Mungyeong Sangmu Women's Football Club () is a South Korean women's football section within the sports division of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, based in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province. The team was founded in 2007 and competes in the WK League, the top division of women's football in South Korea.
History Following the success of the women's national football team at the 2005 EAFF Women's Football Championship, and alongside plans to expand the female workforce in the military, the Ministry of National Defense announced in 2005 that it was considering establishing a women's football team. The team was established in 2007 and was initially based in Busan. Manager Lee Mi-yeon, appointed in 2008, was the first female coach of a Korean women's works football team.
Sangmu were one of the six teams to participate in the inaugural season of the WK League in 2009.
The team relocated to Boeun County in 2016 and was known as Boeun Sangmu until it moved again, to Mungyeong, in 2023.
In 2023, Mungyeong Sangmu, representing South Korea, won the World Military Women's Football Championship. It was the team's first victory at the tournament after finishing as runners-up four times previously.
Recruitment Because of their military status, they are not allowed to sign any foreign players. All players undergo military training and three years of mandatory service, after which they can apply for long-term service.
Sangmu previously participated in the WK League new players' draft along with the other WK League clubs. In 2015, the team used their first place position in the draft to select Korea international Choe Yu-ri, but Choe refused to join the team, considering it an infringement of her freedom to choose a career. In response to Choe's protest, the Korea Women's Football Federation revised the rules so that only willing applicants could be selected by the military team.
From 2016, players had an opportunity to apply to join Sangmu ahead of the main draft, and any players not picked by the team were automatically included in the draft.
Stadium Although the team was originally based in Busan, when the WK League instituted a home-and-away system for the first time in the 2015 season Sangmu could not reach an agreement with the local government in Busan. Although the team was known as Busan Sangmu, they played their home matches at Boeun Public Stadium in North Chungcheong Province. From the 2016 season onwards the team officially relocated to Boeun and changed their name accordingly, continuing to use the same stadium.
The team moved again in 2023 to Mungyeong in North Gyeongsang Province, using Mungyeong Civic Stadium as their home ground. The multi-purpose stadium was built in 1983 and has a total capacity of 4,959, although not all seating is used during WK League matches. The stadium does not have floodlights, so Mungyeong Sangmu's home matches are held in the afternoon, rather than in the evening in line with other WK League fixtures. The electronic scoreboard was replaced in 2024, and Mungyeong City expressed the intention to install floodlights ahead of the 2025 season to allow for evening matches and improve the atmosphere at home matches.
Current squad
Honours World Military Women's Football Championship Winners (1): 2023 Runners-up (4): 2009, 2010, 2012, 2018
Season-by-season records
Season WK League regular season Position Playoffs 2009 204610213918 5th Did not qualify 2010 203314244212 6th Did not qualify 2011 211128303235 4th Did not qualify 2012 212415255310 8th Did not qualify 2013 242715224313 7th Did not qualify 2014 244614234518 6th Did not qualify 2015 243219226611 7th Did not qualify 2016 24151813538 7th Did not qualify 2017 283421226313 8th Did not qualify 2018 283718185916 7th Did not qualify 2019 288614223630 6th Did not qualify 2020 21211821527 8th Did not qualify 2021 21579163022 6th Did not qualify 2022 214413163516 6th Did not qualify 2023 215610203821 6th Did not qualify 2024 284717244519 7th Did not qualify 2025 288812353732 6th Did not qualify
References
External links