Ex-teacher promotes women’s soccer
Jeon Hae-rim, who taught physical education at a middle school for four years, quit her stable job in February to work on creating and promoting interest in women’s soccer.
She has since organized various events related to the women’s sport both online and offline, hoping that consistent public interest in soccer will help female players train and participate in competitions in a better environment.
“I had dreamed of becoming a physical education teacher for a decade, but decided to quit four years after that dream came true as my goal of focusing on education for students was hampered by too much administrative work,” Jeon said in an interview with The Korea Times. “I wanted to take on more diverse challenges as I have a lot of interest in sport, music and many other cultural areas.”
Jeon currently operates the Facebook Page, “All About Women Soccer,” uploading various content she creates, including interviews with female soccer players.
She taught herself how to edit video clips to create the content.
Her Facebook Page has more than 8,500 followers as of Monday.
“Female soccer players have received much less attention than male players. So I interview female players and introduce them to the public to promote communication between players and fans,” she said.
Besides professional players, she also interviews amateurs and members of soccer-loving groups to inform the public of the fact that there are a lot of women who are interested in the game.
“I want to deliver the message that soccer can be played not only by talented players but also by anyone who has an interest in the sport,” she said.
Currently, the women’s soccer league here, called the WK League, is run by the Korea Football Association and the Korea Women’s Football Federation.
Jeon noted, however, that there is a lack of infrastructure and support, though the league represents the sport’s highest level in Korea.
“I will continue to create a variety of content to drum up consistent interest in the sport,” she said. “I hope this will contribute to expanding the necessary infrastructure and improving the environment for women’s soccer.”
Jeon added that she plans to recruit more operators for the Facebook Page and open a separate homepage in which people can share their own information on women’s soccer.