Country Korea Republic Founded 1964 | Confederation AFC (Asia) First season 1964 | |
Folded 2002
(continued as Korea National League) Level on pyramid 1 (1964~1982)
2 (1983~2002) | ||
The National Semi-Professional Football League was a semi-professional football league among works teams, Bank teams, Military teams in South Korea held from 1964 to 2002. It was the predecessor of Korea National League which was founded in 2003.
Contents
Before 1963
After the introduction of football from the UK navy in the late 19th century, football experienced a boom in Korea and many football clubs and school teams were formed in the 1910s. There were also many corporate football clubs especially in Seoul and Pyongyang, two big cities in Korea. The corporate club division was made in All Korea Football Tournament in Pyongyang in 1930, and Seoul Semi-Professional Football League was founded in 1939, but both were stopped because of the Japanese government's policy during World War II. Seoul Semi-Professional Football League was reopened in 1949, but it was stopped again during the Korean War.
1964~1982
National Semi-Professional Football League was founded in 1964, which was the only football division in South Korea until 1982. It was held twice in a year as the spring league and the autumn league except the season 1982, 1983 and 1984 when it was held as full-season. The match places were mostly in Seoul because many headquarters of corporation in Korea were in Seoul.
1983~2002
The Korean Professional Football League was founded in 1983 that it made Korea Football League as 2nd division(but no promotion nor relegation). It remained until 2002 before Korea National League was officially founded in 2003.
Records
The records of National Semi-Professional Football League are the followings.