The Korea Professional Football League disclosed Tuesday the list of free agents (FA) whose contracts with their clubs expire at the end of this season.
According to the league, 338 players are set to gain FA status in 2027, comprising 124 in K League 1 and 214 in K League 2. Among the 338 are star players including Ki Sung-yueng (Pohang), Song Min-kyu (Seoul), Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk) and Lee Chung-yong (Incheon).
Of these, 337 players who first registered in the K League after 2005 will see their contracts expire on Dec. 31 this year and gain FA status.
Once a player obtains FA status, he can freely sign with other clubs.
Under the rules in effect at the time, players who first registered in the K League before 2004 gain FA status upon contract expiration only if they appeared in at least 50 percent of their club's official matches during the contract period.
Among the players in this disclosure, Lee Chung-yong is the only one who first registered in the K League before 2004.
Players set to gain FA status can negotiate not only with their current clubs but also with other clubs starting July 1 of the year their contracts expire.
For another club to begin negotiations with a player set to gain FA status, it must notify the player's current club in writing that talks have begun.
In addition, a contract with the player can be signed starting the day after the final league match of the club to which the player currently belongs.
