Our school is known for its vast range of student clubs as well as the members’ dedication and commitment to club activities. And just when one might wonder if there exists any more clubs that could bring about new experiences to the student body, Hangil Lee and Jinho Kim joined hands to make a Frisbee club, yet another – but like no other –sports club. The KAIST Herald went to find out more.

[Lee] Hi, my name is Hangil Lee, and I am the captain of FREEZE. I had originally played Ultimate Frisbee for about three years in high school. I currently play for a club team in Korea called Sugapoint and I am also a member of the University Director Board in the Korean Ultimate Players Association.

[Kim] Hello, my name is Jinho Kim, and I am the assistant captain of FREEZE. During my time in the United States (U.S.), I encountered the sport of Ultimate Frisbee and grew a quick liking towards it.

[Lee & Kim] Ultimate Frisbee is a sport where two teams of seven people play against each other with a Frisbee. The rules are very similar to rugby or American football where players must advance the Frisbee across the field and reach the end-zone. While in possession of the Frisbee, the player cannot move and must pass to a teammate to advance up the field. Defenders must either intercept the disc or knock it down to gain possession.

[Lee] Jinho was actually a childhood friend of mine that I happened to meet at KAIST, and he joined from the start. Because of his commitment to the sport and our ease of communication, he became the assistant captain to our team.

[Kim] I did not know about this club until Hangil joined and asked whether I wanted to join as well. I believe the previous captain, Yoseop Kim, made the club last fall semester. As many of the members did not know how to play competitive Ultimate Frisbee, Hangil agreed to coach the team and later became the captain of the team. We are probably the most diverse club in KAIST; there is a mix of not only Korean students and international students, but also of undergraduates, graduates, and even exchange students. It is in the nature of Ultimate Frisbee that the sport can be played with anybody of all ethnicities, ages, skill levels.

[Lee] Our club’s short-term goal is becoming an official club of KAIST, getting better field space for practice, and receiving some funds for our jerseys and travel expenses. We are also constantly on the lookout for new players.

[Kim] Our long-term goals are to become one of the top teams in Korea, and to send teams to big national tournaments and perform well. Right now, we are participating in the Republic of Korea Ultimate League (ROKU), which consists of teams all over Korea excluding Seoul, as Seoul has its own league.

[Lee] Our club’s biggest achievement would be participating in the ROKU. This league consists of 20 teams from all over Korea, but most of the teams consist of foreigners because the sport is still relatively new to Korea. FREEZE is one of the few university teams in the league and represents a great number of Korean players. We have a total of 16 games and our select team will travel to Gimcheon, Busan, and Pohang for some of them. Being able to participate in high level Ultimate Frisbee games from such an early stage was a huge step for the growth of our club.

[Kim] We aim to perform well in the league. After the league comes to an end in mid-November, we will participate in a club festival to further advertise our club. We will have booths with fun, simple activities to introduce the sport to the general public, and people may win prizes by participating. I believe Hangil is also planning to bring in experts for sessions on campus that will be open for all to attend.

[Kim] Ultimate Frisbee is one of the fastest growing sports in Korea; I strongly encourage people to give it a try. At first, it may seem overwhelming by the shear amount of running required, but you will soon find yourself becoming more fit with better stamina. It is also a mixed sport, meaning that girls are required to run too. It is also a great opportunity to meet a great variety of people. Overall, I would say to not be afraid to give it a shot because honestly, nobody is good at anything the first try.