6. Weather the Storm

I’m on my way to the Jungnang District on the eastern border of Seoul, where the aptly named Seoul Jungnang FC plays their home matches. This is a team with a long and fascinating history. It’s is one, if not the only, corporate club in the K4 League.

The team was created in 1982 by an attorney Lee Min-geol, then named Aram FC, to compete in the Seoul City Office Workers' Football Morning League. Ten years later, he changed the name to Mustang FC. The club was always supposed to be about the love of the game, and members often helped each other financially in order to continue playing. In 2002, the team began competing in the Puma Cup Footy League, which would later evolve into the Connie Green Cup, the precursor to the amateur K3 League. The team was briefly named Dongdaemun Mustang Football Club, but when Myeonmok-dong was incorporated into Jungnang-gu, the team name naturally became Jungnang Mustang Football Club.

Lee Min-geol wanted more for the club and teamed up with fellow Korea University graduate and head of the Chorus Law Firm, Park Hyung-yeon, to create a K3 Challengers League team. The team joined in 2012 and was to be called Jungnang Chorus Mustang FC. They've been playing at the tiny Jungnang Community Field since joining the league, and only moved briefly while maintenance work was being done on the field. 

In 2017, they changed their name again, to the simpler Seoul Jungnang FC, but their emblem still displays Jungnang Chorus Mustang FC, and the main sponsor on their shorts is often Chorus Law Firm. In their early years, the team's primary goal was development. They provided a place for players straight out of high school, as well as university dropouts, to continue their football careers. I would love to speak to someone at the club and ask if they still hold to these values. However, they have no clear contact information, and their disinterest in social media or their site makes a bit more sense now.

Before the match, I researched the squad and player histories. Four former Seoul Nowon United players found a new home at Jungnang, notably the top scorer of the 2024 season, Kim Dong-Ryul. Four players previously played for TNT FC, the K5 that prides themselves on preparing players for professional leagues. An interesting player is #30 Lee Ji-hun. He started at K League 1's Ulsan but struggled to earn game time with one of the strongest teams in the country. He eventually found regular playing time at Gwangju FC; however, he was released when Gwangju was relegated to K League 2. Next, he joined K League 2’s Seongnam, where he remains contracted. Like many professional players, he applied to join the military team multiple times but was never accepted, possibly due to a lack of sufficient first-team appearances. Like many others, he chose the community service alternative, which allowed him to play for a semi-professional team. He’s been on loan to Jungnang since the 2024 season.

Both teams come into the match with no league points. In the Korean Cup, Jungnang failed to make it past Round 1, while Sejong earned its spot in Round 3 the previous weekend by beating a team that barely missed automatic promotion to the country’s top professional league. To be fair, professional teams don't take the early rounds seriously. The team that went to Sejong had only one first-team regular in the lineup and was no better than a reserve team like Daegu B, which is currently competing in K4 League.

Jungnang’s field is a short walk from Yangwon Station. The first sign of the team is an emblem on the window of an office under the station building. Except, there is nothing inside, it's a big empty room That's not being used by anyone. A road runs from the station toward the grounds, passing between the train track and a park, which is empty on this unusually frigid day. It’s not my first time at Jungnang, so I know that in better weather, families are scattered about, parents chatting on picnic blankets while children run around on the grass and climb on anything that would allow it. The Seoul Trail, a 160km course that roughly follows the borders of Seoul, passes through this park, and despite the cold weather, I see a fully geared hiker making their way through.

The football field is tucked away in a far corner of the park. It's easy to miss when there is no match. Next to the field is seating, only 5 steps deep, that starts at field level, and it’s just metres away from the sideline. It’s uncommon, even in the K4 League, to be so close to the field. Between the two main seating areas is a structure, on top of which VIP sit. It has a small tiered seating area in the back, for the worst view possible. Towards the front are tables where most of the officials sit with match documents in front of them. The ground floor of the structure houses the dressing rooms. Photos posted on Kakao Map show that the dressing rooms are just two empty rooms with a few chairs and a small table. There are no adjoining toilets, so players must go out and past spectators to reach the public toilets. It’s not every day you get to share urination space with a player, and I was tempted to ask for an autograph just to say I did it.

Across the field, our view of the park is blocked by a small hill. The trees are bare, but between that and the small mountain behind us, it feels like we're surrounded. Towards the left is a small parking area, and on our right, trains regularly approach or leave the station. The weather is mostly overcast, and more than once I have confused the low rumble of a train for distant thunder.

I arrive just before the match starts and decide to get some photos from the outside in. I climb a bank and stand right behind the Sejong goal. The spot is fantastic for photos and gives you a sense of what the goalkeeper sees, but it’s exposed to the freezing wind. Once I'm satisfied that I have at least one useful photo, I go find a seat with the surprisingly large group of visiting supporters. To my right are three members of the Sejong supporters group, and to my left are the visiting casuals. Just past them are the Sejong reserve players and staff. At times, our view is obstructed by the manager and coach, and when the reserves go to warm up, we all lose sight of the entire field for a few seconds as they walk past. Having your view obstructed by the coaching staff is one of the quirks of football at Jungnang Community Field.

The official attendance estimate is only 125 spectators, so it’s not surprising that the spectators are generally quiet. The three members of the Sejong supporter groups, Chungnyeongdan, with their one drum and megaphone, dominate the audible support. They are not as active as supporters of large teams, but they are consistent and don’t stay quiet for extended periods. 

For the duration of the match, the weather alternates between combinations of sunny, overcast, snowy, and windy, but it’s bitterly cold the whole time. In the first half, Sejong dominates both possession and territory. The pressure pays off when they score two quick goals, broken up by an unexpected Jungnang goal, completely against the run of play. For the second half, Jungnang comes out ready to fight. They often go into tackles recklessly, but at least the game seems even. Throughout the half, the play swings from end to end, and with about 10 minutes to go, Jungnang equalises. The match ends in a draw, giving both teams their first league points of the season.

2025.03.30 - Jungnang Community Field

Seoul Jugnang FC  vs Sejong SA FC