition format
All participating clubs play home and away season in the K3 League. The championship playoffs were contested by top four clubs of the regular season in 2020 and 2021, but were not held in 2022 onwards. The promotion and relegation system exists between the K3 League and the K4 League, although the number of promoted team(s) and relegated team(s) is different every season.{{cite web |title=Breaking: K3 and K4 League Teams Confirmed |url=http://www.kleagueunited.com/2019/12/breaking-k3-and-k4-league-teams.html |website=K League United|access-date=December 27, 2019|date=December 19, 2019}}
Clubs
=Current clubs=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left"
! Team ! City ! Stadium ! Manager ! First season ! Current spell ! Seasons{{efn|As of the start of the 2025 season.}} ! Last title |
| Busan Transportation Corporation
| Busan | {{flagicon|KOR}} Park Sang-in | align="center"|2020 | align="center"|2020– | align="center"|6 | align="center"|— |
| Changwon FC
| Changwon | {{flagicon|KOR}} Choi Kyung-don | align="center"|2020 | align="center"|2020– | align="center"|6 | align="center"|2022 |
| Chuncheon FC
| {{flagicon|KOR}} Jeong Seon-woo | align="center"|2020 | align="center"|2023– | align="center"|4 | align="center"|— |
| Daejeon Korail
| Daejeon | Daejeon Hanbat Sports Complex | {{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Seung-hee | align="center"|2020 | align="center"|2020– | align="center"|6 | align="center"|— |
| Gangneung City
| {{flagicon|KOR}} Park Moon-young | align="center"|2020 | align="center"|2020– | align="center"|6 | align="center"|— |
| Gimhae FC
| Gimhae | {{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Gwi-hwa | align="center"|2020 | align="center"|2020– | align="center"|6 | align="center"|2020 |
| Gyeongju KHNP
| Gyeongju | {{flagicon|KOR}} Uh Yong-kuk | align="center"|2020 | align="center"|2020– | align="center"|6 | align="center"|— |
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors N
| Jeonju | {{flagicon|KOR}} Ahn Dae-hyeon | align="center"|2025 | align="center"|2025– | align="center"|1 (debut) | align="center"|— |
| FC Mokpo
| Mokpo | Mokpo International Football Center | {{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Jung-Hyuk | align="center"|2020 | align="center"|2020– | align="center"|6 | align="center"|— |
| Paju Citizen
| Paju | {{flagicon|KOR}} Oh Won-jae | align="center"|2021 | align="center"|2021– | align="center"|5 | align="center"|— |
| Pocheon Citizen
| Pocheon | {{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Jae-hyung | align="center"|2022 | align="center"|2022– | align="center"|4 | align="center"|— |
| Siheung Citizen
| Siheung | {{flagicon|KOR}} Jeong Seon-uh | align="center"|2022 | align="center"|2022– | align="center"|4 | align="center"|— |
| Ulsan Citizen
| Ulsan | {{flagicon|KOR}} Yoon Kyun-sang | align="center"|2021 | align="center"|2021– | align="center"|5 | align="center"|— |
| Yangpyeong FC
| {{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Gyeong-bum | align="center"|2023 | align="center"|2023– | align="center"|3 | align="center"|— |
| Yeoju FC
| Yeoju | {{flagicon|KOR}} Oh Ju-po | align="center"|2024 | align="center"|2024– | align="center"|2 | align="center"|— |
{{notelist}}
= Former clubs=
The following clubs are not in the K3 League as of the 2025 season.
| class="wikitable"
! Club !! Last season !! Reason |
| Jeonju Citizen
|align="center"|2020 |rowspan="5"|Relegated to K4 League |
| Pyeongtaek Citizen
|align="center"|2021 |
| Dangjin Citizen
|align="center"|2022 |
| Yangju Citizen
|align="center"|2023 |
| Daegu FC B
|align="center"|2024 |
| Gimpo FC
|align="center"|2021 |rowspan="4"|Professionalized and promoted to K League |
| Cheonan City
|rowspan="2" align="center"|2022 |
| Cheongju FC |
| Hwaseong FC
|align="center"|2024 |
| Gyeongju Citizen
|align="center"|2020 |Dissolved |
Champions
= Champions by season =
= Performance by club =
| class="wikitable"
! Club !! Champions !! Runners-up !! Seasons won !! Seasons runner-up |
| Hwaseong FC
| align="center"|1 | align="center"|1 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Gimhae FC
| align="center"|1 | align="center"|0 | 2020 | align="center"|— |
| Gimpo FC
| align="center"|1 | align="center"|0 | 2021 | align="center"|— |
| Changwon City
| align="center"|1 | align="center"|0 | 2022 | align="center"|— |
| Siheung Citizen
| align="center"|1 | align="center"|0 | 2024 | align="center"|— |
| Gyeongju KHNP
| align="center"|0 | align="center"|1 | align="center"|— | 2020 |
| Cheonan City
| align="center"|0 | align="center"|1 | align="center"|— | 2021 |
| Paju Citizen
| align="center"|0 | align="center"|1 | align="center"|— | 2022 |
| FC Mokpo
| align="center"|0 | align="center"|1 | align="center"|— | 2023 |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.kfa.or.kr/competition/?act=k3 Official website] at KFA {{in lang|ko}}
{{K3 League}}
{{Football in South Korea}}
Category:2020 establishments in South Korea
Category:Sports leagues established in 2020