The K League are currently considering abolishing the Southeast Asian quota for the 2025 season, thus freeing up a space for clubs to register a foreign player from any nationality.
This decision came after K League clubs voiced their complains that they felt that the quota had barely any use during the four years it was in effect.
The Southeast Asian quota was first implemented in 2020 by the K League as part of the league’s effort to tap into the footballing talent of the region. The K League were banking on the success of Chanathip Songkrasin, who lit up the J.League 1 from 2017 to 2023, and decided that they too would capitalize on this opportunity to reach into the Southeast Asian market, despite the abject failure of Vietnam star Nguyen Cong Phuong at Incheon United in 2019.
A total of seven Southeast Asian players came to Korean shores after the quota’s implementation, mostly playing in the second-tier K League 2. They were Thailand’s Sasalak Haiprakhon (2021, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Malaysia’s Kogileswaran Raj (2023, Chungbuk Cheongju), Indonesian duo Asnawi Mangkualam (2021-2022, Ansan Greeners and 2023, Jeonnam Dragons) and Pratama Arhan (2024, Suwon FC), and Vietnamese trio Nguyen Van Toan (2023, Seoul E-Land), Vu Minh Hieu (2023, Cheonan City), and Nguyen Canh Anh (2023, Cheonan City).
Out of the seven, only Asnawi cemented himself as a key player for the club that he signed up for, establishing himself as an important part of the Ansan and Jeonnam teams that he was a part of.
The others were unable to adapt themselves to the hustle and bustle of South Korean football, which was quite different compared to that experienced back in their home countries. More of then than not, these players were solely used by their clubs as a marketing ploy to attract more fans from their respective home countries.
While the players suffered from a lack of game time, the clubs were also suffering from the constant backlash from Southeast Asian football fans who were disappointed that their favorite players were wasting away and being severely underutilized. What’s the point of signing these talent if you weren’t going to play them anyway?
With this in mind, the clubs voiced their concerns that the Southeast Asian quota became somewhat of a burden towards the clubs instead of an opportunity to unearth hidden talent, and the K League responded accordingly by scrapping said quota for the 2025 season.