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Most Improved players in K League 1 2026

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

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

At a glance

Kang Sang-Yoon of Jeonbuk Motors is the standout for raw talent across players in K League 1, with a Field Insider Rating of 47.8, and Park Cheong-Hyo has been the form player this season, grading 35.4, and Cesinha leads the scoring with 8 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: Park Cheong-Hyo has improved his Season rating most, up +31.5 on last season, while M. Dackers's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +9.7 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
Kang Sang-Yoon47.8RTG
Jeonbuk Motors
In form
Park Cheong-Hyo35.4SsN
Gangwon FC
Rising potential
M. Dackers+9.7RTG
Daegu FC · 24/25→25/26
Most improved
Park Cheong-Hyo+31.5SsN
Gangwon FC · 24/25→25/26
Top scorer
Cesinha8goals
Daegu FC
Most valuable
Jin Si-Woo13.5val
Gwangju FC
50 players · ranked by most improvedCustomise →
PlayerTeam
1Park Cheong-HyoGoalkeeperGangwon FC36+31.5
24/25→25/26
3576.1%137.8%
2Song Bum-KeunGoalkeeperJeonbuk Motors28+24.4
24/25→25/26
2951.1%351.8%
3Song Jun-SeokCentre-backGimcheon Sangmu FC25+18.8
24/25→25/26
266.5%458.5%
4Jo Seong-KwonCentre-backDaejeon Citizen25+17.1
24/25→25/26
209.4%425.7%
5Go Jae-HyeonAttacking midfielderGimcheon Sangmu FC27+15
24/25→25/26
213616.3%
6Kim Young-BinFull-backJeonbuk Motors34+14.8
24/25→25/26
26153.9%1435.6%
7Kim Jin-GyuCentral midfielderJeonbuk Motors29+14.5
24/25→25/26
1816.6%295.9%
8Emerson NeguebaCentral midfielderJeju United FC25+14.4
23/24→25/26
144423.6%
9Kim Jin-SuCentre-backFC Seoul34+13.7
24/25→25/26
2331.6%136%
10Jefferson GalegoCentre-forwardBucheon FC 199529+12.5
24/25→25/26
1760%2813.5%
11Juan AntonioCentre-backFC Seoul30+12
24/25→25/26
2228.2%2625.5%
12P. KlimalaCentre-forwardFC Seoul28+11.6
23/24→25/26
123333.2%
13M. TuciCentre-backGangwon FC27+11.4
24/25→25/26
2649.7%367.1%
14Kim Tae-HwanCentre-backJeonbuk Motors37+11.4
24/25→25/26
2020.9%88%
15Choi Woo-JinFull-backJeonbuk Motors22+10.3
24/25→25/26
2347
16Lee You-HyeonCentral midfielderGangwon FC29+10.3
24/25→25/26
173.9%287.2%
17Lee Dong-JunCentral midfielderJeonbuk Motors29+9
24/25→25/26
1715.2%3110.1%
18Lee Gyu-SungCentral midfielderUlsan Hyundai FC32+7.9
24/25→25/26
15116.2%1828.2%
19Lee Hyun-YongCentre-backSuwon City FC22+6.8
24/25→25/26
10212.5%457%
20Eo Jeong-WonFull-backPohang Steelers27+6.6
24/25→25/26
173.5%360.8%
21HernandesAttacking midfielderDaejeon Citizen26+6.5
24/25→25/26
1398.5%399%
22Kim Moon-HwanFull-backDaejeon Citizen31+4.6
24/25→25/26
1338.7%20±0%
23Kim Ju-KongCentre-forwardDaegu FC30+4.3
24/25→25/26
1351.2%2421.2%
24Yazan Al ArabFull-backFC Seoul30+4.2
24/25→25/26
195%256.4%
25Lee Dong-GyeongAttacking midfielderUlsan Hyundai FC28+4.1
24/25→25/26
2129.3%352%
26Yu In-SooCentre-backJeju United FC31+4.1
24/25→25/26
1765.7%2110%
27Lee Jae-IkCentre-backUlsan Hyundai FC27+3.7
24/25→25/26
10162.2%3716.4%
28Kim Bong-SooCentral midfielderDaejeon Citizen26+3.6
24/25→25/26
1436.6%392.5%
29Lee Zi-SolCentre-backSuwon City FC27+3.2
24/25→25/26
6123.1%3415%
30Park Tae-JunDefensive midfielderGimcheon Sangmu FC27+3
24/25→25/26
16108%341.7%
31Hwang In-JaeGoalkeeperPohang Steelers32+3
24/25→25/26
140.7%181.1%
32DerlanCentre-backSuwon City FC30+2.2
21/22→25/26
930.6%1964.7%
33Lee Jae-WonDefensive midfielderSuwon City FC29+2
24/25→25/26
2210%2922.7%
34Han Chan-HeeCentral midfielderSuwon City FC29+1.4
24/25→25/26
631.8%2621.5%
35Lee Jun-SeoGoalkeeperDaejeon Citizen28+1.1
24/25→25/26
439.3%2919.2%
36Kim Kang-SanCentre-backDaegu FC27+0.5
24/25→25/26
124.3%3513.9%
37Park Chan-YongCentre-backPohang Steelers30-0.3
24/25→25/26
1315.9%256.5%
38Cho Hyun-TaekFull-backUlsan Hyundai FC25-0.9
24/25→25/26
827%4510.3%
39Kim Gyeong-MinCentral midfielderSuwon City FC29-1.1
24/25→25/26
517.7%2623.2%
40Kim Dae-WonCentral midfielderGangwon FC29-1.1
24/25→25/26
1910.8%295.1%
41Gu Sung-YunGoalkeeperFC Seoul32-1.2
24/25→25/26
22428.6%2032.7%
42Kim Tae-HwanCentre-backGimcheon Sangmu FC26-1.2
24/25→25/26
16318.4%386.8%
43Lee Jung-TaekFull-backGimcheon Sangmu FC28-2.7
24/25→25/26
124%311%
44Lee Kun-HeeCentre-forwardGimcheon Sangmu FC28-3
24/25→25/26
15120.9%313.7%
45Lee Chang-GeunGoalkeeperDaejeon Citizen32-3
24/25→25/26
13172.3%1814.8%
46Hwang Jae-WonCentral midfielderDaegu FC24-3.9
24/25→25/26
734.8%4317.2%
47Kang Sang-YoonCentral midfielderJeonbuk Motors22-4.2
24/25→25/26
1556.1%481.5%
48Kim Kang-GukDefensive midfielderGangwon FC29-4.6
24/25→25/26
547.9%2437.7%
49Ryu Jae-MoonCentre-forwardDaegu FC32-5
24/25→25/26
552.6%1536.4%
50Kang Hyeon-MuGoalkeeperFC Seoul31-5.9
24/25→25/26
1036.4%2121.7%