Gimcheon Sangmu honour Korean War veterans with new special edition kit

 
With the 72nd anniversary of the Korean War breaking out coming up on June 25th, K League’s military club Gimcheon Sangmu has made a special kit to commemorate and express patriotic spirit to veterans of the Korean War.
Image via Gimcheon Sangmu FC

Gimcheon Sangmu Football Club held a special event with Korean War Veterans Association Gimcheon Branch involving four first-team players, including Mun Ji-hwan.

In Korea, June is a historic and special month because of the Korean War which broke out on June 25th, 1950. Due to this war, Korea became the only divided country in the world. To commemorate war veterans’ noble sacrifice, Gimcheon Sangmu made special kit, which will be worn for the team's home matches on June 17th and 21st.

The green, outfield kit represents the combat uniform worn during the war. The pink goalkeeper kit takes inspiration from the Mugunghwa, or "Rose of Sharon" flower. Both shirts feature the words "liberty, peace, patriot, and hero", which are symbols of the Taeguk Order of Military Merit.

Speaking at the event, club captain Mun Ji-wan said: “Thanks to Korean War veterans, Korean can live peacefully. Not only Korean soldiers but also overseas soldiers, I express my respect to them. It’s so meaningful to repay the war veterans for their patriotism. I’ll always remember that I am a soldier and do my best for my country.”

What is Gimcheon Sangmu?

K League 1 side Gimcheon Sangmu is a team made up of professional footballers currently serving their mandatory military service. This means that Korean players who are obliged to serve in the military can continue with their football careers while serving their national defence duties by joining this club.

In South Korea, every able-bodied male must serve in the military with no exemptions given to professional football players. Even Korean national team captain, Son Heung-min who, despite earning exemption at the 2018 Asian Games, still had to receive basic military training and serve 544 hours of volunteer work within 34 months of receiving his training.

Only third place or higher in the Olympics or Asian Game gold medalists can be exempted from military service.