9. Beer and Grass

Early-season kick-offs are nearing their end, and soon long trips will become impractical. Even today’s kick-off at Yangpyeong is 16:00 rather than 14:00, and their next home match will be at the summer 18:00 kick-off time. Most matches during the summer kick off at 19:00, and on a long trip, it will mean I will arrive home near midnight. I dislike arriving home that late.

Today, Yangpyeong Citizen FC hosts FC Mokpo. Mokpo are a former National League team and regulars in the top half of the K3 League. However, 2025 did not start well for them. They enter the 8th round without a single win, and their only point so far came from a draw in round 7. The upside is that the draw was against possible title challengers, Pocheon Citizen FC. I chose this match today because I’ve never been to Yangpyeong other than cycling through it, and because I have a soft spot for struggling teams. I’m hoping to see Mokpo earn its first win of the season.

An advantage of the slightly later kick-off is that I don't have to leave home as early as I normally would. But I still want to have lunch in Yangpyeong, so I decide to leave earlier anyway, and fill the time by walking from the station to the stadium rather than taking a bus. The trip starts with the normal ride into Seoul to the now familiar transfer onto the Gyeongui-Jungnang line. This is the same line that takes you to Seoul Jungnang FC, and Namyangju Citizen FC, and hopefully later this season, Paju Citizen FC. There is only one line with more teams, professional and semi-professional teams near it is Line 1, with five teams, and it used to be eight.

Yangpyeong is a favourite with cyclists, despite the time needed to get there. It’s next to a large tributary of the Han River, and connected to the Seoul-to-Busan bike path. Many cyclists get off at Yangpyeong and cycle back to Seoul, while others venture out onto the quiet mountain roads. The weather is finally warming up, and I was expecting to see masses of cyclists heading out, but there are barely any today. But it’s almost midday, so maybe I missed the rush. Without the crush of cyclists and their bikes to look at, the journey to the edge of Gyeonggi Province is almost boring. There are no weirdos to gape at, or strange scenes outside to scratch my head over, just the urban landscape, slowly turning to mountains on one side and a river on the other.

Despite the line terminating a few stations later, most people get off at Yangpyeong Station. I don't know where everyone's going, but unlike Yeoncheon, most people do not look retired. Just outside the exit is a Tourist Information kiosk. The lady working there seemed quite eager to help me, but unfortunately, I know where I'm going. I’m only looking for a map of the local attraction, for future reference. Life is not just about lower-league football, after all.

Once I leave the kiosk, it’s time to get to Yangpyeong-ing. First on the agenda is lunch. I heard Yangpyeong is big on haejangguk, so that’s what I’m looking for. Earlier, I found a restaurant on Kakao Maps and I head in that direction. Along the way, I find a different restaurant that looks good and enter for a bowl of Sundaeguk. For those who don't know, haejangguk is a soup made with chopped, throw-away bits of a pig, like the stomach, intestines, and liver. Sundae is that with a few pieces of blood-noodle sausage. It might sound disgusting, but don't poo-poo it until you try it. I don't know why Korean tourism organisations are so hesitant to introduce tourists to these kinds of foods. It's not glamorous, but it's part of Korea, and visitors usually want to experience as much of a country as they can. Food is usually high on the list of things to do; I’d happily classify it as a must-eat.

With the space in my stomach filled, I’m off to the stadium. It takes about 45 minutes, but I get to see the surroundings. Yangpyeong is fairly rural, with fields being readied for rice right next to small blocks of high-rise apartments.  Here and there are random shops and cafes. I lived in Icheon, and I thought that was rural, but I now realise why Icheon is a city, and Yangpyeong is just a county. For most of the walk the the roads are so quiet that I’m able to jaywalk at will. Instead of sharing the sidewalk with people, I share it with grass spiders scurrying across my path.

Within sight of the stadium, I find the supermarket which I marked as a location to buy snacks, water and maybe a beer or soda. It’s as quiet as the surrounding area, and the aisles are more spacious than I'm used to. This is a luxury in Korea. As is my habit, I head straight to the makgeolli to see what they have on offer. Unsurprisingly, they only have the stuff I don’t even consider real makgolli, but unlike in more urban areas, they sell theirs in double size, 1.7 litre bottles. For a brief moment, I consider getting a bottle and a can of cola, but instead, I take a bottle of corn tea because sometimes I’m Korean like that.

As I approach the stadium, I see people apparently outside the stadium, looking in. I’m not about to pass up the opportunity to take a photo of someone looking at the playing field, so I head up behind the main stand for a photo, and discover that there is open access to a grass bank next to the field. Not only is someone standing there looking at players warming up, but there are people set up for a picnic. At Yangpyeong Citizen FC, you can watch football while having a picnic on a grass bank. I don't even care that there is a running track around the field, this alone must make it one of the best stadiums to visit in the country. On top of that, there is the general view from within the stadium. Some of the K3 and K4 stadiums have spectacular backdrops, and Yangpyoung is not one to be left behind. Unlike a large mountain overlooking Yeoncheon Stadium, here we have a small mountain directly next to the stadium, with the larger mountains far in the distance.

Just before the match gets underway, I find a comfortable spot under a tree and settle in for the first half. Soon after the match starts, I hear an impressive number of people chanting. On the main stand, I can see two people with drums leading the crowd. They don’t look like an organised supporter group, but more like enthusiastic spectators. The woman leading the cheering is good, and she manages to keep people active for much of the match. She is accompanied by a less active mane. Looking at them, it's not clear if they're doing this for the love of the game or if they are working for the team.

Throughout the first half, I’m distracted by playing children. The boys are throwing their shoes at each other, and the girls are picking flowers to weave together, while their parents chat on the blanket under the tree. Can they behave any more stereotypically than this? ^^

During half-time, I take a walk around the ground and make my way to the Mokpo supporters' side. There are about ten of them, but I would classify only one as a fan. He has the shirt, banner and noise maker, and occasionally he launches into a chant. The rest just sit and applaud from time to time. It seems boring, so I head around to the home side and spend most of the second half between the Yangpyeong supporters.

When the half starts, so does the distraction, or entertainment, depending on your viewpoint, of the cheerleaders. The woman is still going strong, but the man, who might be her husband, sometimes beats the drum, and sometimes gets children to do it, and sometimes stares at his phone. The spectators have those paper fans they often hand out at matches, the foldable ones that double as noise makers, and some even have plastic hand clappers. I have no idea if these were handed out before the match because I went straight to the grass banks, but if they brought them along from previous matches, then colour me impressed.

As for the match, Mokpo FC didn’t look like a team that scored only 1 point from 8 matches. They looked dangerous and even led for a while. Mokpo scored while I was wandering around towards their supporters’ side, and I didn't see it happen, but I did see both of Yangpyeong’s goals. Both looked odd, as if the keeper was surprised by events. With the match well balanced, both teams started to feel the time crunch at the end of the match. Tempers started to flare to the point where we almost saw a fist fight. But as time ran out, Yangpyeong had two goals and Mokpo only one, making it eight losses in nine matches for the visitors.

The trip home was where the weirdos showed up. Someone sleeping on the reserved seats, three women arguing loudly about who should sit where, while running back and forth to try and convince the fourth to join them, just to have her put her fingers in her ears, wave her hands and stick her tongue out like a child, and people in the oddest clothing combinations imaginable.

The trip to Yangpyeong was generally pleasant, much of that coming from the stadium and fans. I'd happily recommend this venue to anyone looking to go somewhere a bit out of the way.

2025.04.19 - Yangpyeong Sports Complex

Yangpyeong FC  vs FC Mokpo