South Korean Players Urge K League Schedule Change Amid 'Increasingly Extreme Climate'
Axios (Tổng hợp từ Al Jazeera English)
South Korean footballers are calling for the K League to move to an autumn-spring schedule to avoid extreme summer heat, citing record temperatures and health risks. The players’ union highlights the need for better heat protection and facility improvements.
The Korea Pro Footballers Association (KPFA) is urging the K League to overhaul its domestic scheduling to avoid peak summer play, as the country recorded record temperatures in August.
“The K League must switch to an autumn-spring schedule to protect players from the worsening climate crisis and extreme summer heat,” the KPFA said in a statement, “while maintaining the league’s leadership position in Asia and global competitiveness.”
On August 2, the southeastern city of Yangsan recorded 42.5°C, the highest temperature in decades, prompting officials to advise residents to stay indoors. The Korean baseball league was also suspended for a week due to extreme heat.
High temperatures also dampened attendance at last week’s friendly between Manchester City and the K League All-Star team, though the English Premier League club’s Sunday friendly against Atletico Madrid drew a large crowd.
A 17-night stretch of tropical nights in Seoul—defined as nights when temperatures do not drop below 25°C—ended on Monday.
The 2026 K League season runs from February 28 to December 6, but in the current climate, calls to change the traditional schedule are growing louder.
The players’ association argues that a shift would also align Asia’s oldest professional football league with Japan’s J League—which just began its first season on a summer-spring schedule—along with the Asian Football Confederation’s Champions League Elite (changed in 2023) and much of Europe.
However, South Korea’s harsh winters remain a major obstacle, with sub-zero temperatures and snow common across the peninsula from December to February.
Lee Keun-ho, association president and former South Korea international, suggested a new calendar with a break during the coldest months. “Players agree that resting in winter would help them avoid injuries and maintain fitness better than playing through multiple tournaments under the blazing summer sun,” Lee said, adding that stadium infrastructure changes would also help. “The league should install more heating systems at stadiums, use hybrid grass pitches, and make long-term investments in the competition.”
South Korean media published the union’s emergency survey on matchday organization during the heatwave, calling for stricter heat-response standards. The survey involved 536 players from South Korea’s men’s and women’s professional leagues. Of those, 86.2% said heat caused physical strain, with 45.2% (242 players) responding “very much” and 41% (220) responding “somewhat.”
In a multiple-choice question on physical symptoms during matches, dizziness was the most common concern at 64.7% (347 players), followed by dehydration 56.6% (303), headaches 32.2% (173), temporary loss of consciousness 13% (70), and nausea 12.2% (65). Nearly half of players (48.4%) believed current cooling breaks were sufficient to protect them, while only 15.3% considered existing policies adequate.
Last week, a Fijian rugby player died in Japan after being hospitalized with “symptoms consistent with severe heatstroke” following a training session. Saimoni Vunilagi, 26, was admitted to hospital after training with Kyushu KV in Fukuoka City on Monday and died on Friday.
