The K League 1 is the top level of the South Korean football league pyramid. It was founded in 1983 as the Korean Super League, later renamed K League Classic and in 2018 renamed K League 1. It currently has twelve teams playing 33 fixtures each, then enter championship and relegation rounds.
The Korea National League, formerly known as the K2 League, is the third highest tier of football in South Korea. It has eight teams playing a season from March to November- Each team plays 28 fixtures and the top three in the league table enter the subsequent play-offs. Currently no teams are promoted.
The K3 League Advanced is the fourth highest league in the South Korean league system. It has twelve teams playing each home and away for a total of 22 fixtures in the regular season. The top five in the league table then enter a final series playing for the championship.
The K League 2 is the second highest level of football in South Korea. It currently has ten clubs playing 36 fixtures each in the regular season, meeting each other four times. The top team in the league table is promoted while places two to four enter a promotion play-off.