Gimcheon Sangmu Fc

Sangmu is the sports division of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.

Gimcheon Sangmu

Full name	Gimcheon Sangmu Football Club 김천 상무 프로축구단
Founded	1984; 40 years ago (1984) (as Sangmu FC) 2021; 3 years ago (2021) (as Gimcheon Sangmu FC)
Ground	Gimcheon Stadium
Capacity	25,000
Owner	Gimcheon Government and Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps
Chairman	Mayor of Gimcheon
Manager	Chung Jung-yong
League	K League 1
2023	K League 2, 1st of 13 (promoted)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

Sangmu's playing staff is made up of young South Korean professional footballers serving their compulsory two-year military duty. Fifteen players join up at the start of every season and spend two years with the side before returning to their previous professional club. Sangmu are not allowed to sign any foreign players because of their military status.

This article also includes the predecessor military-based teams – Sangmu FC, Gwangju Sangmu FC and Sangju Sangmu FC – which are still separate legal entities.

Various military clubs (1950s–1983)

Before the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps and its football club Sangmu FC were founded in 1984, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces had three football clubs: ROK Army FC, ROK Marine Corps FC, and ROK Air Force FC.

The ROK Army originally established football clubs of each corps, including CIC FC (Counter Intelligence Corps; also known as Seoul FC or Seoul Club), HID FC (Headquarters of Intelligence Detachment), Quartermaster Corps FC (consisted of only quartermasters), OPMG FC (Office of the Provost Marshal General; former Military Police Command FC), Engineer Corps FC, and Infantry School FC. Most of them (excluding Quartermaster Corps FC) were merged into the Engineer Corps FC in 1965. Lastly, these two clubs were united, and Army FC was established in 1969.

Afterwards, the Marine Corps FC renamed as ROK Navy FC due to the dissolution of the Headquarters Marine Corps in 1973.

Founding and semi-professional Sangmu FC era (1984–2002)

Sangmu FC was founded on 11 January 1984, as the football side of Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps. Although Sangmu squad was composed of professional players from K League clubs, Sangmu FC competed in the semi-professional league (now Korea National League). Sangmu joined the K League for the 1985 season, but spent only one year in the league before dropping out.

The reserve side, Sangmu B, competed in the K2 League from 2003 to 2005 before joining the K League reserve league. Sangmu B was based in Icheon and finished as the runners-up in the 2003 K2 League season.

Gwangju Sangmu era (2002–2010)

After establishing a home base in Gwangju in April 2002, the team participated in the Reserve League. The club has rejoined the K League at the start of the 2003 season as Gwangju Sangmu Bulsajo FC. Between 2004 and 2010, the club has been known as Gwangju Sangmu FC.

Sangju Sangmu era (2011–2020)

Once Gwangju FC was established, Gwangju Sangmu FC was relocated to Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, as Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps moved to Mungyeong, near Sangju. The club name was officially changed to Sangju Sangmu Phoenix FC in January 2011.

Before the 2013 season, the club officially removed the word "Phoenix" in its name. In the same season, Sangju Sangmu became the first champions of the newly established K League Challenge (second division) and promoted to the K League Classic.

Sangju started the 2020 season already knowing they would be relegated to K League 2. The military club decided to move out of Sangju to a new, as yet undisclosed location. Sangju has decided not to establish a football team which would be citizen-owned outfit and also played in K League 2.

Gimcheon Sangmu (2021–present)

On 30 June 2020, the K League administration announced that the city of Gimcheon had officially submitted an application to host the team for at least the 2021 season, offering their local stadium as the football club's new home. After a preliminary review and several meetings and assemblies involving local governors, the K League eventually approved the proposal and began the process of moving the club to Gimcheon.

• 1996–2002: Sangmu FC
• 2002–2003: Gwangju Sangmu Bulsajo FC
• 2004–2010: Gwangju Sangmu FC
• 2011–2012: Sangju Sangmu Phoenix FC
• 2013–2020: Sangju Sangmu FC
• 2021–present: Gimcheon Sangmu FC

Current squad

As of 19 April 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK   KOR Mun Kyung-gun 2 MF   KOR Goo Bon-cheul 3 MF   KOR Kim Hyeon-ug 4 FW   KOR Kim Jin-kyu 5 MF   KOR Kim Dong-hyun 6 DF   KOR Lim Seung-gyeom 7 MF   KOR Choe Byeong-chan 8 DF   KOR Yoon Jong-gyu 9 DF   KOR Lee Sang-min 10 DF   KOR Kim Jae-woo 11 MF   KOR Won Du-jae 12 DF   KOR Kim Ryun-seong 14 MF   KOR Kang Hyun-muk 15 MF   KOR Kim Bong-soo 16 MF   KOR Seo Min-woo 17 GK   KOR Kim Jun-hong 18 FW   KOR Yu Kang-hyun 19 MF   KOR Lee Ji-hoon 20 DF   KOR Kim Min-duk 21 GK   KOR Kim Dong-heon 22 FW   KOR Kim Dae-won 23 DF   KOR Park Soo-il 24 DF   KOR Jo Jin-woo 25 DF   KOR Park Seung-wook 26 MF   KOR Kim Min-jun

No. Pos. Nation Player 27 FW   KOR Mo Jae-hyeon 28 DF   KOR Lee Jin-yong 29 MF   KOR Choi Gi-yu 31 GK   KOR Kang Hyeon-mu 32 MF   KOR Kim Jin-gyu 33 DF   KOR Cho Hyun-taek 34 DF   KOR Kim Jae-woo 35 DF   KOR Lee Sang-min 36 MF   KOR Goo Bon-cheul 37 FW   KOR Lee Joong-min 38 FW   KOR Kim Min-jun 39 MF   KOR Kang Hyun-muk 40 FW   KOR Lee Young-jun 77 MF   KOR Kim Tae-hyun 88 DF   KOR Park Min-gyu 99 FW   KOR Lee Jung-min

League

• K League 2
  • Winners (4): 2013, 2015, 2021, 2023
• National Semi-Professional Football League
  • Winners (9): 1984, 1991 Fall, 1992 Spring, 1994 Spring, 1996 Fall, 1997 Fall, 1998 Fall, 1999 Fall, 2002 Spring
  • Runners-up (5): 1987 Fall, 1993 Spring, 1999 Spring, 2000 Spring, 2003

Cups

• National Semi-Professional Football Championship
  • Winners (2): 1999, 2001
• National Football Championship
  • Winners (1): 1996

Notes