South Korea national football team

Early history

Korea (Joseon) was not introduced to the sport of association football until the late 19th century; it is often said that football in Korea dates to 1882, when Royal Navy sailors from HMS Flying Fish played a game while their vessel was visiting Incheon Port.^[5] Korea became a Japanese colony in 1905 and was annexed outright in 1910.

In 1921, the first All Joseon Football Tournament was held, and in 1928, the Joseon Football Association was organized, which created a foundation to disseminate and develop football in Korea.^[6] Korean teams participated in competitions with Japanese teams from around 1926; Joseon Football Club became a de facto national team for Koreans, and won the 1935 Emperor's Cup.^[5] Koreans also played for the Japan national team, most notably Kim Yong-sik, who played for Japan at the 1936 Summer Olympics.^[7]

The Joseon FA was reorganized in 1945 as Japanese occupation ended with the conclusion of World War II.^[5][8] Following the establishment of the South Korean state in the late 1940s, a new Korea Football Association (KFA) was founded in 1948 and joined FIFA, the international football governing body. The same year, the South Korean national team made its international debut and won 5–3 against Mexico at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.^[5]

First World Cup team

In 1954, South Korea entered FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time, and qualified for the 1954 FIFA World Cup in Switzerland by beating Japan 7–3 on aggregate.^[9] South Korea were only the second Asian team to compete at a World Cup after the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) in 1938, and the first fully-independent Asian nation to do so. South Korea lost their only two games by heavy margins: 9–0 against Hungary (the joint-heaviest defeat in World Cup history) and 7–0 against Turkey. Their third scheduled game, against West Germany, was never played because neither were seeded in their group, as per that tournament's rules.^[10] It would take thirty-two years before South Korea was able to participate at the World Cup again.

Two years later, South Korea won the inaugural AFC Asian Cup in 1956.^[11] They hosted the next edition in 1960 and successfully retained the title, beating South Vietnam, Israel, and Republic of China in the process.^[12] However, the South Korean players received fake medals, instead of the gold medals they had been promised, and returned them to the KFA.^[13] The KFA promised to give them real medals, but this did not occur until 2019. South Korea have not won the AFC Asian Cup since, something that has thus been attributed to the "curse of the fake gold medals."^[14]

Foundation of Yangzee

In 1965, the South Korean government was hesitant to play football matches against North Korea and thus withdrew from 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification to avoid possibly playing the northern neighbors. Kim Yong-sik, the KFA vice-president at that time, had evaluated North Korea as a world-class team.^[15] This would be proven true, as the North Koreans advanced to the quarter-finals at the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England.

In March 1967, the South Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) founded Yangzee FC, collecting footballers in South Korea to train them intensively.^[16] Yangzee players received benefits like exemption from military service, long-term overseas training and high salaries in return for intensive training.^[16] At the 1968 Summer Olympics qualification, South Korea was eliminated by goal difference, despite being tied with Japan, the group winners, on points.^[17] They also participated in the 1969 Asian Champion Club Tournament, finishing as runners-up.^[18] However, South Korea failed to qualify for the 1970 FIFA World Cup despite governmental support, and Yangzee was losing support as Kim Hyong-uk, the director of KCIA and supporter of the club, was dismissed from his post, and tensions between South and North Korea were beginning to subside.^[16] Yangzee was eventually dissolved in March 1970 without ever having played against North Korea, but players achieved a good result by winning the 1970 Asian Games.^[19]

Second World Cup team

In 1985, South Korea won the East Asian tournament of FIFA World Cup qualification including two victories against Japan in the final round, and sealed a spot at the World Cup for the first time since 1954. After one of the greatest forwards of German Bundesliga at the time, Cha Bum-kun,^[20][21] joined the existing champions, the South Korean squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup was evaluated as the golden generation in their country.^[22]

South Korea lost 3–1 to the eventual champion Argentina but Park Chang-sun scored the first-ever South Korean World Cup goal in the first group match. They drew 1–1 with Bulgaria and faced the defending champion Italy in the last match. They conceded Alessandro Altobelli's opening goal, but Choi Soon-ho scored the equalizer outside the penalty area. However, Altobelli's second goal was followed by Cho Kwang-rae's fatal own goal, and South Korea lost 3–2 in the match despite Huh Jung-moo pulling one back. Afterwards, South Korean newscasts and journalists criticised the referee David Socha, claiming that his judgements about situations of the game were poor including the decision to award a penalty to Italy.^[23][24] South Korea redeemed their failure of World Cup success with a gold at the 1986 Asian Games.^[25]

Tragedy of Marseille

In 1997, Cha Bum-kun became the head coach going into FIFA World Cup qualification. South Korea consecutively won four early qualifiers against Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates, and quickly solidified their position as first place of the group. At the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, they lost their first match against Mexico 3–1. Ha Seok-ju scored a deflected free kick for the opening goal, but was then sent off only three minutes after for an ill-advised tackle.^[26] South Korea was then thoroughly outclassed by the Netherlands, managed by Guus Hiddink, losing 5–0 in Marseille. Cha was sacked in the middle of the group stage after the loss to the Netherlands. The only South Korean player to be praised from the match was the goalkeeper Kim Byung-ji,^[27] who conceded five of the Netherlands' 17 shots on target.^[28] The team then drew 1–1 against Belgium in their final group match.

Hiddink's magic

Seoul during the 2002 FIFA World Cup

On 18 December 2000, the KFA named Dutch coach Guus Hiddink as the manager of the team for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted in South Korea.^[31] At the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, they lost 5–0 against France, the eventual champions, and failed to advance to the semi-finals although defeating Australia and Mexico. South Korean journalists criticized Hiddink and gave him a nickname "Oh-dae-ppang", which means five to nothing in Korean, when South Korea lost 5–0 again in the friendly match against Czech Republic after the Confederations Cup.^[32] At the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup, South Korea finished in fourth place with two draws and three losses without a win. However, they showed their improvement in friendly matches against European teams just before the World Cup.^[33][34][35]

South Korea co-hosted the 2002 World Cup tournament with Japan. Having never won a game in the World Cup previously, the South Korean team achieved their first ever victory in a World Cup with a 2–0 victory against Poland when the tournament began. Their next game was against the United States and earned a 1–1 draw, with striker Ahn Jung-hwan scoring a late game equalizer. Their last game was against Portugal, who earned two red cards in the match, reducing them to nine men. Park Ji-sung scored in a 1–0 victory, allowing the South Korean team to qualify for the second round for the first time in their history. The team's success led to widespread euphoria from the South Korean public, with many people joining the Red Devils, which gained widespread attention with their passionate support of the team.^[36]

South Korea's second round opponents were Italy, who they defeated 2–1. The South Korean team was awarded an early penalty but Ahn Jung-hwan's effort was saved by Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon. Christian Vieri then scored to put Italy ahead but Seol Ki-hyeon scored an equalizer in the 88th minute, allowing the game to go through to extra time. Francesco Totti was controversially sent off for an alleged dive and Ahn redeemed his missed penalty by scoring the winner with a headed golden goal, allowing them to advance to the quarter-final.^[37] South Korea faced Spain in the quarter-finals. Spain managed to score twice in this match, but both goals were disallowed by the referees.^[38][39] The game then went to the penalty shoot-out where South Korea won 5–3, thus becoming the first Asian team to reach the semi-finals.^[40] The South Korean team's run was halted by a 1–0 loss to Germany, and their tournament ended in fourth place after a loss to Turkey 3–2 in the third-place match.

Team captain Hong Myung-bo received the Bronze Ball as the third best player of the World Cup, the first Asian footballer to receive this award.^[41] In addition, Hong was named in the team of the tournament alongside teammate Yoo Sang-chul.^[41] This level of success was unprecedented for a country that had never won a World Cup match before. They went further than any Asian team, upsetting several established European teams in the process, leading to a rise in the popularity of football in the country. Hiddink became a national hero in South Korea and was granted honorary citizenship.^[42]

Era of Huh and Park

In 2008, South Korea chose Hiddink's predecessor Huh Jung-moo as their manager again. Huh appointed Park Ji-sung, who got his international debut after being discovered by Huh in the past, as a new captain.^[43] Under Huh and Park, the South Korean team was undefeated for 27 consecutive games between 2008 and 2009.^[44] In the fourth round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, they recorded four wins and four draws without a loss against North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, they won their first game against Greece 2–0, with goals from Lee Jung-soo and Park Ji-sung. They then faced Argentina and suffered a 4–1 defeat, including an own goal by forward Park Chu-young. Their next result was a 2–2 draw in the match against Nigeria, with Lee Jung-soo and Park Chu-young scoring. This allowed them to make it to the knockout stage for the first time on foreign soil. In the round of 16 they met Uruguay, who took an early lead through Luis Suárez. South Korea equalized in the second half after Lee Chung-yong scored his second goal of the tournament but conceded to Suárez again in the 80th minute. Despite maintaining the majority of the possession in the second half, South Korea was unable to equalise again and were eliminated from the tournament.

Proactive football

Kim Pan-gon, the KFA official in charge of finding a new manager, contracted Paulo Bento and his coaching team to set long-term goals after the 2018 FIFA World Cup.^[46] Bento showed a philosophy that wasn't dominated by the opposition's tactics and maintained his team's build-up play.^[47] However, South Korea had been familiar with reactive tactics that focus on defense. His style received negative assessments from a significant number of KFA's executives, and he came under fire from the South Korean media. Bento severed relations with the technical committee and managed the national team with only his coaching staff after Kim Pan-gon resigned from the association. Nevertheless, the national team players were attracted to his tactics and systematic training programs and strongly supported him.^[48]

Bento's team easily qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after scoring well against Asian teams, but the media still doubted that his proactive tactics would be effective against World Cup giants.^[49][50][51] Before the tournament, Son Heung-min, the Premier League Golden Boot winner and one of South Korea's key players, injured his eye socket and wasn't in optimal condition.^[52] At the World Cup, South Korea contested a goalless draw with Uruguay, and encountered a crisis after losing 3–2 to Ghana in the second match. Their defense failed to block all three of Ghana's shots on target, although their striker Cho Gue-sung scored two goals with headers.^[53] Bento was sent off for arguing with referee Anthony Taylor just after the match ended,^[54] and had to see South Korea's last group match against his homeland Portugal in the stands. However, South Korea defeated Portugal 2–1 with goals from Kim Young-gwon and Hwang Hee-chan, advancing to the knockout stage as group H runners-up.^[55] Despite a 4–1 defeat to Brazil in the round of 16, the four-year challenge with Bento was finally appreciated by journalists and set a good direction for South Korean football.^[56]

Recent history (2023–present)

On 27 February 2023, the KFA appointed German manager Jürgen Klinsmann as the next manager of South Korea, with his contract set until the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, succeeding Paulo Bento.^[57] Klinsmann was widely unpopular amongst South Korean fans due to him working from his home in the United States rather than relocating to South Korea, alleged lack of interest in K League players, poor performances in international friendlies, questionable squad line-ups, his attitude, and the lack of transparency during the appointment process.^[58][59] South Korea began their 2023 AFC Asian Cup campaign with a 3–1 win over Bahrain but was followed by two draws against Jordan (2–2) and Malaysia (3–3), who were ranked 130th in FIFA rankings at the time, condemning the Taegeuk Warriors to a second-place finish in their group. South Korea was paired with Saudi Arabia in the round of 16, conceding a goal one minute into the second half before being bailed out by a Cho Gue-sung header in the ninth minute of stoppage time. The Koreans prevailed in the penalty shootout 4–2. Against Australia in the quarter-finals, South Korea were bailed out again, this time by Hwang Hee-chan who scored a penalty in the sixth minute of stoppage time and went ahead in the 96th minute of extra time with a Son Heung-min's free kick, defeating the Socceroos 2–1. Klinsmann came under heavy scrutiny from fans and the media over his questionable tactics and work ethic during South Korea's unconvincing Asian Cup campaign, to which South Korean media dubbed "Zombie football". South Korea's run would end in the semi-finals, losing to Jordan 2–0.^[60][61] Klinsmann was fired on 16 February 2024.^[59]

South Korea went five months without a permanent manager, going through two interim coaches before tapping former captain Hong Myung-bo to a second stint on the national team on 7 July 2024. Hong's previous stint with the national team lasted only a year, to which South Korea bombed out of the group stage at the 2014 FIFA World Cup without a single win. Hong resigned shortly after South Korea's early exit. Despite being captain during his country's heroic run at the 2002 World Cup, his reappointment ignited controversy over his disastrous stint in 2014 and the federation ignoring its own rules in appointing him over other candidates, which reportedly included David Wagner, Gus Poyet, and Jesse Marsch.^[62] Hong was never interviewed by the KFA and expressed no interest, yet he was appointed anyways.^[63] South Korea qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup under Hong's leadership and kicked off the tournament in Mexico with a 2–1 comeback victory against Czech Republic. However, Hong remained stubborn with his tactics and made no changes to his strategy, which led to consecutive 1–0 losses against Mexico and South Africa. The Mexico game saw South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu attempt to catch the ball, only to collide with his teammate Lee Gi-hyuk and spill the ball before being tapped into the net by Luis Romo.^[64] Hong then benched captain Son Heung-min in their last group stage game against South Africa, to which Bafana Bafana capitalized while the Koreans were completely fruitless in finding an equalizer. South Korea finished the group stage in third place, and their early elimination was confirmed following DR Congo's 3–1 win over Uzbekistan, knocking the Taegeuk Warriors out of the eight best third-place teams.^[65][66] After elimination, Hong resigned under intense criticism from fans and media, which included South Korean president Lee Jae Myung.^[67]

Nicknames

The South Korea national football team has been known or nicknamed as the Taegeuk Warriors (Korean: 태극전사) and the Tigers of Asia (Korean: 아시아의 호랑이).^[68][69]

Kits and crest

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Korea national football team kits.

Red is the traditional shirt color of the South Korean national team, who are consequently nicknamed the "Reds", while the fans are called the "Red Devils". The away shirt has varied between white and blue. In 1994, the home shirt shifted from red to white, but in October 1995, red returned as the home color, paired with black shorts.

South Korea used to wear the country's flag as their shirt badge until 2001, when their tiger crest was unveiled.^[70] On 5 February 2020, the KFA announced a new, more simplistic logo.^[71] The emblem retained the tiger, albeit in a more minimalist design, enclosed in a rectangular frame.^[71] Red, blue and white, South Korea's traditional colors, have been maintained in the new logo.^[71]

Home stadium

The South Korea national team played their first home match at the Dongdaemun Stadium on 21 April 1956. The match was a qualifier for the 1956 AFC Asian Cup against the Philippines.^[81] They currently play their home matches at several stadiums, which are also used by K League clubs.

Rivalries

South Korea's biggest rival is Japan. The rivalry is an extension of a competitive rivalry between the two nations that goes beyond football, and some matches in the past have been tainted with controversy.^[82][83] South Korea leads the all-time series with 42 wins, 23 draws and 17 losses.^[84]

A rivalry has also developed with Iran.^[85] The two nations have played against each other officially since 1958, totalling 33 matches as of March 2022, including eleven World Cup qualifiers. Although the teams played against each other only once in the final match of the Asian Cup, in 1972, they have faced each other five consecutive times in the quarter-finals between 1996 and 2011, with each team recording two wins, two losses, and a draw. Iran leads the all-time series with 13 wins, 10 draws and 10 losses.^[84]

Another major rival is Australia. In head-to-head matches, each team achieved 9 wins in 29 encounters, and 11 matches ended in a draw.^[84] The two countries have also met in four matches at the Asian Cup,^[86] including the 2015 final, where Australia won 2–1 after extra time for their first ever Asian championship.^[87]

South Korea has had great success against China, as China failed to beat them in competitive matches for 32 years before finally winning in 2010.^[88] They also possess a strong rivalry with North Korea, though matches are infrequent due to diplomatic and security reasons.

Supporters

The official supporter group of the national team, the Red Devils, were founded in 1995. Known for their passionate support, they are commonly referred to as the 12th man.^[36] Their most common chant is "Dae~ Han-Min-Guk" [ko] (대~한민국), followed by five claps.^[89]

The FIFA Fan Fest was introduced at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea.^{[citation needed]}

2025

South Korea  v  China

7 July 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship	South Korea	3–0	China	Yongin, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9	Lee Dong-gyeong 8' Joo Min-kyu 21' Kim Ju-sung 57'	Report		Stadium: Yongin Mireu Stadium Attendance: 4,426 Referee: Tuan Yaasin (Malaysia)

Hong Kong  v  South Korea

11 July 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship	Hong Kong	0–2	South Korea	Yongin, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9		Report	Kang Sang-yoon 27' Lee Ho-jae 67'	Stadium: Yongin Mireu Stadium Attendance: 5,521 Referee: Ahmad A'Qashah (Singapore)

South Korea  v  Japan

15 July 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship	South Korea	0–1	Japan	Yongin, South Korea
19:24 UTC+9		Report	Germain 8'	Stadium: Yongin Mireu Stadium Attendance: 18,418 Referee: Tuan Yaasin (Malaysia)

United States  v  South Korea

6 September Friendly	United States	0–2	South Korea	Harrison, New Jersey, United States
17:00 UTC−4		Report	Son Heung-min 18' Lee Dong-gyeong 43'	Stadium: Sports Illustrated Stadium Attendance: 26,500 Referee: Reon Radix (Grenada)

Mexico  v  South Korea

9 September Friendly	Mexico	2–2	South Korea	Nashville, Tennessee, United States
20:00 UTC−5	Jiménez 22' Giménez 90+4'	Report	Son Heung-min 65' Oh Hyeon-gyu 75'	Stadium: Geodis Park Attendance: 27,604 Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr. (United States)

South Korea  v  Brazil

10 October Friendly	South Korea	0–5	Brazil	Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9		Report	Estêvão 13', 47' Rodrygo 41', 49' Vinícius 77'	Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance: 63,237 Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)

South Korea  v  Paraguay

14 October Friendly	South Korea	2–0	Paraguay	Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9	Eom Ji-sung 15' Oh Hyeon-gyu 75'	Report		Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance: 22,206 Referee: Yusuke Araki (Japan)

South Korea  v  Bolivia

14 November Friendly	South Korea	2–0	Bolivia	Daejeon, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9	Son Heung-min 57' Cho Gue-sung 88'	Report		Stadium: Daejeon World Cup Stadium Attendance: 33,852 Referee: Ma Ning (China)

South Korea  v  Ghana

18 November Friendly	South Korea	1–0	Ghana	Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9	Lee Tae-seok 63'	Report		Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance: 33,256 Referee: Ahmad Al-Ali (Kuwait)

2026

South Korea  v  Ivory Coast

28 March Friendly	South Korea	0–4	Ivory Coast	Milton Keynes, England
14:00 UTC+0		Report	Guessand 35' Adingra 45+1' Godo 62' Singo 90+3'	Stadium: Stadium MK Attendance: 5,917 Referee: Ian McNabb (Northern Ireland)

Austria  v  South Korea

31 March Friendly	Austria	1–0	South Korea	Vienna, Austria
20:45 UTC+2	Sabitzer 48'	Report		Stadium: Ernst-Happel-Stadion Attendance: 35,300 Referee: Sander van der Eijk (Netherlands)

South Korea  v  Trinidad and Tobago

30 May Friendly	South Korea	5–0	Trinidad and Tobago	Provo, Utah, United States
19:00 UTC−6	Son Heung-min 40', 43' (pen.) Cho Gue-sung 65', 77' Hwang Hee-chan 75' (pen.)	Report		Stadium: South Field Attendance: 3,454 Referee: Victor Rivas (United States)

South Korea  v  El Salvador

3 June Friendly	South Korea	1–0	El Salvador	Provo, Utah, United States
19:00 UTC−6	Lee Dong-gyeong 57'	Report		Stadium: South Field Referee: Natalie Simon (United States)

South Korea  v  Czech Republic

11 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A	South Korea	2–1	Czech Republic	Zapopan, Mexico
20:00 UTC−6	Hwang In-beom 67' Oh Hyeon-gyu 80'	Report	Krejčí 59'	Stadium: Estadio Akron Attendance: 44,985 Referee: Amin Mohamed Omar (Egypt)

Mexico  v  South Korea

18 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A	Mexico	1–0	South Korea	Zapopan, Mexico
19:00 UTC−6	Romo 50'	Report		Stadium: Estadio Akron Attendance: 45,522 Referee: Gustavo Tejera (Uruguay)

South Africa  v  South Korea

24 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A	South Africa	1–0	South Korea	Guadalupe, Mexico
19:00 UTC−6	Maseko 63'	Report		Stadium: Estadio BBVA Attendance: 51,243 Referee: Facundo Tello (Argentina)

2027

South Korea  v  Yemen

10 January 2027 AFC Asian Cup Group E	South Korea	v	Yemen	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
--:-- UTC+3				Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City Stadium

Vietnam  v  South Korea

15 January 2027 AFC Asian Cup Group E	Vietnam	v	South Korea	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
--:-- UTC+3				Stadium: Kingdom Arena

South Korea  v  United Arab Emirates

20 January 2027 AFC Asian Cup Group E	South Korea	v	United Arab Emirates	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
--:-- UTC+3				Stadium: King Saud University Stadium

Current squad

The following 26 players were called up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.^[97][98]
Caps and goals updated as of 24 June 2026, after the match against South Africa.

More information No., Pos. ...

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Kim Seung-gyu	(1990-09-30) 30 September 1990 (age 35)	90	0	FC Tokyo
12	1GK	Song Bum-keun	(1997-10-15) 15 October 1997 (age 28)	3	0	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
21	1GK	Jo Hyeon-woo	(1991-09-25) 25 September 1991 (age 34)	48	0	Ulsan HD
2	2DF	Lee Han-beom	(2002-06-17) 17 June 2002 (age 24)	11	0	Midtjylland
3	2DF	Lee Gi-hyuk	(2000-07-07) 7 July 2000 (age 25)	6	0	Gangwon FC
4	2DF	Kim Min-jae	(1996-11-15) 15 November 1996 (age 29)	82	4	Bayern Munich
5	2DF	Kim Tae-hyeon	(2000-09-17) 17 September 2000 (age 25)	7	0	Kashima Antlers
13	2DF	Lee Tae-seok	(2002-07-28) 28 July 2002 (age 23)	17	1	Austria Wien
14	2DF	Cho Wi-je	(2001-08-25) 25 August 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
15	2DF	Kim Moon-hwan	(1995-08-01) 1 August 1995 (age 30)	36	0	Daejeon Hana Citizen
16	2DF	Park Jin-seob	(1995-10-23) 23 October 1995 (age 30)	16	1	Zhejiang FC
22	2DF	Seol Young-woo	(1998-12-05) 5 December 1998 (age 27)	37	0	Red Star Belgrade
23	2DF	Jens Castrop	(2003-07-29) 29 July 2003 (age 22)	8	0	Borussia Mönchengladbach
6	3MF	Hwang In-beom	(1996-09-20) 20 September 1996 (age 29)	76	7	Feyenoord
8	3MF	Paik Seung-ho	(1997-03-17) 17 March 1997 (age 29)	30	3	Birmingham City
10	3MF	Lee Jae-sung	(1992-08-10) 10 August 1992 (age 33)	107	15	Mainz 05
11	3MF	Hwang Hee-chan	(1996-01-26) 26 January 1996 (age 30)	82	17	Wolverhampton Wanderers
17	3MF	Bae Jun-ho	(2003-08-21) 21 August 2003 (age 22)	13	2	Stoke City
19	3MF	Lee Kang-in	(2001-02-19) 19 February 2001 (age 25)	50	11	Paris Saint-Germain
20	3MF	Yang Hyun-jun	(2002-05-25) 25 May 2002 (age 24)	10	0	Celtic
24	3MF	Kim Jin-gyu	(1997-02-24) 24 February 1997 (age 29)	24	3	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
25	3MF	Eom Ji-sung	(2002-05-09) 9 May 2002 (age 24)	11	2	Swansea City
26	3MF	Lee Dong-gyeong	(1997-09-20) 20 September 1997 (age 28)	18	4	Ulsan HD
7	4FW	Son Heung-min (captain)	(1992-07-08) 8 July 1992 (age 33)	147	56	Los Angeles FC
9	4FW	Cho Gue-sung	(1998-01-25) 25 January 1998 (age 28)	46	12	Midtjylland
18	4FW	Oh Hyeon-gyu	(2001-04-12) 12 April 2001 (age 25)	30	7	Beşiktaş

Close

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the South Korea squad within the last twelve months.

More information Pos., Player ...

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Yun Ki-wook	(2006-10-10) 10 October 2006 (age 19)	0	0	FC Seoul	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
GK	Lee Chang-geun	(1993-08-30) 30 August 1993 (age 32)	3	0	Daejeon Hana Citizen	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
GK	Kim Dong-heon	(1997-03-03) 3 March 1997 (age 29)	0	0	Incheon United	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
DF	Cho Yu-min	(1996-11-17) 17 November 1996 (age 29)	19	0	Sharjah	2026 FIFA World Cup INJ
DF	Kim Ju-sung	(2000-12-12) 12 December 2000 (age 25)	8	1	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	v.  Austria, 31 March 2026
DF	Lee Myung-jae	(1993-11-04) 4 November 1993 (age 32)	10	0	Daejeon Hana Citizen	v.  Ghana, 18 November 2025
DF	Jeong Sang-bin	(2002-04-01) 1 April 2002 (age 24)	3	1	St. Louis City	v.  Paraguay, 14 October 2025
DF	Kim Ji-soo	(2004-12-24) 24 December 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Brentford	v.  Paraguay, 14 October 2025
DF	Byeon Jun-soo	(2001-11-30) 30 November 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Gimcheon Sangmu	v.  Mexico, 9 September 2025
DF	Park Seung-wook	(1997-05-07) 7 May 1997 (age 29)	5	0	Shimizu S-Pulse	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
DF	Cho Hyun-taek	(2001-08-02) 2 August 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Ulsan HD	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
DF	Kim Tae-hyun	(1996-12-19) 19 December 1996 (age 29)	1	0	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
DF	Seo Myung-gwan	(2002-11-23) 23 November 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Ulsan HD	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Kang Sang-yoon	(2004-05-31) 31 May 2004 (age 22)	3	1	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
MF	Hong Hyun-seok	(1999-06-16) 16 June 1999 (age 27)	16	0	Mainz 05	v.  Austria, 31 March 2026
MF	Kwon Hyeok-kyu	(2001-03-13) 13 March 2001 (age 25)	2	0	Karlsruher SC	v.  Austria, 31 March 2026
MF	Won Du-jae	(1997-11-18) 18 November 1997 (age 28)	11	0	Khor Fakkan	v.  Ghana, 18 November 2025
MF	Seo Min-woo	(1998-03-12) 12 March 1998 (age 28)	4	0	Gangwon FC	v.  Ghana, 18 November 2025
MF	Yang Min-hyeok	(2006-04-16) 16 April 2006 (age 20)	2	0	Tottenham Hotspur	v.  Ghana, 18 November 2025
MF	Park Yong-woo	(1993-09-10) 10 September 1993 (age 32)	24	0	Al-Ain	v.  Mexico, 9 September 2025
MF	Na Sang-ho	(1996-08-12) 12 August 1996 (age 29)	30	2	Machida Zelvia	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Moon Seon-min	(1992-06-09) 9 June 1992 (age 34)	21	2	FC Seoul	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Jeon Jin-woo	(1999-09-09) 9 September 1999 (age 26)	2	0	Oxford United	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship INJ
MF	Jeong Seung-won	(1997-02-27) 27 February 1997 (age 29)	2	0	FC Seoul	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Kim Bong-soo	(1999-12-26) 26 December 1999 (age 26)	2	0	Daejeon Hana Citizen	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Lee Seung-won	(2003-03-06) 6 March 2003 (age 23)	2	0	Gangwon FC	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Mo Jae-hyeon	(1996-09-24) 24 September 1996 (age 29)	2	0	Gangwon FC	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
FW	Oh Se-hun	(1999-01-15) 15 January 1999 (age 27)	10	2	Shimizu S-Pulse	v.  Mexico, 9 September 2025
FW	Joo Min-kyu	(1990-04-13) 13 April 1990 (age 36)	11	3	Daejeon Hana Citizen	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
FW	Lee Ho-jae	(2000-10-14) 14 October 2000 (age 25)	3	1	Pohang Steelers	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
Notes INJ = Withdrew due to injury PRE = Preliminary squad

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Hall of Fame

The following players were inducted into the official Hall of Fame.

Most appearances

Top goalscorers

FIFA World Cup

More information FIFA World Cup record, Qualification record ...

FIFA World Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930 to 1938	Part of Japan									Part of Japan
1950	Did not enter									Did not enter
1954	Group stage	2	0	0	2	0	16	Squad		2	1	1	0	7	3
1958	Did not enter									Entry denied by FIFA[101]
1962	Did not qualify									4	2	0	2	6	9
1966	Did not enter									Did not enter
1970	Did not qualify									4	1	2	1	6	5
1974										8	3	4	1	10	4
1978										12	5	6	1	16	9
1982										3	2	0	1	7	4
1986	Group stage	3	0	1	2	4	7	Squad		8	7	0	1	17	3
1990		3	0	0	3	1	6	Squad		11	9	2	0	30	1
1994		3	0	2	1	4	5	Squad		13	9	3	1	32	5
1998		3	0	1	2	2	9	Squad		12	9	2	1	28	8
2002	Fourth place	7	3	2	2	8	6	Squad		Qualified as hosts
2006	Group stage	3	1	1	1	3	4	Squad		12	7	3	2	18	7
2010	Round of 16	4	1	1	2	6	8	Squad		14	7	7	0	22	7
2014	Group stage	3	0	1	2	3	6	Squad		14	8	3	3	27	11
2018		3	1	0	2	3	3	Squad		18	12	3	3	38	10
2022	Round of 16	4	1	1	2	5	8	Squad		16	12	3	1	35	4
2026	Group stage	3	1	0	2	2	3	Squad		16	11	5	0	40	8
2030	To be determined									To be determined
2034
Total	Fourth place	41	8	10	23	41	81	12/20[a]		167	105	44	18	339	98

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Summer Olympics

Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since 1992.

More information Summer Olympics record, Qualification record ...

Summer Olympics record										Qualification record[102]
Year	Round	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1900 to 1908	Part of the Korean Empire									Part of the Korean Empire
1912 to 1936	Part of Japan									Part of Japan
1948	Quarter-finals	2	1	0	1	5	15	Squad		Directly qualified
1952	Did not enter									Did not enter
1956	Did not qualify									2	1	0	1	2	2
1960										4	2	0	2	4	4
1964	Group stage	3[a]	0	0	3	1	20	Squad		4	2	1	1	7	4
1968	Did not qualify									5	4	1	0	17	5
1972										4	3	0	1	16	2
1976										6	3	2	1	10	5
1980										6	4	0	2	16	6
1984										11	5	3	3	19	11
1988	Group stage	3[b]	0	2	1	1	2	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1992 to present	Entered with the under-23 team									Entered with the under-23 team
Total	Quarter-finals	8	1	2	5	7	37	3/11[c]		42	24	7	11	91	39

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AFC Asian Cup

More information AFC Asian Cup record, Qualification record ...

AFC Asian Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1956	Champions	3	2	1	0	9	6	Squad		4	4	0	0	9	1
1960	Champions	3	3	0	0	9	1	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1964	Third place	3[a]	1	0	2	2	4	Squad		Direct entry
1968	Did not qualify									4	1	1	2	9	4
1972	Runners-up	5	1	2	2	7	6	Squad		Direct entry
1976	Did not qualify									4	2	0	2	3	3
1980	Runners-up	6	4	1	1	12	6	Squad		3	3	0	0	10	1
1984	Group stage	4	0	2	2	1	3	Squad		4	3	1	0	13	0
1988	Runners-up	6	5	1	0	11	3	Squad		3[a]	1	1	1	5	3
1992	Did not qualify									2[a]	1	0	1	7	2
1996	Quarter-finals	4	1	1	2	7	11	Squad		3	3	0	0	17	0
2000	Third place	6	3	1	2	9	6	Squad		3	3	0	0	19	0
2004	Quarter-finals	4	2	1	1	9	4	Squad		6	4	0	2	30	4
2007	Third place	6	1	4	1	3	3	Squad		6	3	2	1	15	5
2011	Third place	6	4	2	0	13	7	Squad		Directly qualified
2015	Runners-up	6	5	0	1	8	2	Squad		Directly qualified
2019	Quarter-finals	5	4	0	1	6	2	Squad		8	8	0	0	27	0
2023	Semi-finals	6	2	3	1	11	10	Squad		6	5	1	0	22	1
2027	Qualified									6	5	1	0	20	1
Total	Champions	73	38	19	16	117	74	16/19		62	46	7	9	206	25

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Asian Games

Football at the Asian Games has been an under-23 tournament since 2002.

More information Asian Games record, Year ...

Asian Games record
Year	Round	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1951	Did not enter
1954	Silver medalists	4	1	2	1	15	12	Squad
1958	Silver medalists	5	4	0	1	15	6	Squad
1962	Silver medalists	5	4	0	1	9	5	Squad
1966	First round	2	0	0	2	0	4	Squad
1970	Gold medalists	6	3	2	1	5	3	Squad
1974	Second round	5	1	1	3	4	10	Squad
1978	Gold medalists	7	6	1	0	15	3	Squad
1982	Group stage	3	1	0	2	4	3	Squad
1986	Gold medalists	6	4	2	0	14	3	Squad
1990	Bronze medalists	6	5	0	1	18	1	Squad
1994	Fourth place	6	3	0	3	17	7	Squad
1998	Quarter-finals	6	4	0	2	12	6	Squad
2002 to present	Entered with the under-23 team
Total	Gold medalists	61	36	8	17	128	63	12/13

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EAFF Championship

More information EAFF Championship record, Year ...

EAFF Championship record
Year	Round	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
2003	Champions	3	2	1	0	4	1	Squad
2005	Fourth place	3	0	2	1	1	2	Squad
2008	Champions	3	1	2	0	5	4	Squad
2010	Runners-up	3	2	0	1	8	4	Squad
2013	Third place	3	0	2	1	1	2	Squad
2015	Champions	3	1	2	0	3	1	Squad
2017	Champions	3	2	1	0	7	3	Squad
2019	Champions	3	3	0	0	4	0	Squad
2022	Runners-up	3	2	0	1	6	3	Squad
2025	Runners-up	3	2	0	1	5	1	Squad
Total	Champions	30	15	10	5	44	21	10/10

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Other competitions

More information Competition, Round ...

Competition	Round	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup	Group stage	2	0	2	0	2	2	Squad
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup	Group stage	3	2	0	1	3	6	Squad
2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup	Fourth place	5	0	2	3	3	7	Squad

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