*This content was translated by AI.
Bucheon FC, Jeju SK, FC Seoul and FC Anyang, which are involved in "Yeongoji Bad Yeon," will face off on the same day on May 5 this year.
The Korea Professional Football Federation officially announced the K-League 1 schedule for this season, including this schedule, on the 13th. In the 2026 season, K League 1 will open on February 28 and play 33 regular rounds per team until October 24, with the 1st to 6th places divided into Final A group (top split) and the 7th to 12th places divided into Final B group (lower split) and 5 more games each. The World Cup break is from mid-May to the end of June.
There are matchups that can attract fans' attention in each round, but this year's hottest day is expected to be the 12th round on May 5th (7 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium), when Bucheon and Jeju (2 p.m. at Bucheon Stadium) and Seoul and Anyang will face off on the same day.
The confrontation between Bucheon and Jeju formed a rivalry in 2006 when Bucheon SK, which was based in Bucheon at the time, suddenly moved to Jeju. Bucheon fans, whose cheering team disappeared overnight, founded their own team centered on supporters for the first time in the K-League, and promoted to the K-League 1 for the first time this year after the K3 League and the K-League 2.
Bucheon and Jeju faced each other in the K League 2 and the Korea Cup in 2020 and last year, respectively, and Jeju won all of the K League 2 showdowns in 2020, but Bucheon won Jeju for the first time in the Korea Cup in April last year. Prior to the Children's Day showdown, the two teams will first face each other on April 4 at the Jeju World Cup Stadium for the first time ever in the K League 1 stage, and then move the battlefield to face each other on May 5.
The same is true of the confrontation between Seoul and Anyang. The two teams were entangled in a bad relationship when Anyang LG, which moved its connection from Seoul to Anyang due to the policy of hollowing out in Seoul, returned to Seoul, where it was originally located, in 2004. While the Seoul club insists that it is a "return to the old school" that has returned to its previous hometown, Anyang fans, whose team they were cheering for like Bucheon, are confronting that it is a "before the old school."
Anyang was also newly established in the form of a civic team in 2013 and entered the K League 2 (then K League Challenge), and won the K League 2 title in 2024 and succeeded in promoting the K League 1 for the first time. Seoul won the first-ever face-off between the two teams, which took place in the 2017 FA Cup (currently the Korea Cup), and faced off with one win, one draw and one loss in the three showdowns that took place in the K League 1 stage last year. In particular, Anyang won its first away victory in Seoul in August last year, making headlines. The two teams will also face each other on April 5 at Anyang Stadium for the first time this season and then move to Sangam on the same day.
In addition, the "first Hyundai Derby" of this season between Jeonbuk Hyundai and Ulsan HD will be held at Jeonju World Cup Stadium at 2 p.m. on April 4. The first "legendary match" of the season between Seoul and Jeonbuk will be held at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 2 p.m. on April 11, and the first East Coast Derby between Ulsan and Pohang Steelers will be held at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium at 2 p.m. on May 2.
The opening round of this season will be held at 2 p.m. on February 28 at Incheon Football Stadium, as well as the official opening match between Incheon United and Seoul, Ulsan-Gangwon FC (2 p.m. and Ulsan Munsu), Gimcheon Sangmu-Pohang (4:30 p.m. and Gimcheon-Pohang), Jeonbuk-Bucheon (2 p.m. and Jeonju World Cup), Jeju-Gwangju FC (4:30 p.m. and Jeju World Cup), and Daejeon Hana Citizen-Anyang (2 p.m. and Daejeon World Cup) at 2 p.m. on March 2.
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*This content was translated by AI.
