Gimcheon Sangmu's January 2024 Intake Announced

Paik Seung-ho, Song Min-kyu, and Um Won-sang top the list of Gimcheon Sangmu's first intake of 2024 with a handful of national team players set to begin their military service next year. However, with the Asian Games coming up in September, many will be hoping to earn exemptions before they are even due to start basic training.

Regardless of which division Gimcheon Sangmu will be competing in next season, it looks as though the army side will be competitive with a handful of Korean internationals set to begin military service in the new year. The standout names will be the likes of Um Won-sang, Paik Seung-ho, and Song Min-kyu but some may be spared several months before they are even due to have their heads shaved and are carted off to the barracks for basic military training.

The Asian Games in September, originally scheduled for 2022 but postponed due to the COVID-19 situation in host country China, is a chance for some players to earn exemptions. The Asian Games being postponed due to the pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works for many players who may have been banking on earning military exemption to kickstart a move to Europe. Head Coach Hwang Sun-hong is able to select a squad mostly of players aged 24 and under but is able to call up three wild cards, those aged over 24. For the 2018 Asian Games, the three wild cards for South Korea were Jo Hyeon-woo, Son Heung-min and Hwang Ui-jo.

Song Min-kyu and Um Won-sang are both 24 and so wouldn't need to be selected as wild cards but Paik Seung-ho at 26 would need to be. Song and Um have both been named in the most recent squad with Korea set to take on China in two friendlies, the first on Thursday 15th June and the second on Monday 19th June. Also named in the squad are Cho Hyeon-taek of Ulsan Hyundai and Kim Bong-soo of Jeju United. 

Full List

Seol Young-woo, full back (Ulsan Hyundai)

Um Won-sang, winger (Ulsan Hyudai)
Cho Hyeon-taek, full back (Ulsan Hyundai)
Paik Seung-ho, midfielder (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
Song Min-kyu, winger (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motord)
Kim Bong-soo, midfielder (Jeju United)
Kim Ju-gong, striker (Jeju United)
Kim Dae-won, winger (Gangwon FC)
Seo Min-woo, midfielder (Gangwon FC)
Choi Gi-yun, winger (Busan IPark)
Hong Wook-hyeon, centre back (Busan IPark)
Kim Dong-heon, goalkeeper (Incheon United)
Jung Myoung-je, goalkeeper (Seongnam FC)
Park Seung-wook, full back (Pohang Steelers)
Park Soo-il, full back (FC Seoul)
Mo Jae-hyun, winger (Gyeongnam FC)
Lee Jin-yong, midfielder (Daegu FC)