FIFPRO
FIFPRO
0%
25/10/2025
  • Korean K League 2 side Chungnam Asan have still not paid players their September wages
  • Korean player union KPFA has criticised the ‘reckless management’ at the club and called on the league to take meaningful action
  • KPFA Secretary General Kim Hoon-ki said: "How can we call a league healthy when it can’t guarantee its players the most basic right: to be paid for their work?"

Players at Korean K League 2 side Chungnam Asan are still waiting to be paid their September wages – the result of “reckless club management”, according to the Korea Pro-Footballers’ Association (KPFA).

The club notified players that it would be unable to pay wages due to financial difficulties.

While Chungnam Asan blamed a tough economic climate, the KPFA has pointed to structural mismanagement as the real cause. Despite limited resources, the club registered more than 50 players – the largest squad in K League 2 – operating far beyond its means.

"This crisis didn’t emerge overnight. It’s a disaster everyone saw coming," said KPFA Secretary General Kim Hoon-ki. "For years there have been concerns across Korean football about financially unstable clubs and worsening capital deficits, yet the league’s oversight has remained mostly symbolic, with little to no effective intervention."

The KPFA has voiced their concerns about the K League structure that allows financially unhealthy clubs to survive, which in turn negatively affects players’ working conditions.

"Unless we fix the pattern of spending beyond revenue, there is no future for the K League," said Kim Hoon-ki. "The fallout from management failure has landed squarely on the players."

'A paycheck isn’t just income – it’s a family’s livelihood'

According to current K League regulations, clubs suffering from capital impairment incur only a nominal fine of roughly KRW 10 million (about USD 7,000), a sanction so light that it may foster irresponsible financial behaviour instead of curbing it.

The KPFA has called on the K League to take systemic action, including:

  • Establishing an independent financial oversight body
  • Conducting a full financial audit of all clubs
  • Strengthening the salary cap system
  • Immediate implementation of the National Dispute Resolution Chamber (NDRC)

"The league can no longer be run at the expense of its players," Kim Hoon-ki said. "Players are stuck in an unfair system: forced to renegotiate their salaries every year despite signing multi-year contracts, and too afraid to speak up for fear of being benched.

"How can we call a league healthy when it can’t even guarantee its players the most basic right – to be paid for their work?"

The KPFA said it would back affected players with legal support, promising to do everything possible to protect their fundamental rights.

"For players, a paycheck isn’t just income – it’s their family’s livelihood and the reward for years of dedication," Kim Hoon-ki said. "It’s time for the league to respond – not with silence, but with accountability and action."

Image credit: Chungnam Asan FC Instagram