Chun Ga-ram

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)

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. She was selected for the South Korean squad at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Club career

Chun was the first player selected at the 2023 WK League new players draft, signing a three-year contract with Hwacheon KSPO. 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. 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. 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.

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

International career

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.

She played at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

Chun received her first senior call-up for South Korea in 2022 while still at college. She made her full international debut in November 2022 and played at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She also appeared at the 2022 Asian Games, held in 2023. She scored her first international goal at the tournament, in a match against the Philippines. 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.

Style of play

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

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". The technical ability she displayed at the tournament earned her the nickname 'Chun Messi' in the Korean media.

Career statistics

International

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
2.26 October 2023Xiamen Erget Stadium, Xiamen, China Thailand2–010–12024 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
3.4–0
4.10–0

Honours

Hwacheon KSPO

Individual

References

  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.