It was the anniversary of the death of the deceased on the 12th, when the media day for the opening of the “Dibelon WK League 2024” was held. Kim wanted to bring up Kang’s story at the scene.

However, questions about league management focused on the coaches of each team. Kim rarely held the microphone.

Kim Hye-ri, who met with Yonhap News shortly after the event, said, “I was so grateful for his existence,” and brought up the story.

Kang was an avid supporter of Hyundai Steel. Before the launch of the WK League, he had been following Hyundai Steel since the early 2000s. Before the regional alliance was established, he visited places where Hyundai Steel fights far away.

Before his sudden illness in 2018, he devoted more than 15 years to supporting Hyundai Steel.

Kang became interested in women’s soccer as she liked manager Lee Mi-yeon who played for Hyundai Steel. More than anything else, she became famous in the women’s soccer community thanks to her song “Cheering Alone.”

Kang, who visited the WK League stadium where there were few spectators, tried to raise the mood of the stadium alone by playing the drums and singing.

Kim Hye-ri, who joined Hyundai Steel in 2014, said she was a reliable fan. “I am so grateful. I will never forget that feeling even if I leave Hyundai Steel.”

There is a reason why Kang adopted this eye-catching cheering method.

This is a method devised by Lim Sung-yoon, who led support in the early days of the WK League by forming an organization called the “Yeochuk Robbers” with Kang.

Lim, who enthusiastically supported Sports Toto in Chungbuk (now Sejong Sports Toto), looked back, saying, “The purpose was to show that there are people who support women’s soccer as well as sit and clap.”

“As the cheering became known little by little, broadcasters caught us with cameras. I thought that if the existence of women’s soccer is exposed like this, the audience will increase even a little bit,” Lim said.

As far as Lim remembers, Kang was shy. At first, he did not even make a timid voice. However, Kang stayed on the spot even when his supporters left one by one amid low popularity.

Kang, who gave the name “robber squad” with the grand intention of stealing people’s hearts through women’s soccer, started promoting the league by producing podcasts. However, he is currently inactive.

Kang was also a person who personally experienced difficulties when the league’s development was slow.

“Previously, the WK League wanted to invite people by recommending prizes. Many people came from Boeun Sports Complex, which used to be a neutral stadium before the association, but they used the soccer field as if it were a local festival,” Lim said.

“No matter how much we cheered, there was no one to like and rejoice with. The goal went in, but no one was interested, and there was no one to clap with,” he said.

The WK League is slowly but developing. The regional linkage system was introduced in earnest in 2015. The policy of free spectators, which caused complaints that “an audience member who is not interested in soccer is coming,” is also showing signs of gradually changing.

Suwon FC has been receiving paid spectators since 2022 for the development of women’s soccer and the improvement of the viewing environment.

Suwon FC manager Park Gil-young also said, “When I was a free spectator, fans left along the way. When I was a paid spectator, I felt like I was playing with the fans,” adding, “When the paid spectator policy spreads, everyone wants to have a bigger game with responsibility.” 안전놀이터

Hyundai Steel players also reportedly discussed how to honor Kang when winning the championship this season.

“I think it would be nice to have a t-shirt or a hat (for Kang Seok-kyung) whenever we win a championship every year,” Kim said. “A lot of players know her. However, the players I know share their gratitude to each other until recently.”

He added, “The first thing is that we have to be better at soccer so that we can watch comfortably when we are in the sky.”

If Hyundai Steel, which has won the trophy since 2013, wins the 2024 season, it will win 12 consecutive games.