One pro football club doubles as a Korean military unit — how it works

Becoming a Gimcheon player is the only way for a player to continue their career uninterrupted while completing an 18-month-long military stint if they do not earn exemption from success on the international stage.

Gimcheon Sangmu salute during a K League 1 match against Daegu FC at DGB Daegu Bank Park in Daegu on March 3. [YONHAP]

The Korean military operates a team in the K League, Gimcheon Sangmu, the only club that players can join for the duration of their mandatory military service, which all Korean men must undergo between the ages of 18 and 35.

For players who do not earn service exemption on the international stage, becoming a Gimcheon player is the only way to continue their career uninterrupted while completing an 18-month-long military stint. In order to earn exemption, players must either win a gold medal at the Asian Games or secure a bronze medal or higher finish at the Olympics.

Although Gimcheon is still a club that is subject to rules set by the K League, like the promotion and relegation system, the military club runs in a unique way.

Here’s how Gimcheon is different from fellow K League teams.

A K League club on a military base

K League teams are owned by either a corporation or a city, indicated by a club's name. Hyundai Motor Company, for example, owns Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, and the city of Suwon owns Suwon FC.

Gimcheon, however, belongs to both the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Kafac) as a military unit and the city of Gimcheon. The Kafac, commonly known as Sangmu, is a sports division of the Korean military that was founded in 1984 in order to provide athletic training to active service members and develop athletes.

As Gimcheon train on a military base in which servicemen have to abide by military rules, Gimcheon players are subject to those rules as well. Like staying politically neutral, as military personnel are not allowed to show affinity for any political party.

Gimcheon players also wear military uniforms when they don’t play matches, but it is unclear to what extent and how often they have to do military training like other servicemen.

When asked by the Korea JoongAng Daily, a Kafac official, who spoke on behalf of Gimcheon, said that Gimcheon players undergo military training on days when they don’t have K League matches. But the official did not say what their daily schedule typically looks like during those days.

Crucially, Gimcheon players are active servicemen, even if their service is of the sporting variety. That means they remain reserve servicemen after they complete their time with the club, and could presumably be required to serve if Korea goes to war before they reach the cutoff age at 45.

Do Gimcheon players go through basic military training?

Yes. Gimcheon players must undergo a five-week basic training at the boot camp just like other enlisted members.

Army recruits train at the Korea Army Training Center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong on Dec. 7, 2023. [NEWS1]

Basic training includes shooting practice, gas chamber training and loaded march — an exercise where trainees walk over a long distance while carrying a load.

Gimcheon players immediately start basic training upon their enlistment like other servicemen. Once the five-week training is over, the players join the club and play games until the season finishes.

Gimcheon players can enlist in the middle of a K League season, as long as there is a vacancy. A K League season runs from March to December of that calendar year.

Can Gimcheon players play for the national team?

Yes. Not only can they receive the national duty call, but they can also play in the Asian Games, Olympics and the World Cup if those tournaments run during their service period.

One example is ex-player Lee Keun-ho, who scored a goal at the 2014 World Cup when he was a Sangju Sangmu — now Gimcheon Sangmu — player.

It's easy to spot a Gimcheon player if they score with the national team as they invariably celebrate with the standard military salute — both Cho Gue-sung and Kwon Chang-hoon have scored goals while serving in recent years.

Korea's Lee Keun-ho celebrates scoring during a 2014 World Cup match against Russia at the Pantanal arena in Cuiaba, Brazil on June 17, 2014. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Gimcheon players can even earn military exemption during their service period by winning a gold medal at the Asiad or securing a bronze medal or higher finish at the Olympics.

If they achieve either feat, they get released early from the military, regardless of the remaining period of their service.

Then-Gimcheon forward Cho Young-wook was discharged seven months early after winning a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in October last year.

Korea's Cho Young-wook salutes during a Hangzhou Asian Games match against Kuwait at Jinhua Stadium in China on Sept. 19, 2023. [NEWS1]

Upon early discharge, he returned to his former team FC Seoul, as those who finish their service at Gimcheon would.

Who can join Gimcheon?

Those aged between 19 and 27 who play for pro clubs at the time of application are eligible to join Gimcheon. If players surpass the age of 27, they must stop their careers and complete an ordinary 18-month-long military service.

If they are not registered as professional players on their application day, they cannot apply.

In Korean football, only the K League 1 and 2 are pro leagues, thus players from the two leagues are able to apply to join Gimcheon, while those from the K3 or below cannot.

Players need to submit certificates that show the past two years of their pro careers, which military officials evaluate to decide whether they accept the applicants or not.

For the application that ran from Dec. 28, 2023 to Jan. 3 this year, Gimcheon opened it for 20 players.

The Kafac accepts applicants twice a year in accordance with rules set by the Defense Ministry. The Kafac official said that for those who applied this year, the acceptance rate was about 10 to 30 percent.

Do Gimcheon play home games inside the Kafac base?

No. Gimcheon host home games at Gimcheon Sports Complex in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang, which is about 69 kilometers (43 miles) away from the Kafac headquarters located in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang.

Gimcheon players also have to travel to other venues for away matches, which allows them to spend more time outside than other ordinary servicemen, who can leave their military bases only during vacation days or so-called “free time” during which they can spend a couple hours outside before returning to the base on that day.

The Kafac official said that the Korean army’s vacation system and the rule that requires servicemen to stay at the base also apply to Gimcheon players, but did not say whether they have to live in barracks like other members.

Can Gimcheon Sangmu qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite?

No. Gimcheon cannot qualify for the cross-regional tournament even if they win the K League 1 this season. The AFC has not recognized Gimcheon as a complete pro team despite having played in Korea’s pro leagues.

If Korea are allocated three tickets for the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) like for the 2024-25 season, the tickets will go to the K League 1 winners and runners-up and the Korea Cup champions.

If Gimcheon finish as league runners-up this season, a third-placed team will instead qualify for the 2025-26 ACLE.

Gimcheon earned direct promotion to the K League 1 last year after winning the K League 2.

The club has won the K League 2 four times in 2013, 2015, 2021 and 2023. The team has yet to win the K League 1, however, and a fourth-place finish in the 2020 K League 1 season remains their best result in the top tier.

This season, they have been on a solid run in the top tier, sitting in third place on the 12-team table as of May 31.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]