The Korea Cup (), formerly the Korean FA Cup, is a national football cup knockout competition of South Korea, held annually by the Korea Football Association (KFA). Before the competition was established in 1996, two similar tournaments named All Joseon Football Tournament (1921–1940) and Korean National Football Championship (1946–2000) were played. It was renamed Korea Cup in 2024, with the winners qualifying for the AFC Champions League Elite (if they finish top four in the K League 1) or the AFC Champions League Two (if they finish outside the top four in the K League 1).
History
The All Joseon Football Tournament was founded by the Joseon Sports Council in 1921, during Japanese rule in Korea. Youth, student and adult football clubs from various provinces participated. After 1934, it became a part of the Korean National Sports Festival, which was the championship for various sports games and matched Koreans against other sports championships operated by Japanese who lived in Korea. The Joseon Sports Council was disbanded in 1937, due to the Japanese government's oppression, and the Joseon Football Association (currently KFA) succeeded it after 1938, but was cancelled after 1940 for the same reason during World War II.
After the liberation of Korea, the KFA founded the National Football Championship and the President's Cup, entered by many semi-professional clubs and amateur clubs from all over South Korea. They opened in spring and late autumn each.
The National Football Championship declined after the founding of the K League, because professional clubs didn't take part in it. There were several attempts to get professional clubs to join the tournament, and it became so successful that in the 1988 and 1989 seasons many top clubs joined the championship, renamed the FA Cup. However, it soon reverted to semi-professional status in 1990 due to disagreements between the KFA and professional clubs. The current cup competition separated from the National Championship in 1996, but since 2001 the two competitions have been merged again. The President's Cup was also abolished in 2010.
Format
1996–2005
The Korean FA Cup took place after the end of the regular K League season, and was usually completed over a short period. Games were played in a single-elimination format, with extra time and penalties if required. K League sides were seeded in the first round of the tournament proper, but all matches were played at neutral venues, such as Gimcheon and Namhae.
2006–present
To elevate the status of the tournament, matches were spread throughout the year. The 2006 edition, for example, started in early March, with rounds also held in April, July, August and November. The final was played in December. As in previous years, the competition was contested in a straight knockout format.
Sponsorship
{| class="wikitable"
! Sponsor
! Season
! Competition
|-
| None
| 1996–1997
| FA Cup
|-
| rowspan="2"|TG Sambo
| 1998
| Sambo Change Up FA Cup
|-
| 1999
| Sambo Computer FA Cup
|-
| rowspan="2"| Seoul Bank
| 2000–2001
| Seoul Bank FA Cup
|-
| 2002
| rowspan="2" | Hana-Seoul Bank FA Cup
|-
| rowspan="6"| Hana Bank
| 2002
|-
| 2003–2015
| Hana Bank FA Cup
|-
| 2015–2019
| KEB Hana Bank FA Cup
|-
| 2020–2021
| Hana Bank FA Cup
|-
| 2022–2023
| Hana 1Q FA Cup
|-
| 2024–present
| Hana Bank Korea Cup
|}
Results
Finals
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Season
! Champions
! Score
! Runners-up
|-
| align="center"|1996
| Pohang Atoms
| align="center"|0–0 <br />
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings
|-
| align="center"|1997
| Jeonnam Dragons
| align="center"|1–0
| Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma
|-
| align="center"|1998
| Anyang LG Cheetahs
| align="center"|2–1
| Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i
|-
| align="center"|1999
| Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma
| align="center"|3–0
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Dinos
|-
| align="center"|2000
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
| align="center"|2–0
| Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
|-
| align="center"|2001
| Daejeon Citizen
| align="center"|1–0
| Pohang Steelers
|-
| align="center"|2002
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings
| align="center"|1–0
| Pohang Steelers
|-
| align="center"|2003
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
| align="center"|2–2 <br />
| Jeonnam Dragons
|-
| align="center"|2004
| Busan I'Cons
| align="center"|1–1 <br />
| Bucheon SK
|-
| align="center"|2005
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
| align="center"|1–0
| Hyundai Mipo Dockyard
|-
| align="center"|2006
| Jeonnam Dragons
| align="center"|2–0
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings
|-
| align="center" rowspan="2"|2007
| rowspan="2"|Jeonnam Dragons
| align="center"|3–2
| rowspan="2"|Pohang Steelers
|-
| align="center"|3–1
|-
| align="center"|2008
| Pohang Steelers
| align="center"|2–0
| Gyeongnam FC
|-
| align="center"|2009
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings
| align="center"|1–1 <br />
| Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
|-
| align="center"|2010
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings
| align="center"|1–0
| Busan IPark
|-
| align="center"|2011
| Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
| align="center"|1–0
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings
|-
| align="center"|2012
| Pohang Steelers
| align="center"|1–0
| Gyeongnam FC
|-
| align="center"|2013
| Pohang Steelers
| align="center"|1–1 <br />
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
|-
| align="center"|2014
| Seongnam FC
| align="center"|0–0 <br />
| FC Seoul
|-
| align="center"|2015
| FC Seoul
| align="center"|3–1
| Incheon United
|-
| align="center" rowspan="2"|2016
| rowspan="2"|Suwon Samsung Bluewings
| align="center"|2–1
| rowspan="2"|FC Seoul
|-
| align="center"|1–2 <br />
|-
| align="center" rowspan="2"|2017
| rowspan="2"|Ulsan Hyundai
| align="center"|2–1
| rowspan="2"|Busan IPark
|-
| align="center"|0–0
|-
| align="center" rowspan="2"|2018
| rowspan="2"|Daegu FC
| align="center"|2–1
| rowspan="2"|Ulsan Hyundai
|-
| align="center"|3–0
|-
| align="center" rowspan="2"|2019
| rowspan="2"|Suwon Samsung Bluewings
| align="center"|0–0
| rowspan="2"|Daejeon Korail
|-
| align="center"|4–0
|-
| align="center" rowspan="2"|2020
| rowspan="2"|Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
| align="center"|1–1
| rowspan="2"|Ulsan Hyundai
|-
| align="center"|2–1
|-
| align="center" rowspan="2"|2021
| rowspan="2"|Jeonnam Dragons
| align="center"|0–1
| rowspan="2"|Daegu FC
|-
| align="center"|4–3 (a)
|-
| align="center" rowspan="2"|2022
| rowspan="2"|Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
| align="center"|2–2
| rowspan="2"|FC Seoul
|-
| align="center"|3–1
|-
| align="center"|2023
| Pohang Steelers
| align="center"|4–2
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
|-
| align="center"|2024
| Pohang Steelers
| align="center"|3–1
| Ulsan HD
|-
| align="center"|2025
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
| align="center"|2–1
| Gwangju FC
|-
|}
Titles by club
Awards
Most Valuable Player
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Season
! Player
! Club
|-
| align="center"|1996
| Cho Jin-ho
| Pohang Steelers
|-
| align="center"|1997
| Kim Jung-hyuk
| Jeonnam Dragons
|-
| align="center"|1998
| Kang Chun-ho
| Anyang LG Cheetahs
|-
| align="center"|1999
| Park Nam-yeol
| Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma
|-
| align="center"|2000
| Park Sung-bae
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
|-
| align="center"|2001
| Kim Eun-jung
| Daejeon Citizen
|-
| align="center"|2002
| Seo Jung-won
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings
|-
| align="center"|2003
| Edmilson
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
|-
| align="center"|2004
| Kim Yong-dae
| Busan I'Cons
|-
| align="center"|2005
| Milton Rodríguez
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
|-
| align="center"|2006
| Kim Hyo-il
| Jeonnam Dragons
|-
| align="center"|2007
| Kim Chi-woo
| Jeonnam Dragons
|-
| align="center"|2008
| Choi Hyo-jin
| Pohang Steelers
|-
| align="center"|2009
| Lee Woon-jae
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings
|-
| align="center"|2010
| Yeom Ki-hun
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings
|-
| align="center"|2011
| Cho Dong-geon
| Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
|-
| align="center"|2012
| Hwang Ji-soo
| Pohang Steelers
|-
| align="center"|2013
| Shin Hwa-yong
| Pohang Steelers
|-
| align="center"|2014
| Park Jun-hyuk
| Seongnam FC
|-
| align="center"|2015
| Yojiro Takahagi
| FC Seoul
|-
| align="center"|2016
| Yeom Ki-hun
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings
|-
| align="center"|2017
| Kim Yong-dae
| Ulsan Hyundai
|-
| align="center"|2018
| Cesinha
| Daegu FC
|-
| align="center"|2019
| Ko Seung-beom
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings
|-
| align="center"|2020
| Lee Seung-gi
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
|-
| align="center"|2021
| Jeong Jae-hee
| Jeonnam Dragons
|-
| align="center"|2022
| Cho Gue-sung
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
|-
| align="center"|2023
| Kim Jong-woo
| Pohang Steelers
|-
| align="center"|2024
| Kim In-sung
| Pohang Steelers
|-
| align="center"|2025
| Park Jin-seob
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
|}
Top goalscorer
- Only goals since the round of 16 count in the rankings (the round of 32 until 2019, and the third round between 2020 and 2024).
- If multiple players become top goalscorers, the player who has played the fewest matches receive the award. If still tied, the player with fewer minutes played receive the award. Until 2015, a maximum of two players could become co-winners of the award, and it was not presented when three or more players became top goalscorers.
- Until 2019, the award was not presented when no one scored more than three goals (two goals until 2007).