2022 K League 1

The 2022 K League 1, also known as the Hana 1Q K League 1 for sponsorship reasons, was the 40th season of the top division of professional football in South Korea, and the tenth season of the K League 1.

After progressing 33 regular rounds as ever, the league was divided into two groups, the top six and the bottom six, and each team played five matches against other teams in its group.

Team changes
Relegated to K League 2
 * Gwangju FC

Promoted from K League 2
 * Gimcheon Sangmu

Locations
The following twelve clubs will compete in the K League 1 during the 2022 season.

Foreign players
Restricting the number of foreign players strictly to five per team, including a slot for a player from the Asian Football Confederation countries and a slot for a player from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Gimcheon Sangmu FC, being a military-owned team, is not allowed to sign any foreign players. A team could use five foreign players on the field each game, including at least one player from the AFC confederation.

North Korean player An Byong-jun was deemed as a native player in K League by South Korean law and passport.

Players in bold were registered during the mid-season transfer window.

Matches 1–22
Teams played each other twice, once at home, once away.

Matches 23–33
Teams played each other once, either at home or away.

Matches 34–38
Teams played each other once, either at home or away.

Relegation play-offs
The tenth-placed team and the eleventh-placed team played against the play-offs winners and the runners-up of the K League 2, respectively, in the relegation play-offs. 



Suwon Samsung Bluewings won 2–1 on aggregate and therefore both clubs remain in their respective leagues.

Daejeon Hana Citizen won 6–1 on aggregate and was promoted to K League 1, while Gimcheon Sangmu was relegated to K League 2.

Top goalscorers
Cho Gue-sung, who appeared in less matches than Joo Min-kyu, won the top goalscorer award.

Annual awards
The 2022 K League Awards was held on 24 October 2022.