South Korea at the AFC Asian Cup
National football delegation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The South Korea national football team have appeared 15 times at the Asian Cup. They have failed to qualify for the finals on three occasions, in 1968, 1976 and 1992. South Korea won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 1956, held in Hong Kong, and successfully defended the title on home soil in 1960. In addition, the team finished as runners-up on four occasions.
Competitive 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 | |
Head-to-head record
| Opponent | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 |
 Bahrain | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 |
| China | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 |
 Chinese Taipei | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
 Hong Kong | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 |
 India | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
| Indonesia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 |
 Iran | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 13 | –1 |
 Iraq | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| Israel | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 |
 Japan | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 |
 Jordan | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | –2 |
 Khmer Republic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 |
| Kuwait | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 8 | +1 |
 Kyrgyzstan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Malaysia | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
 North Korea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
 Oman | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
 Philippines | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Qatar | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | +1 |
| Saudi Arabia | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | –1 |
 South Vietnam | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4 | +6 |
 Syria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | –1 |
 Thailand | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| United Arab Emirates | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 |
 Uzbekistan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 |
Details
1956 (Hong Kong)
South Korea finished top at a round-robin torunament featuring four countries, becoming the inaugural champions of the AFC Asian Cup. South Korea had unfavorable schedule that required them to meet their largest rivals Israel two days after playing their first match, but defeated Israel, whose schedule had allowed them to rest for seven days.[1]
| 6 September | South Korea | 2–2 |  Hong Kong | Government Stadium, Hong Kong |
| 19:00 |
|
|
Attendance: 30,000 |
| 8 September | Israel | 1–2 | South Korea | Government Stadium, Hong Kong |
| 19:00 |
|
|
Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Trương Văn Ky (South Vietnam) |
| 15 September | South Korea | 5–3 | South Vietnam | Government Stadium, Hong Kong |
| 19:00 |
|
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea (C) |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 5 |
| 2 | Israel |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 4 |
| 3 |  Hong Kong (H) |
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 2 |
| 4 | South Vietnam |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 1 |
1960 (South Korea)
South Korea won their second consecutive title, and South Korean forward Cho Yoon-ok became the top goalscorer of the competition with four goals.[2] However, South Korean players received fake medals, and returned the medals to Korean FA. The KFA gave real medals to their families in 2019.[3]
| 14 October | South Korea | 5–1 | South Vietnam | Hyochang Stadium, Seoul |
| 15:15 |
|
Nguyễn Văn Tu  70' |
Attendance: 30,000 |
| 17 October | South Korea | 3–0 | Israel | Hyochang Stadium, Seoul |
| 15:00 |
|
Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Yozo Yokoyama (Japan) |
| 21 October | South Korea | 1–0 |  Taiwan | Hyochang Stadium, Seoul |
| 15:00 |
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea (C, H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 6 |
| 2 | Israel |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 4 |
| 3 | Taiwan |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | South Vietnam |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | −10 | 0 |
1964 (Israel)
The 1964 AFC Asian Cup was held when South Korea had to play an Olympic qualifier against South Vietnam. The Korean FA sent their reserve team to the Asian Cup.[4]
| 27 May | South Korea | 0–2 | India | Municipal Stadium, Haifa |
| 16:30 |
|
Attendance: 7,000 Referee: Davoud Nassiri (Iran) |
| 31 May | South Korea | 1–0 | Hong Kong | Hebrew University Stadium, Jerusalem |
| 16:30 | Bae Keum-soo 74' |
Attendance: 7,000 Referee: Pisit Ngarampanich (Thailand) |
| 3 June | South Korea | 1–2 | Israel | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan |
| 16:00 | Huh Yoon-jung 79' |
Attendance: 35,000 Referee: Davoud Nassiri (Iran) |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Israel (C, H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 6 |
| 2 | India |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 4 |
| 3 | South Korea |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 2 |
| 4 | Hong Kong |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 |
1972 (Thailand)
| 7 May Group allocation match | South Korea | 0–0 (2–4 p) |  Iraq | National Stadium, Bangkok |
| Penalties | ||||
| 10 May Group B | South Korea  | 4–1 | Khmer Republic | National Stadium, Bangkok |
|
|
| 12 May Group B | South Korea | 1–2 | Kuwait | National Stadium, Bangkok |
|
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 2 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Khmer Republic |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 2 | |
| 3 | Kuwait |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 2 |
| 17 May Semi-finals | South Korea | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (2–1 p) | Thailand | National Stadium, Bangkok |
|
|
| 19 May Final | Iran  | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | South Korea | National Stadium, Bangkok |
|
Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Sivapalan Kathiravale (Malaysia) |
1980 (Kuwait)
South Korea won all matches from the second matchday to the semi-finals, including the match against hosts Kuwait. However, nine South Korean players were not in optimal condition after suffering injuries in the semi-final against North Korea,[5] and they lost in the final where they met Kuwait again.[6] 18-year-old striker Choi Soon-ho became the youngest top scorer in Asian Cup history.[7]
| 16 September Group B | Malaysia | 1–1 | South Korea | Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Kuwait City |
| 18:30 | Abdul Ali 90' |
Choi Soon-ho 68' |
Attendance: 5,000 |
| 19 September Group B | Qatar | 0–2 | South Korea | Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Kuwait City |
| 18:30 |
|
| 21 September Group B | South Korea | 3–0 | Kuwait | Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Kuwait City |
| 16:30 |
|
Attendance: 15,000 |
| 24 September Group B | South Korea | 4–1 | United Arab Emirates | Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Kuwait City |
| 18:30 |
|
Chombi 79' |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Kuwait (H) |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 5 | |
| 3 | Malaysia |
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4 | Qatar |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 3 | |
| 5 | United Arab Emirates |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 1 |
| 28 September Semi-finals | South Korea | 2–1 | North Korea | Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Kuwait City |
| 19:30 | Chung Hae-won 80', 89' |
Park Jong-hon 19' (pen.) |
| 30 September Final | Kuwait | 3–0 | South Korea | Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Kuwait City |
| 18:30 | Attendance: 25,000 |
1984 (Singapore)
The year 1984 is regarded as one of the worst years in South Korean football.[8] After failing to qualify for the football tournament of the 1984 Summer Olympics, South Korea once again faced shocking results without a victory at the 1984 AFC Asian Cup.[8] They scored only one goal while attempting 53 shots.[9]
| 2 December Group A | South Korea  | 1–1 | Saudi Arabia | National Stadium, Singapore |
| 19:00 | Lee Tae-ho 51' |
Abdullah 90' |
| 5 December Group A | Kuwait | 0–0 | South Korea | National Stadium, Singapore |
| 19:00 |
| 7 December Group A | South Korea | 0–1 | Syria | National Stadium, Singapore |
| 21:00 | Hassan 13' |
| 10 December Group A | Qatar | 1–0 | South Korea | National Stadium, Singapore |
| 21:00 | Salman 69' |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia |
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Kuwait |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 5 | |
| 3 | Qatar |
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4 |  Syria |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 | |
| 5 | South Korea |
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 2 |
1988 (Qatar)
South Korea got a chance to win their third title again after winning all matches until the semi-finals, but they lost the final to Saudi Arabia after a penalty shoot-out. This was the third time they had finished runners-up at the Asian Cup. Their new star player Kim Joo-sung was named the Most Valuable Player.[2]
| 3 December Group A | United Arab Emirates | 0–1 | South Korea | Al-Ahly Stadium, Doha |
| 15:00 | Report | Lee Tae-ho 8' (pen.) |
Referee: George Courtney (England) |
| 6 December Group A | South Korea | 2–0 | Japan | Qatar SC Stadium, Doha |
| 15:00 |
|
Report | Referee: Salah Mohammed (Iraq) |
| 9 December Group A | Qatar | 2–3 | South Korea | Qatar SC Stadium, Doha |
| 17:00 | Salman 47' (pen.), 80' (pen.) |
Report |
|
Referee: George Courtney (England) |
| 11 December Group A | South Korea | 3–0 | Iran | Al-Ahly Stadium, Doha |
| 17:00 |
|
Report | Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Neji Jouini (Tunisia) |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 8 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Iran |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | |
| 3 | Qatar (H) |
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 4 | |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 2 | |
| 5 | Japan |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 1 |
| 14 December Semi-finals | South Korea | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | China | Qatar SC Stadium, Doha |
| 16:00 | Lee Tae-ho 93', 103' |
Report | Mai Chao 100' |
Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Vincent Mauro (United States) |
| 18 December Final | South Korea | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p) | Saudi Arabia | Al-Ahly Stadium, Doha |
| 16:00 | Report | Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Michel Vautrot (France) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
1996 (United Arab Emirates)
Before the 1996 tournament, the Korean FA appointed Park Jong-hwan as the new manager. Park was evaluated as the greatest South Korean manager at the time by leading Ilhwa Chunma to win three consecutive K League titles.[10] Contrary to expectations, South Korea finished third in their group stage, showing a shaky start. In a quarter-final match against Iran, South Korea held a 2–1 lead until half-time, but they conceded five goals during the second half including Ali Daei's four goals. After the disaster, Park resigned from the team, and defender Hong Myung-bo was suspected of slowdown.[11]
| 4 December Group A | United Arab Emirates | 1–1 | South Korea | Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
| 16:45 | K. Saad 40' |
Report | Hwang Sun-hong 9' |
Attendance: 35,000 Referee: Pirom Un-Prasert (Thailand) |
| 7 December Group A | South Korea | 4-2 | Indonesia | Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
| 19:00 |
|
Report | Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Shamsul Maidin (Singapore) |
| 10 December Group A | Kuwait | 2–0 | South Korea | Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
| 19:00 |
|
Report | Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Mohd Nazri Abdullah (Malaysia) |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates (H) |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Kuwait |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 4 | |
| 3 | South Korea |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4 | Indonesia |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 1 |
| 16 December Quarter-finals | South Korea | 2–6 | Iran | Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai |
| 16:45 |
|
Report | Attendance: 19,000 Referee: Jamal Al Sharif (Syria) |
2000 (Lebanon)
| 13 October Group B | South Korea | 2–2 | China | International Olympic Stadium, Tripoli |
| 17:05 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Omer Al-Mehannah (Saudi Arabia) |
| 16 October Group B | South Korea | 0–1 | Kuwait | International Olympic Stadium, Tripoli |
| 19:45 | Report | Al-Huwaidi 43' |
Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Brian Hall (United States) |
| 19 October Group B | South Korea | 3–0 | Indonesia | Sports City Stadium, Beirut |
| 19:35 | Lee Dong-gook 30', 76', 90+1' |
Report | Attendance: 500 Referee: Toru Kamikawa (Japan) |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 5 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Kuwait |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5 | |
| 3 |  South Korea |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 4 | |
| 4 | Indonesia |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 1 |
| 23 October Quarter-finals | Iran | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | South Korea | International Olympic Stadium, Tripoli |
| 16:45 | Bagheri 71' |
Report |
|
Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Ali Bujsaim (UAE) |
| 26 October Semi-finals | South Korea | 1–2 | Saudi Arabia | Sports City Stadium, Beirut |
| 16:45 | Lee Dong-gook 90+1' |
Report | Al-Meshal 76', 80' |
Attendance: 7,000 Referee: Saad Kamil Al-Fadhli (Kuwait) |
| 29 October Third place match | South Korea | 1–0 | China | Sports City Stadium, Beirut |
| 17:05 | Lee Dong-gook 76' |
Report | Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Nabil Ayad (Lebanon) |
2004 (China)
Despite finishing fourth at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, South Korea was not able to dominate Asia after Guus Hiddink left them. They suffered shock defeats in the qualifiers against Oman and Vietnam. In a 4–3 quarter-final defeat to Iran, they conceded Ali Karimi's hat-trick and scored an own goal.[12]
| 19 July Group B | South Korea | 0–0 | Jordan | Shandong Sports Center, Jinan |
| 18:30 | Report | Attendance: 26,000 Referee: Shamsul Maidin (Singapore) |
| 23 July Group B | United Arab Emirates | 0–2 | South Korea | Shandong Sports Center, Jinan |
| 21:00 | Report |
|
Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan) |
| 27 July Group B | South Korea | 4–0 | Kuwait | Shandong Sports Center, Jinan |
| 19:00 |
|
Report | Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Shamsul Maidin (Singapore) |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Jordan |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 5 | |
| 3 | Kuwait |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 3 | |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 1 |
| 31 July Quarter-finals | South Korea | 3–4 | Iran | Shandong Sports Center, Jinan |
| 21:00 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Saad Kamil Al-Fadhli (Kuwait) |
2007 (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam)
After excluding three Premier League players (Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo and Seol Ki-hyeon) due to their injuries,[13] South Korea had difficulty again at the Asian Cup. Furthermore, some players including captain Lee Woon-jae were criticised by fans for visiting a hostess bar in the middle of the group stage.[14] South Korea's outfield players made only three goals until the end of the competition.[15][16] During their lack of offensive capability, Lee, the captain and goalkeeper, led his team to a third-place finish by keeping four clean sheets and winning two penalty shoot-outs.[16][17]
| 11 July Group D | South Korea | 1–1 | Saudi Arabia | Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta |
| 19:35 UTC+7 | Choi Sung-kuk 66' |
Report | Y. Al-Qahtani 77' (pen.) |
Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Mark Shield (Australia) |
| 15 July Group D | Bahrain | 2–1 | South Korea | Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta |
| 19:35 UTC+7 |
|
Report | Kim Do-heon 4' |
Attendance: 9,000 Referee: Sun Baojie (China) |
| 18 July Group D | Indonesia | 0–1 | South Korea | Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta |
| 17:20 UTC+7 | Report | Kim Jung-woo 34' |
Attendance: 88,000 Referee: Mark Shield (Australia) |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | South Korea |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | Indonesia (H) |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 | |
| 4 | Bahrain |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 3 |
| 22 July Quarter-finals | Iran | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (2–4 p) | South Korea | Bukit Jalil Stadium, Kuala Lumpur |
| 18:20 UTC+8 | Report | Attendance: 8,629 Referee: Ali Hamad Al-Badwawi (UAE) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| 25 July Semi-finals | Iraq  | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p) | South Korea | Bukit Jalil Stadium, Kuala Lumpur |
| 18:20 UTC+8 | Report | Attendance: 12,500 Referee: Saad Kamil Al-Fadhli (Kuwait) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| 28 July Third place match | South Korea | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (6–5 p) | Japan | Jakabaring Stadium, Palembang |
| 19:35 UTC+8 | Report | Attendance: 10,000 Referee: Ali Hamad Al-Badwawi (UAE) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
2011 (Qatar)
After beating Iran in extra time of a quarter-final match, South Korea once again played extra time in the semi-finals against Japan. In this extra time, Hajime Hosogai, who moved into the penalty area before his teammate Keisuke Honda missed a penalty, got a rebound and scored a controversial goal for Japan.[18][19] South Korea scored an equaliser after the misfortune, but lost on penalties.[20]
| 10 January Group C | South Korea | 2–1 | Bahrain | Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha |
| 19:15 | Koo Ja-cheol 40', 52' |
Report | Aaish 85' (pen.) |
Attendance: 6,669 Referee: Abdullah Al Hilali (Oman) |
| 14 January Group C | Australia | 1–1 | South Korea | Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha |
| 16:15 | Jedinak 62' |
Report | Koo Ja-cheol 24' |
Attendance: 15,526 Referee: Abdulrahman Abdou (Qatar) |
| 18 January Group C | South Korea | 4–1 | India | Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha |
| 16:15 |
|
Report | Chhetri 12' (pen.) |
Attendance: 11,366 Referee: Khalil Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia) |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | South Korea |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 7 | |
| 3 | Bahrain |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 3 | |
| 4 | India |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | −10 | 0 |
| 22 January Quarter-finals | Iran | 0–1 (a.e.t.) | South Korea | Qatar SC Stadium, Doha |
| 19:25 | Report | Yoon Bit-garam 105' |
Attendance: 7,111 Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan) |
| 25 January Semi-finals | Japan | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (3–0 p) | South Korea | Al-Gharafa Stadium, Doha |
| 16:25 | Report |
|
Attendance: 16,171 Referee: Khalil Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia) | |
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| 28 January Third place match | Uzbekistan | 2–3 | South Korea | Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha |
| 18:00 | Geynrikh 45' (pen.), 53' |
Report |
|
Attendance: 8,199 Referee: Abdul Malik Bashir (Singapore) |
2015 (Australia)
Under the leadership of manager Uli Stielike, the South Korean players underperformed in the first two matches against Oman and Kuwait.[21][22] They won both matches, but expressed dissatisfaction with Stielike, who then handed over command to assistant manager Shin Tae-yong for the rest of the tournament.[23][24][25] Goalkeeper Kim Jin-hyeon then kept a clean sheet in every match until the final, as the team eliminated Uzbekistan and Iraq in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively. Their opponent in the final was Australia, which they had already beaten 1–0 in the group stage. However, South Korea lost the final 2–1 after extra time, evoking the 1980 final between them and Kuwait.
| 10 January Group A | South Korea | 1–0 | Oman | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
| 16:00 UTC+11 | Cho Young-cheol 45+2' |
Report | Attendance: 12,552 Referee: Peter O'Leary (New Zealand) |
| 13 January Group A | Kuwait | 0–1 | South Korea | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
| 18:00 UTC+11 | Report | Nam Tae-hee 36' |
Attendance: 8,795 Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran) |
| 17 January Group A | Australia | 0–1 | South Korea | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Report | Lee Jeong-hyeop 32' |
Attendance: 48,513 Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain) |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Australia (H) |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 6 | |
| 3 | Oman |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 3 | |
| 4 | Kuwait |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 0 |
| 22 January Quarter-finals | South Korea | 2–0 (a.e.t.) | Uzbekistan | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne |
| 18:30 UTC+11 | Son Heung-min 104', 119' |
Report | Attendance: 23,381 Referee: Fahad Al-Mirdasi (Saudi Arabia) |
| 26 January Semi-finals | South Korea | 2–0 | Iraq | Stadium Australia, Sydney |
| 20:00 UTC+11 |
|
Report | Attendance: 36,053 Referee: Ryuji Sato (Japan) |
| 31 January Final | South Korea | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Australia | Stadium Australia, Sydney |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Son Heung-min 90+1' |
Report | Attendance: 76,385 Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran) |
2019 (United Arab Emirates)
| 7 January Group C | South Korea | 1–0 | Philippines | Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai |
| 17:30 |
|
Report | Attendance: 3,185 Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain) |
| 11 January Group C | Kyrgyzstan | 0–1 | South Korea | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain |
| 20:00 | Report |
|
Attendance: 4,893 Referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar) |
| 16 January Group C | South Korea | 2–0 | China | Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
| 17:30 |
|
Report | Attendance: 13,579 Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar) |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | China |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 | |
| 3 | Kyrgyzstan |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | Philippines |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 0 |
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
| 22 January Round of 16 | South Korea | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Bahrain | Rashid Stadium, Dubai |
| 17:00 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 7,658 Referee: Ryuji Sato (Japan) |
| 25 January Quarter-finals | South Korea | 0–1 | Qatar | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
| 17:00 | Report |
|
Attendance: 13,791 Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan) |
2023 (Qatar)
After the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Korean FA president Chung Mong-gyu directly appointed Jürgen Klinsmann as national team manager without a general process.[26][27] Chung's decision created concern among South Korean media, who knew Klinsmann's neglect of duty at Hertha BSC and Philipp Lahm's criticism of Klinsmann's indifference to tactics, and the concern came true.[28] Klinsmann was widely unpopular amongst 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 results in friendlies, questionable squad line-ups, lazy attitudes, and lack of transparency during the appointment process.[29]
Despite the controversies over the new manager, South Korea were considered among the pre-tournament favourites.[30] After winning their opening match against Bahrain, the team failed to win their remaining two group stage matches after drawing with Jordan and Malaysia, respectively, finishing second in their group and conceding goals in all matches.[30] South Korea narrowly advanced to the semi-finals after knocking out Saudi Arabia on penalties and Australia in extra time, but Klinsmann came under heavy scrutiny over his questionable tactics and work ethic, to which South Korean media dubbed "Zombie football".[31][32] After South Korea's semi-final loss to Jordan without a shot on target, Klinsmann was fired, and Chung was called to be held responsible for his decision.[27][33]
| 15 January 2024 Group E | South Korea | 3–1 | Bahrain | Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan |
| 14:30 UTC+3 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 8,388 Referee: Ma Ning (China) |
| 20 January 2024 Group E | Jordan | 2–2 | South Korea | Al Thumama Stadium, Doha |
| 14:30 UTC+3 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 36,627 Referee: Salman Falahi (Qatar) |
| 25 January 2024 Group E | South Korea | 3–3 | Malaysia | Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah |
| 14:30 UTC+3 |
|
Report | Attendance: 30,117 Referee: Khalid Al-Turais (Saudi Arabia) |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahrain |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | South Korea |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 5 | |
| 3 | Jordan |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 4 | |
| 4 | Malaysia |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 1 |
| 30 January 2024 Round of 16 | Saudi Arabia | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (2–4 p) | South Korea | Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan |
| 19:00 UTC+3 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 42,389 Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan) |
| Penalties | ||||
| 2 February 2024 Quarter-finals | Australia | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | South Korea | Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah |
| 18:30 UTC+3 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 39,632 Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman) |
| 6 February 2024 Semi-finals | Jordan | 2–0 | South Korea | Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan |
| 18:00 UTC+3 |
|
Report | Attendance: 42,850 Referee: Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed (United Arab Emirates) |
2027 (Saudi Arabia)
| 10 January Group E | South Korea | v |  Yemen | King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah |
| --:-- UTC+3 |
| 15 January Group E | Vietnam | v | South Korea | Kingdom Arena, Riyadh |
| --:-- UTC+3 |
| 20 January Group E | South Korea | v | United Arab Emirates | King Saud University Stadium, Riyadh |
| --:-- UTC+3 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | United Arab Emirates |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Vietnam |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage |
| 4 | Yemen |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
