K League's Military Sides, The Future of Sangmu, Korea's Asian Games Gold & Fallout

And yeah, even now in October, we don't know where the Army team is gonna be next year, Paul.

No, it's incredible really.

It, I find it, um, astonishing actually that we still don't know, um, where it'll end up.

And as we'll get to later, there might not be a new home base for the Army team.

Yeah.

They may end up, well, playing away from home all season and be run by the, the K League directly.

But it's a bit of a shame really, but I think, um, you know, the, the Army team is something that, because it is so unique to the K League in the sense that, you know, it is, it has a specific purpose, it, it would seem a bit of a shame to, to, to lose the Army team in this sort of format, um-

Mm-hmm

... where it does have a home base.

And, you know, I think for, for away day supporters, you know, i-i- going to Sangju, for example, or Gimcheon, when would you ever normally get to go to or have a reason to go to Sangju or Gimcheon, uh, apart from obviously for, for the, uh, the Shine Muscat grapes, which is-

[chuckles]

... what Gimcheon's famous for.

But, you know, it just seems like a real shame.

Um, but we'll get onto that a bit later.

I think s-starting off, Matthew, for those who are perhaps new to the K League or perhaps don't really know fully what the Sangmu team is, what is it and what is its purpose?

Well, this does feel like a, a...

We're kicking the, the ball back down memory lane here-

[chuckles]

... 'cause, uh, as a [chuckles] this was our first pro- our first pod proper.

There was a, there was a pilot episode, but our first pod proper was talking about the Army team and the Asian Games.

I could almost repeat it word for word, but I won't because I've lost my minutes from that 10 years ago.

[chuckles]

Uh, but [chuckles] uh, the Sangmu team then, as mentioned, i- is the Army, and that is because in South Korea, every able-bodied male has to have completed or enrolled in the military by their 28th birthday, and they have to complete 20 months service.

Now, the military offers a, an avenue for professional footballers who have to undertake their military service.

They still have to take, um, I haven't got the exact months time, but a couple of months, uh, basic training.