Korea's Train Derby is not to be missed

I can say with certainty Daejeon is my least visited 'big city.' Every time the train pulls into Daejeon Station, I never stand up. I watch the crowds mingle and then turn away as the platform fades into the distance. My ticket always has a different destination. Only one thing could change that; the Choo-Choo Derby. 

This club made the final of the 2019 FA Cup. Move aside Leicester City and Bayer Leverkusen.

Curiously the rivalry doesn't feature in this lengthy list of Korean derby matches. The team owned by the train corporation versus the team owned by a different train corporation, and they're very familiar. Why isn't it there? There are games classified as future derbies or deceased rivalries, but does the meeting of Daejeon Korail and Busan Transportation not demand inclusion? An error perhaps, on their part, but it smacks of a totally logical selection.

Daejeon Korail are one of the oldest continuous clubs - founded during World War II - in the Korean football pyramid, although they have changed names and stadiums several times during a nomadic career in the Korean amateur leagues. They are owned by the Korea Railroad Corporation - Korail - headquartered in Daejeon.

The Iron Horse. All photos from @groundhopkoreafc 

Weirdly, their crest doesn't feature a train, but a horse. Hence their nickname, Iron Horse. Despite moderate success in various leagues, Korail inexplicably made the 2019 Korean FA Cup Final, where they lost 4-0 on aggregate to Suwon Samsung. Along the way, they conquered Ulsan HD, Seoul E-Land, Gangwon FC, and Gimcheon Sangmu.

Busan Transportation Corporation Football Club were founded in 2006. Their owners, of the same name, operate Busan Metro lines 1 to 4, and light rail services in the city and surrounding areas. Therefore, as mentioned previously, because both clubs are owned by locomotive corporations it is a shame the Train Derby doesn't feature in the link above. Something needs to change.

It is also disappointing that trains don't feature heavily on their crest. Think..... CFR Club in Romania, Lokomotiv Moscow, or FC Locomotive Tbilisi. Busan's is the closest to incorporating a train theme, but the black lines are like tracks hovering above a soccer ball. Either way, for train enthusiasts, both club crests are meaningless to the name and origins of the clubs.

The Busan bus features a seagull and generic track lines. They need a train.

Busan haven't enjoyed the same level of success as their rivals in Daejeon, but they have made the latter stages of the Korean Cup. In recent seasons, they have made three top-half finishes in K3 - introduced in 2019 - but heading into this match, Busan have had a terrible season. With just two wins in 12 and a total of eight points, Busan are four clear of bottom spot. If the season finished now, Busan would be in danger of relegation to K4.

Daejeon, meanwhile, are a full 15 points clear of Busan in 3rd, just five points shy of Gyeongju in 1st. However, as the football pyramid hasn't fully opened yet, even if Daejeon were to win K3, they wouldn't be promoted to K League 2. That avenue opens in 2025. Enough of this, let's watch some football and check this fixture off the Korean football bucket list. 

The Match

Daejeon Korail 0-0 Busan Transportation.

K3 League.

Saturday, August 24th, 2024.

Daejeon World Cup Auxiliary Stadium.

Attendance 120.

Entry: Free

The teams line up before the start of the railway derby in Daejeon.

The match wasn't as bad as the scoreline suggests but it wasn't a classic, either. Deajeon Korail are a better team than Busan, and this showed in the entire 90 minutes. But if you don't take your chances, you're not going to win games of football. The best opportunity of the game fell to their best player, Jeon Bo-min, midway through the second half, but somehow the electric midfielder didn't make contact on a cross from 3 yards in front of the goal.

It would, likely, have won the contest but Busan did have what appeared to be genuine penalty claims waved away by the referee. They didn't offer a huge amount apart from nigggly fouls and decent deliveries from set pieces. The away team, struggling near the foot of the table, came for a point, and on balance of play, you could probably say they deserved it.

When watching games at this level, it is always fun to think who could make it at a higher level. Both teams had players who clearly stood out in this match, so I'll keep an eye on where they end up in 2025.

Jeon Bo-min (Daejeon): The shaggy-haired number 7 is on loan from FC Anyang, the city where he was born. Last season, he was with Gimhae, in the same division. K3, based on Saturday's performance, is a low level for a player of his quality. But at 24 years old, he needs to make a name for himself at Anyang or elsewhere soon. Jeon missed a sitter that could have won his side the game, but throughout, he was the most creative and exciting player on show. Namuwiki has him as a left-back, but he was playing off the right wing in this game and often drifted into more advanced positions. Good player.

Lee In-gyu (Daejeon): The big man is going on 32 in September, so it is possible his best days are well behind him now. But based on this performance, the former Jeonnam Dragons, Gwangju FC, and Bucheon striker could still do a job in K League 2. He played most of the game with his back to goal, holding up the ball for Jeon and his fellow Daejeon teammates, or chasing lost causes down the touchline. At 184 cm, he is a classic number 9 and it was great to see a slightly more old-fashioned striker in action.

An Sang-jin (Busan): The number 6 was easily Busan's best player on Saturday night. You know a midfielder has played well when he's annoyed the home crowd, with persistent niggling and arguing with opponents. But it would be an injustice to say that's all he provided. The 25-year-old is a creative box-to-box midfielder with a great engine. He was, in modern parlance, everywhere for Busan. Late in the game, he even took on a 35-yard shot that went 35 yards over the bar. But it was noticeable how often the locals commented on his ball-winning skills and neat passing in this game. Whether he makes it at a higher level remains to be seen, but he's worth a gamble.

The Bojo 

Take a look at the map of most World Cup Stadiums (and some others) and next door you'll find the Auxillery or 보조경기장. This was my first visit to a proper match at a Bojo, although I did see the Korean national rugby team play at Munhak's Bojo and the Suwon derby at underage level before Suwon FC drew with Ulsan.

A view of the main stand from across the pitch.

Jeju and Gwangju don't appear to have a Bojo - although Gwangju FC's ground is suspiciously close to the World Cup Stadium - but one city that definitely does is Daejeon. And since Hanbat Football Stadium was leveled to make room for a new ballpark, Daejeon Korail and Daejeon Hana Citizen II have used the Bojo. 

This Bojo followed the example of others. One covered stand, and sides of fencing. The design of the main stand is very basic, the seats were crazily uncomfortable, and some were even broken. But we had a great view of the blue-lit Purple Arena (?) next door and the construction work over the other side. Entry to the stadium involves mingling with players and officials. There's no other way to gain access than walking along the small running track, behind the dugouts.

Daejeon's Bojo pitch, however, is in terrible condition. The grass was various shades of green, yellow, and brown, and in many places was either bald or cut up. Sprinkler systems are employed but with the demolition of their home in Hanbat, this doesn't appear to be a viable option for a one-time Korean Cup finalist. Will they move now that Hanbat is becoming a ballpark?

The travel

My journey started with the Mugungwha-ho from Yeungdeungpo Station in Seoul. I've made it a habit to leave on the cheap train and arrive back on the KTX. The Mugungwha stops at towns you'll never visit and the slow, chugging nature of the diesel-operated trains means you get a much better view out the windows. The Mungunghwa - named after the national flower of Korea - trains have been operational since 1984. Although some feel much older than that.

Mungunghwa trains are known for being loud, slow, full of older people, crying babies, wheelie suitcases, and smelling of urine. Only some of those are true in my experience, and I won't tell you which ones. But there's a gentle feel about boarding a painfully slow train, as, say the song lyrics, "...on a hurtlin' fevered train, crashing headlong into the heartland, like a cannon in the rain." The KTX is just too magnificent. The Mugungwha is old Korea. The fare difference of around 10,000₩ isn't really worth it when the journey is over an hour longer, hence I ride in style on the late trip back to Gwangmyeong.

My travel companion.

Unless you're in a rush or are traveling from Seoul to Busan, I always recommend a bus or Mugungwha train. 

The experience 

Was it worth it, even after a scoreless draw? Absolutely. There are several reasons why.

A shipping container behind the extra goals for the away team.

This was old-school football at its most enjoyable. Firstly, both sets of players got changed in the shipping containers pitch side. They differentiated the containers with A3 sheets spelling HOME and AWAY. Under the main stand, there are two small rooms with lockers where players can leave valuables. But the teams emerged from the giant containters before each half. I'm guessing there's no shower in there.

Secondly, the fourth official had to check every player's registration before they entered the field. This was simple at the beginning. All 22 players lined up below the stand, and one by one, the official checked the picture and name against the name at the back of the jersey. I don't think know if this is done at a higher level - I suspect it isn't - but I doubt it is done so Daejeon can't sneak in Leo Messi and pretend he's Lim Min-seob. 

The fourth official was busy in this game. He spent most of the match calming down both sets of benches, who were becoming increasingly irate at the referee's calls. Between that, any substitute's registration card had to be checked and then there was the substitution board. No electronic board here. Using what are basically magnetic blocks, the official moved the blocks around to create the numbers he wanted, in red and green. By the second half, he didn't bother with the oncoming players. He just held aloft the substituted players' number.

My favorite part, though, was the instructions to the subs. Neither team was equipped with a fancy iPad. They essentially used magnetic tic-tacs on a wooden board - blue for Daejepn and white for Busan - to show where the new player was expected to be. The assistant would then move the pieces around the board to indicate other instructions. It was awesome to see such instructions handed down in 2024.

A shout out to the three Busan fans - all young men - who banged their drums and shouted all match. I hope they got a bow at the end.

Finally, no pressing. No TV, or VAR. Just a big man up front running the channels after lost causes. Football at its finest.

Please follow @groundhopkoreafc on Instagram for more photos of Korean stadiums.