Chapman joined Western United on a two-year deal in March, after two years playing in the K League 1, and made eight A-League appearances for the fledgling club this season.
But the midfielder made a shock exit at the start of January, departing to Daejeon Citizen in the transfer window.
Despite cutting his A-League stay short - to head back to the Asian country - the 25-year-old said he enjoyed his time with the Victorian outfit and left the club on good terms.
“I’ve got no regrets at all,” Chapman told The World Game.
“It was good to go back and play in Australia. Good to be back where it’s familiar and be back in my home country.
“I think the A-League is a good league, it’s a strong league. I think I learned things as well going back there.
“At the end of the day this opportunity came up and it was good for me and good for Western United. We both gained from it and we ended amicably at the end.”
Chapman has signed a lucrative three-year deal with Daejeon Citizen - a cashed-up K League 2 club that is looking to make a big splash in Asian football.
“It happened pretty quickly,” he said.
“All the Asian clubs starting looking for players in mid-December and I just had to negotiate my way out of Western United and that was it.
“I loved playing in Korea, loved the culture and food and that sort of thing. Even my fiance, she loves being here and it was a great offer. So at the end of the day we both agreed it would be our benefit to come over here and we jumped at it.
“Daejeon won’t expect anything less than promotion. Financially, they have a big budget to work with and will probably have one of the biggest budgets in Korea at the moment.
“It’s a big organisation, Hana Bank [the club’s owner] is a massive bank in Korea and obviously it’s now down to getting the right players. The coach is a very good coach - I think he won the FA Cup with Pohang Steelers, and he coached FC Seoul and in China.
“He’s very experienced and with all those sort of things and it will be a good experience to push for promotion. It’s a new thing for me and hopefully at the end of the year we’ll be able to move up to K League 1.”
Chapman spent a season with Incheon United in 2017 after leaving Melbourne City and then had impressed during a season with Pohang Steelers.
The former Joeys captain believes the style of football in Korea suits him well.
“It’s a different challenge in Korea, the A-League’s not an easy league to play in,” Chapman said.
“The K League’s not easy, every league you have to sort of be on your toes. The K League is probably a bit harder with the things off the field – not speaking the language and not fully understanding some things coaching-wise and having to run with things, instead of getting clear messages.
“You have to adapt your mind and get results. I think the style of football in Korea as well suits my game-style.
“Defensively I’m quite strong and on the ball and I’ve got a good passing range so it more suits my style in Korea and I’m happy to be back. Hopefully I can keep building on that last year in Korea that I had and hopefully go on to bigger and better things.”
Chapman left Pohang in February last year in bizarre circumstances.
The Steelers terminated his contract with reports in Korea claiming he was trying to force a move to Europe and had even been infected by a brain parasite.
Chapman said he never wanted to leave the competition and a dispute over his return from a stomach ailment ended with the club terminating his contract.
“That’s all sort of put to bed now,” he said.
“Look, it was just a bit of miscommunication in the end and probably was mismanaged a little bit and got out of control in the end. For both of us it was best to part ways.”
The AIS product is expecting an easy transition back to Korea and is looking forward to playing in defensive midfield once more after turning out for Western United in central defence.
“I did relatively well in Korea and I’m sort of a proven player now in Korea,” he said.
“I adapted to the culture and the game, so that’s a bonus. Being able to do well here in Korea is not easy and especially in that position I’m well respected in Korea.
“The plan was to play in midfield for Western United. I probably didn’t play as much in there as I could.
“At the end of that for whatever reason I didn’t play number 6 but hopefully I can get back to that position in Korea. It’s probably going to be the centre of a five at the back or a number 6, so pretty much similar positions.”
Chapman has represented his country at Under-17, Under-20 and Under-23 level, playing in both the 2011 FIFA Under-17 World Cup and the 2013 FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
The 25-year-old remains eager to get himself into the frame for selection into the Socceroos.
“Being in K League 2, I wouldn’t imagine that [selection] in the near future,” Chapman said.
“But I’m back in the shop window here and once you’re in the shop window anything’s possible. In the next two or three years I’m still aiming for it.
“At the end of the day I just have to do well, come to do what I’ve planned to do here and whatever happens will happen.”
