Tavern readers,
As you know, the Tavern of the Taeguk Warriors has been a passion project for many years. This website started off as Roy Ghim’s blog on the universal language of football in a Korean context, and it has slowly and steadily grown over the years. As more of you have joined the community, more of us – contributors and writers – have been fortunate enough to join along for this ride. And our site has grown and evolved.
Over the past year, we at the Tavern have been thinking a lot about what we wanted for the future of this site. With life always being so busy, and other projects biting at our heels, it has been publicly expressed on the site that we have been worried that we might not be able to continue to devote enough time to this community. The truth is that passion projects, as fun as they are, often have to give way to other commitments. We’ve worried that we would be unable to keep providing you the coverage of the KNT, youth players, Korean players abroad, and the original looks at Korean football that you keep coming back to the Tavern for.
We’ve also been very fortunate, however, to realize the great support for this site, and the community we’ve been able to build together. It’s inspired us and motivated us to take another crack at the can. You may have noticed that in the past few months we’ve made significant backroom changes by welcoming a few new writers in order to bring a fresh perspective and an energizing of the future of the Tavern. (We’ve made some summer signings!)
That future is now. It’s been here these past few weeks as we’re gearing up for a busy KNT summer of World Cup and Asian Games action. It’s the Tavern pod making its way over to iTunes and becoming a regular part of our content. It’s bringing original series and features to the site on a constant basis so that we can cover Korean football in English like nobody else. Most of all, it starts with you.
Today, we’re announcing that we’re launching our very own Patreon page.
We’re not expecting to be making a living off of this – and we’re not doing it for the money. This remains firmly a passion project – a labour of love. But the truth is that we need to ensure that we have the resources to keep the lights on and grow this Tavern community.
If you donate to the Tavern today, you are helping to keep the Tavern open for business.
We promise to be honest and transparent with you, and respect the commitments and added perks you will get as a Tavern patron. We promise that if ever you’re not satisfied with our services, or if we feel we’ve let you down, we will be the first to have that discussion with our patrons. We promise to use this Patreon as another step towards building this Tavern community into a place where all the fans of the Taeguk Warriors can gather together to share their stories and love of football. We promise to use the Patreon to give you a chance to contribute to the content we create, continue to grow our online and offline community, and partner with football fans and writers around the world to bring you new and exciting content.
We want to go on a journey to see how big we can make this passion project. We can’t do it without you.
If you can make any contribution to the Tavern today, we would greatly appreciate it. Visit our Patreon!
Viva Korean football!
Gamsahapnida,
The Tavern Crew (Roy, Jae, Jinseok, Tim, Nicole, Namu, Michael, Kevin & Chi Soo)
Thank you guys.
My argument for the support is to keep this page and website about Korean soccer.
Regardless of political views, we are all here to support the Korean soccer team and players.
However, when I see the Tavern tweeting and linking articles about unrelated issues to Korean soccer, this leads me to believe that this website or project is about something else.
If you as a writer have your own views and want to blog about non Korean soccer, be my guest. But when the Tavern itself is supporting political issues that have nothing to do with soccer or just bashing conservative/liberal views, I have a problem with that.
I have been a supporter of the Tavern for a long time, and I hope to continue do to so. But I do ask we please keep this about Korean soccer.
Thank you so much for your feedback and support! We are going to make sure to stick to football with this site and our social media channels!
Yeah, I hear your concern. In all honesty, I think we’ve been markedly less political here and on the Twitter over the past while, but you’re right to say that in the past we have, through the Tavern account, expressed political views.
As far as I’m concerned, there should be nothing stopping individuals from using their own personal accounts to post their views or writing articles here that are clearly from an “opinion” standpoint, used to provoke discussion, and that connect to both politics and Korean football tightly. (Military exemption, for one. Different parties, different opinions, different politics – but all Korean football. The Tavern isn’t in itself endorsing a view, we’re just providing a forum for people to express theirs.)
As for the Twitter and other Tavern-official accounts, we’ll do better. Thanks for the input, and hopefully we’ve won your support.
I’ve only recently discovered this website and community while trying to follow the KNT for the World Cup. The wealth of insight is invaluable, you are all charming individuals, and I am fully behind this!
We appreciate your support so much!!
Cool I just became a Taeguk Warrior, can’t complain about that! I don’t agree with some of the takes, but I absolutely love what you guys are doing!!
Thank you so much! I am so honored for the support. We don’t expect our readers to always agree with our takes, but we always want to continue to grow the discussion with you all! Thank you thank you again!
Awesome, so glad I can support!
Glen Jung YOU ARE THE MAN. Thank you so much.
One more thing…
The insight, the stories, and the information regarding KNT and KNT players is superb and quite frankly, the best.
Thanks guys.
Thank you Lionel, we’re going to try our hardest to continue to be the best!
Hi, I just signed up through Patreon. However, I would like to remain anonymous if that’s OK. You can just refer to me as “Sexy Face” lol.
I actually am also interested in supporting through other means and trying to understand what else you guys need. If someone can reach out to me via email that would be great.
Or, please provide me with an email address that I can email. Thanks.
Hi S.F., please send an email to our Tavern email account hitaegukwarrior@gmail.com! We’d love to talk to you about your ideas!! Thanks so much for the support!
Really love your work guys, I know whenever I’m wondering about the Korean soccer scene, I can come here for quality info!
Thanks Jason, we appreciate that support and we’ll continue to bring you all that quality info!
Thank you Tavern!
Thank you!
Recently came across this site as well and I feel connected. Thanks Tavern!
We’re so excited to you’re coming to the Tavern!! Thanks for the support!
Thank YOU!
Was happy there was a direct way I could support your guy’s great work.
Keep up the writing ya’ll!
Thank you so much for your support! We all appreciate it so much!