The Korea Cup (Korean: 코리아컵), formerly the Korean FA Cup, is a national football cup knockout competition of South Korea, held annually by the Korea Football Association (KFA). Before the competition was established in 1996, two similar tournaments named All Joseon Football Tournament (1921–1940) and Korean National Football Championship (1946–2000) were played. It was renamed Korea Cup in 2024,[1] with the winners qualifying for the AFC Champions League Elite (if they finish top four in the K League 1) or the AFC Champions League Two (if they finish outside the top four in the K League 1).[2]

Korea Cup
Founded1996; 28 years ago (1996)
RegionSouth Korea
International cup(s)AFC Champions League Elite
AFC Champions League Two
Current championsPohang Steelers (2024)
Most successful club(s)Pohang Steelers (6 titles)
Websitewww.kfa.or.kr
2024 Korean FA Cup

History

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The All Joseon Football Tournament was founded by the Joseon Sports Council in 1921, during Japanese rule in Korea. Youth, student and adult football clubs from various provinces participated. After 1934, it became a part of the Korean National Sports Festival, which was the championship for various sports games and matched Koreans against other sports championships operated by Japanese who lived in Korea. The Joseon Sports Council was disbanded in 1937, due to the Japanese government's oppression, and the Joseon Football Association (currently KFA) succeeded it after 1938, but was cancelled after 1940 for the same reason during World War II.[3][4]

After the liberation of Korea, the KFA founded the National Football Championship and the President's Cup, entered by many semi-professional clubs and amateur clubs from all over South Korea. They opened in spring and late autumn each.

The National Football Championship declined after the founding of the K League, because professional clubs and famous players didn't take part in it. There were several efforts to make professional clubs join the tournament,[5] and it became so successful that many top-rank clubs joined the championship, renamed "FA Cup", during 1988 and 1989 season.[6] However, it soon returned to a semi-professional tournament in 1990, because of discord between the KFA and professional clubs. The current FA Cup separated from the National Championship in 1996, and two competitions merged again since 2001. The President's Cup was also abolished in 2010.

Format

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1996–2005

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The Korean FA Cup took place after the end of the regular K League season, and was usually completed over a short period. Games were played in a single-elimination format, with extra time and penalties if required. K League sides were seeded in the 1st round of the tournament proper, but all matches were played at neutral venues, such as Gimcheon and Namhae.

2006–present

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To elevate the status of the tournament, matches were spread throughout the year. The 2006 edition, for example, started in early March, with rounds also held in April, July, August and November. The final was played in December. As in previous years, the competition was contested in a straight knockout format.

Sponsorship

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Sponsor Season Competition
None 1996–1997 FA Cup
TG Sambo 1998 Sambo Change Up FA Cup
1999 Sambo Computer FA Cup
Seoul Bank 2000–2001 Seoul Bank FA Cup
2002 Hana-Seoul Bank FA Cup
Hana Bank 2002
2003–2015 Hana Bank FA Cup
2015–2019 KEB Hana Bank FA Cup
2020–2021 Hana Bank FA Cup
2022–2023 Hana 1Q FA Cup
2024–present Hana 1Q Korea Cup

Results

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Finals

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Season Champions Score Runners-up
1996 Pohang Atoms 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(7–6 p)
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
1997 Jeonnam Dragons 1–0 Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma
1998 Anyang LG Cheetahs 2–1 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i
1999 Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma 3–0 Jeonbuk Hyundai Dinos
2000 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2–0 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
2001 Daejeon Citizen 1–0 Pohang Steelers
2002 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 1–0 Pohang Steelers
2003 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)
Jeonnam Dragons
2004 Busan I'Cons 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 p)
Bucheon SK
2005 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1–0 Hyundai Mipo Dockyard
2006 Jeonnam Dragons 2–0 Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2007 Jeonnam Dragons 3–2 Pohang Steelers
3–1
2008 Pohang Steelers 2–0 Gyeongnam FC
2009 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
2010 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 1–0 Busan IPark
2011 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 1–0 Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2012 Pohang Steelers 1–0 (a.e.t.) Gyeongnam FC
2013 Pohang Steelers 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 p)
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
2014 Seongnam FC 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)
FC Seoul
2015 FC Seoul 3–1 Incheon United
2016 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2–1 FC Seoul
1–2 (a.e.t.)
(10–9 p)
2017 Ulsan Hyundai 2–1 Busan IPark
0–0
2018 Daegu FC 2–1 Ulsan Hyundai
3–0
2019 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 0–0 Daejeon Korail
4–0
2020 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1–1 Ulsan Hyundai
2–1
2021 Jeonnam Dragons 0–1 Daegu FC
4–3 (a)
2022 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2–2 FC Seoul
3–1
2023 Pohang Steelers 4–2 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
2024 Pohang Steelers 3–1 (a.e.t.) Ulsan HD

Titles by club

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  • Clubs shown in italics no longer exist.
Club Champions Runners-up Winning seasons Runners-up seasons
Pohang Steelers
6
3
1996, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2023, 2024 2001, 2002, 2007
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
5
3
2000, 2003, 2005, 2020, 2022 1999, 2013, 2023
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
5
3
2002, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2019 1996, 2006, 2011
Jeonnam Dragons
4
1
1997, 2006, 2007, 2021 2003
Seongnam FC
3
3
1999, 2011, 2014 1997, 2000, 2009
FC Seoul
2
3
1998, 2015 2014, 2016, 2022
Ulsan HD
1
4
2017 1998, 2018, 2020, 2024
Busan IPark
1
2
2004 2010, 2017
Daegu FC
1
1
2018 2021
Daejeon Citizen
1
0
2001
Gyeongnam FC
0
2
2008, 2012
Jeju United
0
1
2004
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard
0
1
2005
Incheon United
0
1
2015
Daejeon Korail 0 1 2019

Awards

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Most Valuable Player

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Season Player Club
1996   Cho Jin-ho Pohang Steelers
1997   Kim Jung-hyuk Jeonnam Dragons
1998   Kang Chun-ho Anyang LG Cheetahs
1999   Park Nam-yeol Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma
2000   Park Sung-bae Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
2001   Kim Eun-jung Daejeon Citizen
2002   Seo Jung-won Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2003   Edmilson Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
2004   Kim Yong-dae Busan I'Cons
2005   Milton Rodríguez Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
2006   Kim Hyo-il Jeonnam Dragons
2007   Kim Chi-woo Jeonnam Dragons
2008   Choi Hyo-jin Pohang Steelers
2009   Lee Woon-jae Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2010   Yeom Ki-hun Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2011   Cho Dong-geon Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
2012   Hwang Ji-soo Pohang Steelers
2013   Shin Hwa-yong Pohang Steelers
2014   Park Jun-hyuk Seongnam FC
2015   Yojiro Takahagi FC Seoul
2016   Yeom Ki-hun Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2017   Kim Yong-dae Ulsan Hyundai
2018   Cesinha Daegu FC
2019   Ko Seung-beom Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2020   Lee Seung-gi Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
2021   Jeong Jae-hee Jeonnam Dragons
2022   Cho Gue-sung Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
2023   Kim Jong-woo Pohang Steelers
2024   Kim In-sung Pohang Steelers

Top goalscorer

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  • Until 2019, only goals in the final rounds (from the round of 32 onwards) counted in the rankings.
  • The award was not presented when no one scored more than three goals (two goals until 2007).
  • The award was not presented when three or more players became top goalscorers.[7]
Season Player Club Goals
1996   Denis Laktionov Suwon Samsung Bluewings 4
1997   Roh Sang-rae Jeonnam Dragons 6
1998   Kim Jong-kun Ulsan Hyundai 5
1999   Choi Yong-soo Anyang LG Cheetahs 5
2000   Cezinha Jeonnam Dragons 4
2001   Kim Eun-jung Daejeon Citizen 4
  Choi Sung-kuk Korea University
2002 Not awarded
2003
2004   Wang Jung-hyun FC Seoul 5
  Jung Jo-gook FC Seoul
2005   Milton Rodríguez Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 6
2006   Jang Nam-seok Daegu FC 3
2007 Not awarded
2008   Kim Dong-chan Gyeongnam FC 6
2009   Stevica Ristić Pohang Steelers 5
2010   Ji Dong-won Jeonnam Dragons 5
  Índio Jeonnam Dragons
2011   Go Seul-ki Ulsan Hyundai 4
2012 Not awarded
2013
2014   Kaio Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 4
2015 Not awarded
2016   Adriano Michael Jackson FC Seoul 5
2017 Not awarded
2018   Cesinha Daegu FC 5
2019   Yeom Ki-hun Suwon Samsung Bluewings 5
2020   Gustavo Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 4
2021   Park Hee-seong Jeonnam Dragons 4
2022   Heo Yong-joon Pohang Steelers 4
2023   Gustavo Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 5
2024   Jeong Jae-hee Pohang Steelers 4

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Jee-ho, Yoo (22 February 2024). "(LEAD) Top nat'l football tournament renamed Korea Cup". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  2. ^ FA컵 명칭 <코리아컵>으로 변경 --- 결승전은 서울에서 단판승부로 (in Korean). KFA. 22 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  3. ^ 大韓蹴球協會 편 『韓國蹴球百年史』라사라, p.163-166, p.220-226.
  4. ^ "KFA: Archives: History". KFA. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  5. ^ 내년부터 축구의 "王中王(왕중왕)" 「FA컵대회」신설. Naver. Kyunghyang Shinmun. 15 November 1981. Retrieved 26 May 2020.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ FA컵축구 15일개막 프로•실업등42팀참가. Naver. Kyunghyang Shinmun. 10 November 1988. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  7. ^ [FA CUP FINAL] 득점상 올해도 ‘꽝?’ (in Korean). Maeil Business Newspaper. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
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