Korean Football (soccer for Americans)

Football in South Korea is governed by the Korean Football Association and since the 2002 World Cup, which Korea hosted jointly with Japan, football fever has continued ever since. Nicknamed the 'Red Devils' due to the deep red shirts the South Korean team play in, the national team are much loved by their supporters and also quite a powerful team in the Asian continent.

Domestically, a professional league has existed since 1983. The K-league was founded with a combination of 5 professional and amateur teams (Hallelujah, Yukong, POSCO, Daewoo and Kookmin Bank). The league has since moved on to what it is today with 14 teams now in the K-league. The teams are presently:

The Korean K league season usually runs from March to November of each year.

Korean players playing in England (in the Premiership)

There are a few South Korean players presently playing or who have played in the English Premiership football league. One of the most famous is Park Ji-sung who has been playing for the 2006-07 league champions (Manchester United). Lee Young-pyo has also played at the top level in the Premiership, playing for Tottenham, whilst Seol Ki-hyeon has been playing well for Reading. Lee Dong-gook has been playing in the red shirt of Middlesbrough.