Gimcheon Sangmu Football Club () is a South Korean professional football club based in Gimcheon that competes in the K League 1, the top tier of the South Korean football's league system. Sangmu is the sports division of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.
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 clubs. Due to its military affiliation, Sangmu are not allowed to sign any foreign players nor are they eligible for Asian competitions.
This article also includes the predecessor military-based teams – Sangmu FC, Gwangju Sangmu FC and Sangju Sangmu FC – which are still separate legal entities.
History 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 (consisting 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. These two clubs merged in 1969, and Army FC was established.
Afterwards, the Marine Corps FC was renamed as ROK Navy FC due to the dissolution of the Headquarters Marine Corps in 1973.
Until 19551956–19641965–19681969–19721973–1983Military Police Command FCArmy Engineer Corps FCArmy Infantry School FCOther ROK Army clubs
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. In February 1985, the team toured Pakistan, Burma and Sri Lanka, playing against local sides.
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.프로축구 – 상무축구팀, 프로리그 진출 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 (2021–2026) 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.
Club name history 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
Players Current squad
Backroom staff PositionStaff Manager Ju Seung-jin Head coach Kim Chi-woo Assistant coach Kim Ju-pyo Goalkeeping coach Park Ji-hun Analyst No Yeon-ho Training NCO Yeom Gyeong-seonPhysiotherapists Kim Young-hyo Ji Sung-jin Team manager Han Jae-hee
Source:
Managers Name From To Kim Young-bae 11 January 1984 1984 Jang Jong-dae 1985 9 July 1985 Kim Young-bae 10 July 1985 December 1989 Lee Kang-jo 1990 27 October 2010 Lee Soo-chul 28 October 2010 13 July 2011 Kim Tae-wan (caretaker) 14 July 2011 29 December 2011 Park Hang-seo 20 December 2011 11 December 2015 Cho Jin-ho 18 December 2015 25 November 2016 Kim Tae-wan 25 November 2016 9 December 2022 Sung Han-soo (caretaker) 9 December 2022 25 May 2023 Chung Jung-yong 26 May 2023 24 December 2025 Ju Seung-jin 31 December 2025
Honours 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
Season-by-season records
K League Sangmu all-time records Season Teams Position Korean FA Cup League Cup Top scorer(league goals)Sangmu era19858216782330−7196thNoneNone Hong Seok-min (6)Gwangju Sangmu era20031244137244160−194610thRound of 16None Lee Dong-gook (11)2004132461171820−2298thQuarter-finals10th Park Jung-hwan (4)2005132445152338−151713thRound of 1611th Kim Sang-rok (5)2006142658131729−122314thRound of 1611th Kang Yong (4) Chung Kyung-ho (4)2007142626181444−301214thRound of 16Group stage Namgung Do (7)2008142637162246−241614thQuarter-finalsGroup stage Kim Myung-joong (7)2009152893163340−73011thRound of 16Group stage Choi Sung-kuk (9)20101528310151743−261914thQuarter-finalsGroup stage Choi Sung-kuk (4)Sangju Sangmu era2011163078153653−172914thRound of 16Group stage Kim Jung-woo (15)2012164476312974−452716thRound of 16—
K League 1 and K League 2 Sangmu all-time records Season Division Teams Position Korean FA CupSangju Sangmu era2013K283523846531+34771stRound of 162014K11238713183962−233412thSemi-finals2015K21140207137757+20671stThird round2016K11238127195465−11436thRound of 322017K11238811194166−253511thQuarter-finals2018K112381010184152−114010thRound of 322019K11238167154953−4557thSemi-finals2020K1122713593436–2444thRound of 16Gimcheon Sangmu era2021K21036201156034+26711stQuarter-finals2022K11238814164548–33811thThird round2023K2133622597137+34711stThird round2024K11238189115541+14633rdRound of 162025K11238187135945+14613rdRound of 16
See also Boeun Sangmu WFC Icheon Sangmu FC
References
External links