| Season | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Dates | Regular season: 11 May – 2 November 1996 Championship: 9–16 November 1996 |
| Champions | Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (1st title) |
| Asian Club Championship | Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i Pohang Atoms |
| Cup Winners' Cup | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
| Matches played | 144 |
| Goals scored | 448 (3.11 per match) |
| Best Player | Kim Hyun-seok |
| Top goalscorer | Shin Tae-yong (18 goals) |
← 1995 1997 → | |
The 1996 Korean Professional Football League was the 14th season of K League since its establishment in 1983. South Korean government and the Korean Professional Football Federation introduced a decentralization policy to proliferate the popularity of football nationally in preparation for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which they wanted to host, so some clubs located in the capital Seoul (LG Cheetahs, Ilhwa Chunma) moved to other cities according to the new policy in this season.