I’m currently serving in Korea for the next 9 months, so I’ve seen and worked with a few soldiers of the Korean Army, and I can say that they are very kind people who hold a lot of pride in their heritage, and especially their national team. I was at a bar and speaking with a few of the natives when I mentioned Son Heung-Min and how I thought he was one of the best players in the world when he’s in form. He bought me and my friends a round of shots.

There are countries where they have mandatory 2-year military service once you reach 18. These countries often have teams that specifically sign soldiers as football players, just so a footballer's career doesn't get interrupted by the mandatory 2-year military service. Brilliant video, as always ⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽

An interesting point that could have been added was that Gwangju was the site of an uprising in the early 1980s in which about 600 people were killed by the military government of the time. Having the army team based there was always seemed odd to me, and was one of the many reasons why they didn't have a particularly strong local support there.

Never usually comment on anything, but I found out yesterday about (an apparently now former) Spanish team called "Flat Earth F.C." even if no video is made about this, I just wanted everyone to be as confused as I am/was...

Amazing detail about Korean History! Never thought I would see a video about our army in your videos

Hey! I’m Korean and I was really impressed by the depth of your knowledge in this video! Just to add a few words, that if a player wants to apply for Sangmu they will need to be registered in a K-League club for at least half a season. So that is why former player at Freiburg, Kwon Chang Hoon came back to Korea in this summer so he can apply for Sangmu in this winter. Also it was mentioned that if South Korea don’t reach the semifinals of the worldcup again the players will have no choice but to join Sangmu, but the last time we reached the semi’s they were granted a special exception for giving joy to the people, so I personally think it will be hard for it to be given again. And finally the teams in the k4 league isn’t available for every footballer to join even though they have the ability. It is meant to be a form of alternative service for the people who have physical difficulties and can’t serve in the regular army. As footballers suffer many injuries, their body status is confirmed by the army that they have “physical difficulties” and are permitted to join the clubs in k4 league. Cheers!

I've been waiting for a full documentary about this team! And yes, Michael and all of the other members of K-League United have got extraordinary knowledge of local football, been either foreigners who have been living in South Korea for a long time, Koreans living abroad or even just local people. They've been doing a wonderful job, by the way! : D Also, I've noticed that at 17:20, you're showing the K-League 1 table rather than K-League 2... Anyway, have some nice and very deserved holidays!

I’m sure a lotta people have seen the images of the Vice President of Suriname playing for Inter Moengotapoe in the CONCACAF league the other day. He’s also the owner of the club and their stadium bears his name. Feels tailor-made for an HITC Sevens documentary. Would love to see a deepdive into it to learn more

There is also a club in Kenya that does the same called Ulinzi FC

So glad you made this video! I’ve been interested since you mentioned them in a previous video

Nepal Army Club, Nepal Police Club, Armed Police Force Club. These are all professional clubs from Nepal that sign players from their respective services.

Keep up the brilliant work Alfie!

Informative video, loved your commentary!!🔥🔥

Day 1: Could you do a documentary highlighting Dutch professional clubs that went bankrupt throughout between 1991 en 2013? In about 20 years the Dutch pyramid was stripped of 7 (beautiful number) clubs, that’s a lot of you realise it only consists of 38 clubs.

One of your best. Thanks!

Gimcheon Sangmu are one of my favourite footballing teams who are a soldier based team which for sure make me to play with them hopefully,good friends!!!:-D

Good to see a video about Gimcheon (I am a huge K League fan)

A absolutely fascinating video

I love your documentaries. Best football videos on KZfaq. Also, could you make a video on Tasmania Berlin, the worst club in Bundesliga history?

I remember when they were called Sangju Sangmu. Good times.

The Sangmu in the name means 'military' so it translates as Gimcheon Military Football Club. I've lived here in South Korea for 14 years about 2 hours south of Seoul and I know that all of my male colleagues (I'm a teacher) did their military service. It's kind of changing now as many Koreans don't want their sons to do military service. I know a fair few Koreans who want daughters so there would be no chance of having to do this mandatory military service. On the North Korea problem, there is no problem. It's like living near a harmless toddler, plenty of noise but nothing else. I've been here for these 'bomb tests' and they're nothing to worry about. I lived in England, then Hungary, then Sweden, and now Korea and I felt much safer every step along the way. There are no no-go areas in South Korea. Never felt safer. On Korean footballers is a strange one. Koreans have unbelievable energy and they don't want to lose so they'll play until they drop. They don't have primary or secondary school football like we have in England, where you'll play against other teams in your city/area. It's also very hierarchical. The older kids play up front, and the younger kids play at the back. That's how it is. So players don't really have a good position that they stick to and get better at because as they get older they want to play up front regardless of what they're good at it. I can name 10 Korean players who've played at the highest level in Europe and this is going back to Park Ji Seong. And most of those players I could name are attacking forwards or strikers, or Lee Yeong Pyo (Spurs) or Cha Du Ri (Celtic) both full backs. I've played in plenty of tournaments here and have a lot of fun because Koreans are fun to play against and always play in good spirit, but as I get older, their energy means I have to change my game.

Aflie my good man. Hope you are well. I hope you are planning on doing the research for the 100 peaks as soon as you get back. Enjoy the rest, you deserve it.

Sangmu literally means "martialism", fitting for the club's military-linked nature.

Back in the happy day's of amateur leagues, garrison cities in Denmark would make use of the best young conscripts in their teams. One example is Næstved which use to house the Hussars regimet. Great video Alfie

Good documentary

This is a very unique club and as I said it's literally the only club where a majority of their players are technically on loan

Wow, your history overview of the Koreas was a bit unexpected, but a better history overview than most dedicated history youtube channels

I am tempted to play them on football manager now, just for the sheer madness of all my players leaving every 2 years

Wow! This is informative 🤓

I played a game of football manager in the Korean 2nd division with seoul e-land and when i saw this team i was so confused

Day 19: Best XI made of club captain. (Current players)

Wow, the detail. I’m impressed

God sakes Alfie why couldn’t you have made this back in March I would have passed my history A level

Gimcheon Sangmu FC. A soldier only football team in South Korea. Wow that's something.

my man alfie is just never content with as many quirky and never heard of clubs is he. Do more on Singapore ;/ iam from there ;)

The club with the badass camo kits. Always a solid pick for a kit on FIFA

The table at 17:24 is the K.League 1 table and not K.League 2 table that Sangmu is playing in. And I also happen to live in the country where there is mandatory conscription in Singapore, where even Olympic gold medalist Joseph Schooling (2016 Rio Olympic 100m butterfly winner) is not exempted, only granted deferment. And we too used to have military and police teams, but after professionalization in late 1990s to 2000s, the teams sign foreigners and non-military pros while using very few if any conscripts, leaving the serving personnel to either play for a U23 side in the local league in which they prepare for the regional SEA Games, or in the amateur league with the military or police team. And even more recently, first the military then the police team dissociate themselves with the parent organization and privatize to become more conventional clubs. Interestingly, the former military team had since gone bankrupt, while the former police team was bought by one of the richest man on the island and will play in the continent flagship AFC Champions League next season. Might be worth a video if you are interested in making one on the city state, where interest in football does not equates to interest in local football.

Many eastern european clubs were like this - CSKA Moscow, Legia Warszawa, CSKA Sofia, Honved Budapest and many more.

Jumping off from this example, have you done a video on government-run football clubs? I know that two of the most successful teams in Trinidad and Tobago are run by the military and the police for example, and CSKA Moscow, which during the soviet era was the Red Army's team, returned to state ownership in 2019

While not the same, but in the former eastern bloc in Europe (under Soviet influence) many teams were military, police, railway backed (or any other big national organization, or big some big local employers, factories in case of some local teams, but owned by the state. Well, everything was owned by the state...). They kind of operated professionally (although being officially amateurs), what they did was to poach the best players from other teams, by making them to conscript or join the police, and then putting them into their first teams. The many Dinamo/Dynamo teams, or CSKA, Spartak/Sparta teams, etc., etc. The only thing was, the players then didn't leave these teams and go back... This way the big teams were basically always able to stay on top, when it was not about the money as it is today (well the money was the state's, but you know, what I mean).

This is a bit similar to the Durand Cup in India which also happens to be one of the oldest football Cups in the world. Please make a video on that.

Nice Alfie

Video on VFL Wolfsburg pls

At 4:23 is that joel glazer?

In Brunei there's the current champions for the last 3 seasons, MS ABDB, who only play soldiers. Since they can't be a proper team with youth teams, a ground and business model, they can't participate in regional tournaments which need an AFC licence.

let’s get this up to a million views

I would love to visit S-Korea one day.

That's pretty smart. To keep the players in soccer shape.

Top 7 best performances by a team playing down a man (or more)

Have fun on vacation alfieee!

Please Q & A with HITC Sport Irish fella

You should start a history channel!

Steaua Bucuresti was founded by the army and soldiers...my old mans favorite team

You can legitimately start a history channel at this point

Sure am glad that military service isn't mandatory where I am

What happens if you dont serve in the Korean army

in Indonesia there is a club who mostly sign police officer.

I wish you were my grandfather 👍🏼🙏🏼

Next video: Best football clubs from every country on earth!

Why are all the comments now Day 2872828373 with the exact same suggestions every time? It's getting kind of repetitive and annoying.

Day 23: every football league clubs greatest ever academy product

Considering the mad dictator Kim Jong Un, so yes, it is unlikely that the Koreans will ever change the policy. They'll moderate the laws but remains highly tight. I may be wrong here, but the situation doesn't promise South Korea a better hope. Still, it is good for Koreans to maintain their discipline and heritage. Having seen the South team play, I can assure you that they're the toughest guys I have met.

Do you ever hear about CWKS Warsaw?

A while ago, I saw that a match between North Korea and South Korea had been 'postponed' was wondering when they last played against each other, and if they would have to play the game at a neutral venue?? Would Isreal vs Iran be allowed to go ahead should they hypothetically be drawn against each other in say a world cup? Russia vs Ukraine would be a spicy one as well.

I could look it up of course, but I wonder if there's a comparable system in Switzerland? As I understand, without a standing army, everyone there is a citizen soldier, should the need arise. (Like if someone invaded over all that gold, artwork and black market archaeology they're hiding 😁) The whole country is a reserve or National Guard.

Son in the 4th Korean league be Like: all right, give me a goalkeeper and 3 boxes to bounce the ball off. I will do the rest

4:28 Some other weird facts about South Korea and the region: 1. North Korea had a period where they had a better economy that South Korea (in a time when both parts of the peninsula were ruled by dictators). Thankfully today the more democratic South has a better economy. 2. In East Asian countries like South Korea, Taiwan or Japan the bigger social democratic and/or socialist parties are more hard line against China. In Hong Kong this is even more extreme as the pro-Beijing camp has adopted conservative and economically liberal policies while the pro-Democracy camp is more social democratic (there is even a socialist group named "April Fifth Action"). Oh the Japanese Communists that hate North Korea are also fun XD 3. Both South and North Korea have more parties in their parliament than the U.S.. Sadly in case of North Korea 2 of the 3 are de-facto satellite parties of the ruling dictatorship but it is still funny to me that a dictatorship came up with more than 2 parties.

What happened to Panathinaikos?

These videos are incredible the level of detail into them is fantastic, really fascinating stuff, think your next one should be based on why vloggers should be banned from football. Aside from the fact they’re wankers

17:40 Thats the K-League table lol

Respect

Day 220 Ways to fix VAR with your suggestions

damn imagine having a team full of killers lol

Asian players always seem really hard working and high fitness levels

I’m surprised you didn’t mention how they were involved in the 2011 korean match-fixing scandal

At least it's not like the Red Army team in the old Soviet League, where the military got the best players and they were forced to train together eleven months a year. They saw their families only a few days in the summer. And IF a player wanted to leave, they'd face repercussions along with playing for mediocre teams. It was usually non-Russians from other republics who left the Red Army (e.g. Latvians, Kazakhs, Belorussians, etc.). Something you didn't mention was the SK military's systematic abuse of conscripts. Beatings, hazings, deaths are still commonplace despite being illegal. In 2014, an SK soldier was so badly hazed, tortured, and abused that he killed a superior officer in self-defence. Rather than admit their military was abusive and changing the culture, they pretended killing an abuser was the problem and murdered the victim, calling it "execution". It's doubtful that elite football players with the team are subjected to the same abuses other soldiers endure; even playing for a fourth tier team would be better than being abused. 4:30 - Rhee was a fascist and a butcher, as repressive and anti-democratic as any Latin American puppet dictator (because Rhee was) controlled by the yanks. 7:00 - The only thing North Korea's military can defeat is their own citizens. Did you see how useless their vehicles and soldiers were when a single man defected? 8:35 - If it's 18 to 24 months, that's down from 2001 (2-2.5 years). 9:30 - Military service is a career killer for kpop bands. If they join, they get forgotten quickly. Independent groups not part of the kpop industry (e.g. punk rock bands) have done military service and their audiences waited for them.

Surprised it's not burnley

"Most teams, if they are a little lacking at right back, for example, will look to sign a new right back." As an Evertonian, I feel targeted by this remark. LOL

Day 10 of asking for a video about the revival of Rapid București

Day 133: Indonesia XI If All Eligible Players Had Declared For Them

Liverpool and United were hugging because they feel like it..before they PLAY the game. you dont need to be a Roy keane to understand what football is about. thats just his opinion.

Oh yeah, most teams, lacking at right-back will look to sign a right back. Take note, Everton, you buffoons.

Best German players in the premier league of all time. (Day 199) I will not give up until the video is made or Alfie himself tells me to stop. Everyone else telling me that will be ignored. If you don't believe my number, just go back to the previous videos. I'm at the bottom most of the time, but I'm there.

7 3way transfers

I believe the club will be either restructured or disbanded once the Korean peninsula is united. It exists because of North Korea.

상무다!!!!

Signs? No?

I bet all their players have pretty great shooting stats.

This vid make me laugh so much

Son will be playing for them.then 😂

Tottenham hotspurs

But russia has more nukes 7:25

North Korea being the first to invade was actually heavily disputed, and evidence at the time suggested the opposite. It's also worth noting that the original government of the North was voted in across the whole country, overwhelmingly, the South was the anti-democratic client state initially. Not so much nowadays, of course. Edit: The Southern government consisted largely of the administration of the Japanese occupation, including a number of Japanese people, to show the extent of this.

WARRA VIDEO

Wow im 2nd like

Day 62 of asking why is messi better than pele

Viva the anti-imperialist DPRK army!

ngl you do sound extremely patronising when you spend the first quarter of the video explaining basic history