Men’s H League Playoffs Begin on April 25... SK Hawks and Hanam City Hall Face Off for Third Straight Year

After concluding six months of regular league play, the Shinhan SOL Bank 2025–2026 Men’s Handball H League will enter the postseason starting April 25, 2026. With Incheon Urban Development Corporation securing first place in the regular season and advancing directly to the championship final, the second-ranked SK Hawks and third-ranked Hanam City Hall will face off in the playoffs.

The first round of the playoffs between SK Hawks and Hanam City Hall will take place at 7:00 p.m. on April 25, 2026, at the Handball Stadium (Ticketlink Live Arena) in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. If SK Hawks win the first match, they advance directly to the championship final. If they lose, the winner of the second match—scheduled for 7:50 p.m. on April 27, 2026—will advance to the final.

Park Kwangsoon of SK Hawks. Korea Handball Federation

The two teams will meet in the playoffs for the third consecutive year. In the previous two encounters, SK Hawks won both times and advanced to the championship final.

This year’s playoffs are expected to be unpredictable, as both teams were evenly matched in the regular season with two wins, one draw, and two losses each. While SK Hawks achieved two consecutive wins early in the season, Hanam City Hall balanced the record with two consecutive wins in the latter half.

A major trade made before the season opener is also a key storyline in this matchup. Hanam City Hall traded last season’s top scorer Kwangsoon Park, Park Jiwoo, and Jeong Jaewan to SK Hawks, acquiring instead key SK Hawks players Lee Hyunsik and Yeon Minmo. The outcome of this playoff series is likely to determine the winner of that trade.

The two teams have distinctly different styles. SK Hawks excel in organized play, leading the league in fewest turnovers, most assists, and most wing goals. Their stable offense is supported by a balanced scoring distribution, with Kwangsoon Park (72 goals), Jang Donghyun (67 goals), Kim Jinho (65 goals), Park Sewoong (64 goals), and Park Jiseop (54 goals) contributing significantly.

On the other hand, Hanam City Hall’s offense is led by Lee Byungjoo (118 goals), Kim Jae-sun (109 goals), and Kim Jihoon (85 goals). The presence of goalkeeper Park Jaeyong, who leads the league in saves, could also prove to be a game-changer. However, the team must address their league-high turnover rate.

Kim Jae-sun, Hanam City Hall. Korea Handball Federation

SK Hawks head coach Nuno Alvarez stated, “I am satisfied with making the postseason for three consecutive years and the growth of our players,” but added, “We are determined to overcome our recent weaker record against Hanam City Hall and advance to the championship final.”

Hanam City Hall head coach Baek Woncheol said, “We managed to withstand early-season injuries by fielding rookies and with Park Jaeyong’s excellent saves, and our offensive power revived in the second half, enabling us to reach the playoffs. Learning from our previous two failures, we will do everything to win this time and finally reach the championship final of our dreams.”

Since its inception in 2011, the men’s H League has been dominated by Doosan, who claimed the title 12 times in the past 13 seasons, except for one championship by Kolossa. However, this season, Doosan finished fourth in the regular season and faltered, paving the way for a new champion. None of the three teams advancing to the postseason have previously won the title. SK Hawks and Hanam City Hall have each finished as runners-up six and three times, respectively, after being blocked by Doosan.

The best-of-three championship final will begin on May 1, 2026. The second match will be played on May 3, and the third match, if necessary, will be held on May 5.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.