Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Korean: 국군체육부대), commonly known as the Sangmu (상무), is the sports division of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. Its headquarters are located in Mungyeong, Gyeongsangbuk-do. It was founded in 1984 by the integration of the athletic teams of ROK Army, ROK Navy and ROK Air Force.
Composition edit
First Athletic Unit edit
- Football — Gimcheon Sangmu FC take part in K League
- Basketball — Sangmu Basketball Team take part in Korean Basketball League's Reserve League
- Handball — Sangmu Phoenix take part in Handball Korea League
- Rugby - take part in the Korea Super Rugby League
- Boxing
- Judo
- Wrestling
Second Athletic Unit edit
- Baseball — Sangmu Baseball Team take part in Futures League (Korea Professional Baseball's Reserve League)
- Volleyball — Sangmu Volleyball Team took part in V-League
- Badminton
- Tennis
- Field hockey
- Gymnastics
- Weightlifting
- Table tennis
Third Athletic Unit edit
Achievements edit
| Venue | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 1995 Rome
|
1 | 5 | 4 | 10 |
 1999 Zagreb
|
10 | 4 | 4 | 18 |
| 2003 Catania
|
5 | 4 | 5 | 14 |
 2007 Hyderabad
|
2 | 4 | 7 | 13 |
 2011 Rio de Janeiro
|
8 | 6 | 8 | 22 |
 2015 Mungyeong
|
19 | 15 | 25 | 59 |
 2019 Wuhan
|
3 | 10 | 11 | 24 |
2005, 2007 Champions
Role in professional sports edit
Besides providing athletic training and facilities to serving active-duty military personnel, Sangmu also accepts qualified male professional athletes serving their mandatory military service.[1] Athletes from team sports play for the Sangmu teams on loan from their parent club and return to their respective clubs at the end of their service.[2] Serving Sangmu athletes may be temporarily released to participate in international competitions if called up by their respective sporting associations.[3][4][5]
Applicants submit the appropriate documents towards the end of their playing season, which differs depending on the sport, and accepted applicants are further screened through a series of physical fitness tests and a written test.[6][7] Athletes from team sports are also chosen based on availability of places in the team for the upcoming season and their past records. Those rejected may either re-apply (if not of maximum age yet) or serve as a regular soldier. Qualified applicants undergo five weeks of basic military training like all other recruits before being assigned to their respective athletic units. Due to their military status, Sangmu athletes are required to salute when the national anthem is played and are referred to as their rank instead of the honorific for athletes (seonsu, 선수) even at international competitions and tournaments.[8][5]
The existing policy dictates that athletes who have not completed their service and win a gold medal at the Asian Games or at least a bronze medal at the Olympics may be exempted, although they still have to undergo basic training. If the athlete is already serving, he may be granted an early discharge, as in the case of basketball player Oh Se-keun[4] and fencer Kim Jun-ho, both of whom were discharged weeks after winning their respective medals.[9] Due to this policy, the topic of mandatory military service and exemptions garners increased public interest during the Olympics and Asian Games.[9]
Rugby Union team edit
Founded in 1984 the KAFAC rugby union team plays in the Korea Super Rugby League, having won the tournament twice in 2005 and 2007. They are coached by Seo Cheon Oh and are based in Mungyeong.
The current squad is,[10] (Players in bold have played internationally)
Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.
References edit
- ^ ""메달 딴 자랑스런 예비역 병장"" (in Korean). Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. August 9, 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-12-18. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ "K리그 가장 비싼 팀은 군인팀 '상무', 그 이유를 아십니까". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). May 8, 2021. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ "국방부 스토리채널 - [M프렌즈] 올림픽에서 활약! 국군체육부대!" (in Korean). Ministry of National Defense Official Kakao blog. September 1, 2021. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ a b "<아시안게임> 금메달 오세근 전역…프로리그 판도에 변수". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). October 3, 2014. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ a b "'군인 정신' 홍철·김민우…"16강 디딤돌 놓겠다"" (in Korean). KBS. May 26, 2018. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ "상무농구단, 25일까지 지원자 모집". Jumpball (in Korean). February 8, 2022. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ "상무, 3월 병력 모집이 올해 마지막?…K리그, 추가모집에 촉각". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). March 25, 2021. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ "세리머니로 거수경례? 상무골프단 눈길". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). April 23, 2015. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ a b "용선 '빌린 배' 레이스… 단일팀, 단결력도 금메달". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). September 4, 2018. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ "KAFAC". Archived from the original on 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
External links edit
- Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine (in Korean)
- Official Facebook (in Korean)