WK League News

The Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Sangmu) this week announced that four successful applicants will join their women’s football team, WK League side Mungyeong Sangmu. The new recruits will begin their military service at the end of this month, and will be required to complete basic training and serve in the armed forces for at least three years.

With this round of recruitment, Sangmu seeks to strengthen its depleted squad following the retirement of Ban Doyoung and Han Areum at the end of last season, and the departure of Lee Jeongmin and Choi Dakyung earlier this summer. Joining the ranks at Mungyeong are forwards Kim Taeyang and Byun Hyejin, and defenders Kim Ryungyeong and Lee Sunbin.

Keen followers of the WK League may remember Kim Taeyang from last year — the 22-year-old was selected by Gyeongju KHNP in the 2024 WK League draft, signing a one-year contract with the club after a youth career at Ulsan Hyundai High School and Ulsan Technical College. She made a few appearances in the 2024 league and left at the end of the season with the expiration of her contract. Kim’s league experience may come in handy as she has big boots to fill in Mungyeong’s attacking line — striker Choi Dakyung recently retired from military service to pursue her footballing career in Europe. 20-year-old Byun Hyejin joins Mungyeong from Dankook University, having previously represented Korea at youth level.

Defenders Kim Ryungyeong and Lee Sunbin have until now been putting their skills to use for Uiduk University and Ulsan College, respectively. Kim was a key part of the Uiduk team that won the 2024 National Women’s Football Championship, picking up the tournament’s MVP award. Lee has also played a role in her own team’s tournament successes. Ulsan College were runners-up in the KWFF’s Spring Football Championship in both 2024 and 2025, and Lee was responsible for crucial goals in both campaigns, demonstrating long-range shooting and heading ability which should make her a good fit for Mungyeong Sangmu’s physical and direct style.

Mungyeong are the only WK League side not to participate in the annual new players’ draft. The armed forces team did previously have the right to draft young talent — rookies selected by Sangmu were faced with a choice between joining up (regardless of their own military ambitions or lack thereof) or effectively giving up on their footballing career, facing a two year registration ban if they refused to join the team to which they were drafted.

Things changed in 2015 when Sangmu drafted Choe Yuri, by that time already a well-known name in women’s football, having made her senior international debut the previous year. Choe refused to join the military team on principle, instead forfeiting her right to play professionally. Her protest drew public attention to the recruitment issue, and the fact that one of the country’s most promising young footballers was excluded from playing prompted the KWFF to revise their rules. Choe was allowed to join the WK League after only one year away, and since the 2016 season, Sangmu’s recruitment has been handled separately.

Fortunately, the year out didn’t hurt Choe Yuri’s career too much — despite being forced to sit out of the 2015 World Cup, she was able to make a successful return to the national team, and has been a mainstay of Korea’s squad ever since. After eight years in the WK League, including three championship titles with Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels, Choe spent two years with English side Birmingham City before making a high-profile return to Incheon this summer.

Mungyeong’s new additions are expected to report for duty at the end of August, and will complete basic military training before joining their new teammates on the pitch.

In case you missed it: Stadium guide: Mungyeong Civic Stadium