TNT FC Feature of the Month: Han Ka-ram Interview

There is a long list of K League players who have, at some point, have had a connection with TNT FC - whether that be training with them or actually playing for them. Current FC Anyang vice captain Han Ka-ram falls into both those categories as someone who began training with the club in order to give himself one more chance of making a career back in his native Korea. K League United spoke to Han Ka-ram to find out what his TNT FC experience was like for the June TNT FC Feature of the Month.

Han Ka-ram began his professional football career in Germany in 2017, turning out for FC Oberneuland in the Bremenliga. He established himself as a midfielder who could pop up with the odd goal and assist, and represented the club at the local Bremen level and in the Regionalliga Nord, not to mention DFB Pokal, for around four years before moving to Sportfreunde Lotte in the Regionalliga West.

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Han's final stop in Germany was back in the north with BSV Schwarz-Weiß Rehden before returning to Korea..

But Han says that his return to Korea wasn't simply to join a K League club.

"When I fully returned to Korea in June 2023, I had actually decided to quit football and go to the military. So I was only training lightly on my own at the time. Then, during the winter transfer window, my agent told me I should challenge myself one more time. I started preparing on my own, but I realised that even if an opportunity came, I wouldn't be able to take it properly in that condition.

"At the time, Park Yi-young, who had recently been playing in Cambodia and whom I knew from Germany, introduced me to TNT. I already knew about the club beforehand, too. Yi-young had also come back to Korea and was preparing to train, so he connected me with CEO Kim Tae-ryung, and that's how I started training there."

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In truth, like many footballers looking to get back into the game, Han says he knew all about TNT even before Park Yi-young had offered to put him in touch with the CEO.

"Actually, before Yi-young recommended TNT to me, I asked him first if he could connect me. Most football players in Korea probably know about TNT. Even though they're technically a K5 club, people think of them as "not really a K5-level club." A lot of players know about them."

The reason was simple. If Han was to give K League a proper go, then he would need to be in the best possible shape.

"At the time I didn't have a team, and when you're without a club, I personally think it's impossible to properly prepare for trials unless you're training with a team. In those short trial opportunities, you need to show your abilities immediately. For someone in my situation, TNT was the perfect environment. Yi-young also told me about the training environment there. So from my perspective, it's a club I'm very grateful to."

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Initially, actually playing for TNT wasn't something that had crossed Han's mind but once he joined, circumstances changed and it became clear what sort of club TNT is.

"I knew TNT played in K5, but honestly when I first joined, I didn't think I'd actually end up playing in K5. I only planned to stay until the winter transfer window. I didn't think beyond that."

"I'd heard TNT was an independent club, but it felt much more organised than I expected. One time there was really heavy snow and outdoor training had been scheduled. Normally, if a club doesn't have proper systems in place, they'd just cancel training. But that morning they immediately told everyone to come to a gym in Yeongdeungpo, and we all did circuit training together there.

"Seeing that they already had an alternative facility ready, and staff who could immediately respond to situations like that, made me realise the club was much more organised than I had expected."

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Han says that his TNT experience helped me greatly in joining FC Anyang.

"It gave me confidence. If your body isn't ready, even if you join a professional team and train with pro players again, it's hard. You need confidence in training before you can properly show your ability.

If TNT hadn't existed, I think I would've gone into winter training looking pretty miserable."

TNT FC have made it no secret that the aim is to, eventually, reach K League. Han says that this is something he could definitely see happening.

"I think it's definitely possible that we could see them in the K League one day. Maybe before joining them, I could face them as an opponent first - or maybe even play for them, who knows? Of course, since I'm with Anyang now, I can't say I'll go there, but maybe someday there'll be another good opportunity to work together."

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