East Asia Korea

K-League Start Postponed Due to Coronavirus Fears

The start of the 2020 K-League season has been postponed indefinitely due to fears of the spread of coronavirus.

The virus, which started in Wuhan, China, has already infected 833 people in Korea, with seven reported deaths, making them the second-worst affected country after mainland China.

As such, the K-League, which was supposed to start during the upcoming weekend, has been postponed indefinitely, with football authorities set to monitor the situation before rescheduling the competition.

This situation also affects the K-League sides who are competing in the AFC Champions League, with the tournament’s group stage already underway. Four Korean sides, Jeonbuk, Ulsan, Suwon Bluewings and FC Seoul, are all set to host teams from abroad within about the next month.

Those games are likely to be played behind closed doors but could cause problems due to the current 14-day quarantine periods which have hampered and discouraged international travel.