South Korea: Clubs Ranked - 1983 to 2023

It's an unusual football scene. Like Japan, initially the clubs were associated with organisations, then as they went professional, names changed and they became more like we see elsewhere. 

There aren't that many clubs either that challenge for the top and yet success is well spread among them. Things essentially kicked off in 1983.

The chart to the right / top shows points for the Korean domestic competition (Kor) and then includes Asia (Tot). The points are: K League (Division 1) the top four are rewarded with 6, 3, 2 and 1. The FA Cup equivalent 4 and 2 points for the finalists only. League Cups 3 and 1. In the Asia Club Championship, it's 8, 4 and 2 points.

The K League is tightly packed despite the points system really favouring success over consistent mediocrity for want of a better term. Recent winners are Jeonbuk Hyundai FC with five in a row from 2017 to 2021, then Ulsan HD with the last two (2022-2023).

The FA Cup started in 1983 and three sides are locked at the top of the honours board. Suwon Bluewings (2019), Jeonbuk Hyundai FC (2020 and 2022), Jeonnam Dragons (2021), and the Pohang Steelers (2023) being the more recent winners. There have been no consecutive winners for ten years now.

There have been two league cups of limited duration. The one to the left from 1992 to 2011 with an outlier in 1986. The other from 1997 to 2000 is not shown here. 

The Asian club championship started in 1985 but it was from 1995 that Korean clubs really started to have an impact. I assume that was due to South Korea being late getting a pro comp up and running. Since then they have done well with 12 winners, 6 losing finalists and 12 semi final exits. 

All put together, the clubs are below. The grand total is shown for each club, divided into regions with a ranking number (Rk) which gives their place compared to all the other clubs. Any suggestions? Please leave a comment. 

The areas are Gyeongsangnam or the east and toward the south, which accounted for the top two clubs and 42.9% of the total. I expected Seoul to be the leading area. That comes under North with nearby satellite cities added and 36.7% of the total. The West is someway south of Seoul with one strong club. Finally the South with is two coastal clubs and one on an island south of the country, Jeju.