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Most Improved defenders in K League 1 2026

The most improved defenders in K League 1 in 2026, ranked on Field Insider.

Most improved goalkeepers in K League 1Most improved midfielders in K League 1Most improved attackers in K League 1Best defenders in K League 1Most in-form defenders in K League 1Top-scoring defenders in K League 1

At a glance

Choi Woo-Jin of Jeonbuk Motors is the standout for raw talent across defenders in K League 1, with a Field Insider Rating of 46.3, and Jin Si-Woo has been the form player this season, grading 33.2, and Kim Kang-San leads the scoring with 2 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: Song Jun-Seok has improved his Season rating most, up +23.7 on last season, while Lee Hyun-Yong's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +2.9 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, Jin Si-Woo of Gwangju FC is the most valuable name in this group at 13.5.

Best talent
Choi Woo-Jin46.3RTG
Jeonbuk Motors
In form
Jin Si-Woo33.2SsN
Gwangju FC
Rising potential
Lee Hyun-Yong+2.9RTG
Suwon City FC · 24/25→25/26
Most improved
Song Jun-Seok+23.7SsN
Gimcheon Sangmu FC · 24/25→25/26
Top scorer
Kim Kang-San2goals
Daegu FC
Most valuable
Jin Si-Woo13.5val
Gwangju FC
42 players · ranked by most improvedCustomise →
PlayerTeam
1Song Jun-SeokCentre-backGimcheon Sangmu FC25+23.7
24/25→25/26
3126.4%446.6%
2Juan AntonioCentre-backFC Seoul30+15
24/25→25/26
2518.6%2622.6%
3Jo Seong-KwonCentre-backDaejeon Citizen25+14.9
24/25→25/26
182.8%416.4%
4Kim Young-BinFull-backJeonbuk Motors34+11.8
24/25→25/26
23124.5%1327.9%
5Kim Jin-SuCentre-backFC Seoul34+11.1
24/25→25/26
2016.4%1211.3%
6Kim Tae-HwanCentre-backJeonbuk Motors37+9.1
24/25→25/26
176.7%8±0%
7M. TuciCentre-backGangwon FC27+8.3
24/25→25/26
2331.6%3812.5%
8Choi Woo-JinFull-backJeonbuk Motors22+7.7
24/25→25/26
2046
9Lee Hyun-YongCentre-backSuwon City FC22+6.8
24/25→25/26
10212.5%457%
10Eo Jeong-WonFull-backPohang Steelers27+4.7
24/25→25/26
1514.5%361.1%
11Lee Zi-SolCentre-backSuwon City FC27+3.2
24/25→25/26
6123.1%3415%
12Kim Moon-HwanFull-backDaejeon Citizen31+3.1
24/25→25/26
1122.6%201.5%
13Yu In-SooCentre-backJeju United FC31+2.1
24/25→25/26
1546.7%217.9%
14Yazan Al ArabFull-backFC Seoul30+2
24/25→25/26
177.3%254.3%
15DerlanCentre-backSuwon City FC30+1.7
21/22→25/26
923.6%1964.7%
16Kim Tae-HyunFull-backJeonbuk Motors29+1.6
24/25→25/26
1043.9%270.7%
17Kim Kang-SanCentre-backDaegu FC28+0.5
24/25→25/26
124.3%3417.8%
18Kim Jae-WooCentre-backJeju United FC280
24/25→25/26
930
19Lee Jung-TaekFull-backGimcheon Sangmu FC28-0.3
24/25→25/26
1515.1%311.3%
20Jeong Woo-JaeCentre-backDaegu FC34-0.5
24/25→25/26
223.8%936.5%
21Lee Jae-IkCentre-backUlsan Hyundai FC27-1.2
24/25→25/26
529.7%3613.6%
22Patrick WilliamFull-backBucheon FC 199529-1.8
24/25→25/26
911%259%
23Park Chan-YongCentre-backPohang Steelers30-1.9
24/25→25/26
121.8%243.5%
24Cho Hyun-TaekFull-backUlsan Hyundai FC25-2.2
24/25→25/26
76.3%4510.3%
25Choi Kyu-BaekCentre-backSuwon City FC32-2.5
24/25→25/26
824.8%1732.7%
26Kang Yun-SungCentre-backDaejeon Citizen29-2.8
24/25→25/26
712.9%249.3%
27Kim Tae-HwanCentre-backGimcheon Sangmu FC26-3.6
24/25→25/26
14255.3%386.2%
28Caio MarceloFull-backDaegu FC28-3.7
24/25→25/26
735.2%3122.3%
29Kwon Kyung-WonCentre-backFC Anyang34-4
24/25→25/26
545.8%99.6%
30Jeon Min-GwangCentre-backPohang Steelers33-5.2
24/25→25/26
1054.1%1222.1%
31Byeon Jun-SooCentre-backGimcheon Sangmu FC24-5.7
24/25→25/26
381.1%407.8%
32A. KrivotsyukCentre-backDaejeon Citizen28-6.4
24/25→25/26
556.4%2716.8%
33Park Cheol-WooFull-backGimcheon Sangmu FC28-8.6
24/25→25/26
1038.6%301%
34Lee YongFull-backUlsan Hyundai FC39-8.9
24/25→25/26
756%652.5%
35Choi JunFull-backFC Seoul27-10.3
24/25→25/26
2768.4%3814.3%
36Jung Seung-HyunCentre-backUlsan Hyundai FC32-11.6
23/24→25/26
92.1%175.6%
37J. CélestineFull-backJeju United FC29-16.2
23/24→25/26
17140.8%3059%
38WandersonFull-backPohang Steelers37-18.3
24/25→25/26
5444.4%591.7%
39T. Oude KotteFull-backUlsan Hyundai FC30-20
24/25→25/26
189.9%2212.9%
40Lee Myung-JaeFull-backDaejeon Citizen32-21.2
24/25→25/26
551%1521.6%
41Tobias FigueiredoCentre-backJeju United FC32-30.1
24/25→25/26
585%1562.3%
42Baek Dong-GyuCentre-backBucheon FC 199535-33.4
22/23→25/26
1569.7%1164.3%