Wikipedia

Chun Ga-ram

Chun Ga-ram (Korean: 천가람; born October 19, 2002) is a South Korean footballer who plays as a forward for Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels and the South Korea women's national team.[1] She was selected for the South Korean squad at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[2][3][4]

Chun Ga-ram
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-10-19) 19 October 2002 (age 23)
Place of birth Gimcheon, South Korea
Height 1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
Position Forward
Team information
Current team
 Incheon Hyundai
Number 30
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021-2022 Ulsan College
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023-2025 Hwacheon KSPO 18 (0)
2026- Incheon Hyundai
International career‡
2015-2016 South Korea U-14 11 (8)
2016-2018 South Korea U-17 10 (6)
2019-2022 South Korea U-20 6 (0)
2022- South Korea 18 (4)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals as of 05:11, 13 April 2026 (UTC)

Club career

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Chun was the first player selected at the 2023 WK League new players draft, signing a three-year contract with Hwacheon KSPO.[5][6][7] In her first season at the club, she became a core squad player and helped KSPO finish in second place in the league, at the time their best ever finish.[8][9] Her performance at club level, as well as in her 11 international appearances in 2023, led to her being voted the Korea Football Association Women's Player of the Year.[9] Despite expressing frustration at not being able to score a goal in her debut season, Chun also received the Best New Player accolade at the annual WK League Awards.[10][11]

Chun transferred to Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels ahead of the 2026 WK League season.[12]

International career

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Chun represented South Korea at several youth levels, being selected for the 2017 AFC U-16 Women's Championship and the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup alongside teammates who were ahead of her by a year in age, and in the academy system.[13]

She played at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[14][15]

Chun received her first senior call-up for South Korea in 2022 while still at college.[16] She made her full international debut in November 2022 and played at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[17][18] She also appeared at the 2022 Asian Games, held in 2023.[19] She scored her first international goal at the tournament, in a match against the Philippines.[20] Chun was heralded as one of the future stars of the South Korean national team as she became a fixture of the squad under then-manager Colin Bell.[21]

Style of play

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Chun plays primarily as a left winger or attacking midfielder.[22] From a young age, she gained a reputation for her speed and goalscoring ability despite her small physique.[13]

After the 2022 U-20 World Cup, former U.S.A. head coach Jill Ellis named Chun as one of the most impressive players of the tournament, describing her as "incredibly skilful".[23][24] The technical ability she displayed at the tournament earned her the nickname 'Chun Messi' in the Korean media.[15]

Career statistics

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International

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List of international goals scored by Chun Ga-ram
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition Ref.
1.25 September 2023Wenzhou Sports Centre, Wenzhou, China Philippines1–15–12022 Asian Games [25]
2.26 October 2023Xiamen Erget Stadium, Xiamen, China Thailand2–010–12024 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament [26]
3.4–0
4.10–0

Honours

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Hwacheon KSPO

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  • WK League champions: 2025

Individual

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  • Korea Football Association Young Women's Player of the Year: 2022[27]
  • Korea Football Association Women's Player of the Year: 2023[28]
  • WK League Best New Player: 2023[10]

References

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  1. ↑ "Young footballer eyes gold in Asiad debut". The Korea Times. 5 September 2023.
  2. ↑ Pathak, Manasi. "Women's World Cup: Casey Phair In South Korea's Squad". Forbes.
  3. ↑ "Bell calls up mix of old and new faces in final World Cup squad". Korea JoongAng Daily. 5 July 2023.
  4. ↑ Church, Michael (4 July 2023). "South Korea call up US-born teenager Phair for Women's World Cup".
  5. ↑ Cha, Hyung-seok (20 December 2022). "천가람, WK리그(2023 여자실업축구) 드래프트 1순위로 선발" [Chun Ga-ram first to be picked at WK League (2023 semi-pro women's football) draft]. Kyungsang Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  6. ↑ Kim, Sungjin (17 December 2022). "女국가대표 천가람, 전체 1순위로 화천KSPO 지명… 총 23명 선발" [Women's national team's Chun Ga-ram signs with Hwacheon KSPO as overall first pick... 23 players signed]. Football Asian (in Korean). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  7. ↑ Choi, Song-a (15 December 2022). "WK리그 뛰어드는 '천메시' 천가람 "신인의 패기로 자신 있게!"" ['Chun Messi' Chun Ga-ram leaps into the WK League "confidently, with the determination of a rookie"]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  8. ↑ Kim, Ho-seok (3 January 2024). "화천KSPO 천가람, 대한축구협 '올해의 선수' 선정" [Hwacheon KSPO's Chun Ga-ram awarded KFA 'Player of the Year]. Gangwon Domin Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae voted top Korean footballer of 2023". Korea Times. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  10. 1 2 "지소연·김혜리 등 WK리그 올해 최고 선수…신인상은 천가람" [Ji So-yun, Kim Hye-ri et al. crowned best players in this year's WK League... New player award goes to Chun Ga-ram]. KBS News (in Korean). 14 December 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  11. ↑ Kang, Ji-won (14 December 2023). "천가람 "낮은 자세로 배우되 높은 가치를 지닌 선수 될 것"" [Chun Ga-ram: "I want to learn from a low position to become a high-value player"] (in Korean). Korea Football Association. Retrieved 13 April 2026 – via Naver Blog.
  12. ↑ "젊어진 인천 현대제철 레드엔젤, 왕조 재건 나선다" [Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels become younger, rebuild the dynasty]. Steel Daily (in Korean). 25 March 2026. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  13. 1 2 Kwon, Tae-jung (1 April 2022). "'슬럼프 극복' 천가람 "월드컵에서 역사 쓸 것"" [Chun Ga-ram on recovering from a slump: "I'll write history at the World Cup"] (in Korean). Korea Football Association. Retrieved 13 April 2026 – via Naver Blog.
  14. ↑ Jeon, Young-min (13 July 2023). "여자축구 천가람 "국가대표 자부심…젊은 패기 보여줄 것"" [Women's football's Chun Ga-ram: "The pride of the national team... I'll show my youthful spirit"]. SBS (in Korean). Retrieved 13 April 2026 – via Nate Sports.
  15. 1 2 Lee, Ee-jin (13 July 2023). "'천메시' 천가람 "여자축구 위상 높아지도록…패기 보여드릴 것"" ['Chun Messi' Chun Ga-ram: "I aim to raise the ceiling for women's football... I'll show my spirit"]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  16. ↑ Shin, Seung-hee (26 August 2022). "울산과학대 여자축구부 천가람, 여자 축구A대표팀 첫 발탁" [Chun Ga-ram, of Ulsan College women's football academy, receives first senior international call-up]. Veritas (in Korean). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "Young footballer eyes gold in Asiad debut". Korea Times. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  18. ↑ Yoo, Jee-ho (5 September 2023). "Young footballer eyes gold in Asiad debut". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  19. ↑ An, Hong-seok (5 September 2023). "여자축구 '천메시' 천가람 "AG 결승전에서 결승골 넣을래요!"" [Women's football's 'Chun Messi' Chun Ga-ram: "I want to score the winner in the Asian Games final!"]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  20. ↑ Jo, Hyo-jong (29 September 2023). "여자 축구의 미래에서 현재로…'천메시' 천가람, 아시안게임 통해 A대표팀에 자리 잡는 중" [From the future of women's football to the present: 'Chun Messi' Chun Ga-ram is holding her place in the A team through the Asian Games]. Footballist (in Korean). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  21. ↑ Lee, Du-ri (10 November 2022). "뉴질랜드 원정길 오르는 여자축구 '샛별' 천가람, "어린 선수라는 고정관념 깨고 싶다"" [The 'new star' of women's football, climbing the long road to New Zealand, Chun Ga-ram: "I want to break the stereotypes about young players"]. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  22. ↑ Lee, Ee-jin (26 October 2023). "해트트릭으로 경쟁…한국 여자축구 미래 밝히는 페어와 천가람" [Competition by hat-trick... Phair and Chun Ga-ram, who are making the future of Korean women's football brighter]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  23. ↑ "Ellis: You need game-changers off the bench to win trophies". FIFA. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  24. ↑ Han, Man-sung (22 August 2023). "페어, 배예빈, 천가람…韓 여자 축구의 미래 짊어질 신예 삼인방" [Phair, Bae Ye-bin, Chun Ga-ram... The three youngsters representing the future of Korean women's football]. FIFA (in Korean). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  25. ↑ "Korea beat Philippines to qualify for women's football quarterfinals". Korea Times. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  26. ↑ Lee, Ee-jin (26 October 2023). "페어·천가람 해트트릭 폭발…여자축구 벨호, 태국에 10-1 대승" [Hat-tricks from Phair and Chun Ga-ram as Bell's women's football side thrash Thailand 10-1]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  27. ↑ Yoo, Jee-ho (13 July 2023). "Versatile player for S. Korea determined to show toughness at Women's World Cup". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  28. ↑ "Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae voted top S. Korean footballer of 2023". Korea Herald. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
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