South Korea has begun to relax guidelines on social distancing ©Getty Images

The top two men's professional football leagues in South Korea are set to begin in May following a two-month delay to the start of the season caused by the coronavirus crisis.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) has announced the top-flight K League and the K League 2 will both kick off their campaigns on May 8.

It will not be a complete return to normal for players in the league, however, as matches in the early part of the campaign will be held behind closed doors and it is not yet clear when fans will be able to return to stadiums.

Players will be banned from talking to their team mates, opponents or referees in matches, while coaches and other matchday staff have been ordered to wear masks.

Measures have also been put in place to deal with a case of coronavirus in a player or coach during the season.

If any player of coach tests positive for COVID-19, the club will not take to the field for at least two weeks.

Fans will be banned from attending K League matches when the season resumes ©Getty Images
Fans will be banned from attending K League matches when the season resumes ©Getty Images

Opponents could also stop playing matches for a fortnight, depending on the results of contact tracing.

A surge in COVID-19 cases in South Korea had forced the KFA to indefinitely postpone the start of the season, which had been scheduled to begin on February 29.

The decision from the KFA, following a meeting of its Board with club representatives, comes after South Korea began to ease guidelines on social distancing put in place to curb the spread of coronavirus.

South Korea, which has reported in excess of 10,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 240 deaths, has been praised for the way it has dealt with the virus.