Starting in the 2026 season,South Korea’s top football league,the K League,will lift its 26-year ban on foreign goalkeepers.

Since 1999, only Korean goalkeepers have been permitted to play in the K League, which is considered the oldest professional domestic league in Asia. The restriction was initially implemented to protect local talent when the league consisted of only 10 professional clubs.

Following a board meeting in Seoul, the K League announced that the increase to 26 professional clubs across the top two tiers of competition has created sufficient opportunities for both domestic and international goalkeepers.

According to the board, “The increase in the number of clubs means that there are enough opportunities for domestic goalkeepers to play even if foreign goalkeepers are allowed.”

The board also stated, “We considered the fact that with foreign player registrations restricted, the salary increase rate of domestic goalkeepers has increased disproportionately to outfield players.”

Reasons for the Change