South Korean footballers call for schedule change amid record heat

South Korea’s professional footballers on Thursday called on the K League, the country’s professional football competition, to adopt a fall-spring calendar amid record summer temperatures.

“The K League must transition to the Fall-Spring schedule to protect players from the worsening climate crisis and punishing summer heat,” the Korea Pro-Footballers’ Association (KPFA) said in a statement.

The southeastern city of Yangsan recorded a temperature of 42.5C (108.5F) on Aug. 2, the highest in decades of official records, prompting authorities to advise residents to remain indoors.

Seoul’s run of 17 consecutive tropical nights, when temperatures remained above 25C (77F), ended Monday.

The 2026 K League season began on Feb. 28 and is scheduled to end Dec. 6, but calls to change the traditional calendar have intensified amid the extreme heat.

The KPFA said adopting a fall-spring calendar would also bring Asia’s oldest professional football league in line with Japan’s J. League, the Asian Football Confederation’s Champions League Elite and most European competitions.

The J. League recently began its first season under a summer-to-spring calendar, while the Champions League Elite adopted a similar schedule in 2023.

South Korea’s severe winter, however, remains an obstacle to such a change, as subzero temperatures and snowfall are common across the country from December to February.

KPFA President Lee Keun-ho, a former South Korea international, said the league could introduce a break during the coldest months.

“Players agree that enjoying a break during winter can better help them avoid injuries and maintain better physical form than having to play through multiple competitions under the scorching summer sun,” Lee said.

“The league should set up more heating devices at stadiums and install hybrid grass for pitches, and make investments that can help the league for the long haul,” he added.