Jeju United (“Jeju”) announced the release of its 2023 season wrap-up documentary, “Dreaming of an Unfulfilled Spring,” on December 16 at 7 p.m. KST.
“Dreaming of an Unfulfilled Spring” captures the heartfelt efforts and behind-the-scenes stories of the squad as they prepare for the 2023 season with the goal of qualifying for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League and overcome many crises and trials, including an injury to captain Choi Young-joon, fluctuating results, the club’s 500th win, and the voluntary resignation of head coach Nam Ki-il. Major game scenes, locker room talks, and closed-door training footage provide a sense of vibrancy and immediacy that is not available through live streaming or intuition.
In particular, the post-talks delivered by acting head coach Chung Jo-kook, Choi Young-joon, Koo Ja-cheol, Seo Jin-soo, Kim Oh-kyu, Kim Dong-joon, Kim Bong-soo, Kim Geun-bae, Jeong Woon, and Lim Chae-min were particularly poignant, as the saying goes, “Insincere words are quickly forgotten, but even a single word spoken from the heart is remembered”. For fans who experienced the 2023 season, which was more eventful than ever, it was an opportunity to embrace new hopes with various perspectives.
As such, Jeju’s 2023 season concluded with a dream of an ‘unrealized spring’ and a new flower of hope began to bloom. Kim Dong-jun said, “I think that’s the keyword for a season where the players communicated well with each other,” and Kim Oh-kyu echoed the meaning of the Won Team, saying, “Although the result was unfortunate, it was a really warm and happy season in my heart that made the members of Jeju think, ‘Can it really be this good?
The end of the road is still the Asian stage and the championship. The players spoke of advancing to the ACL and winning the championship in the same breath. Koo Ja-cheol said, “The dream is to win. I dreamed a lot. When I went back to Jeju from Germany, I always thought, ‘Can we win the championship that we didn’t win in the 2010 season? I want to lift the trophy.” “When I was preparing for the FA Cup this season, I had a picture in my head of winning it, so I was very happy with the preparation,” Jung-woon said.
They are also grateful for their fans. “I want to make everyone in the supporters’ section wear orange jerseys,” said Kim Dong-jun. “Of course, if we do well, the fans will come. The biggest goal is to be able to fill the stadium with the orange color of our jerseys.” “If the Jeju United fans give us more support and encouragement, our players will definitely repay them on the field,” said acting head coach Chung Jo-guk.
In response, Jeju fans expressed their unwavering faith and expectations. “It was nice to see the fans get to know the inner workings of the players through this video. As Kim Dong-jun said, Jeju is a place where the crowd can explode if the players perform well. I hope that next year will be a Jeju that really shows its performance,” “Looking at the mindset of the players, I think that next year we can really dye orange and aim for the championship,” and “I think it’s a very good video because I can see what thoughts and situations were going on internally. It’s so good as a fan.”
The 2023 season wrap-up documentary, “Dreaming of an Unrealized Spring,” is available on YouTube, Naver TV, and Kakao TV. In the upcoming 2024 season, Jeju will continue to release a variety of quality content to expand its interaction with fans.