South Korea national football team
The South Korea national football team (Korean: 대한민국 축구 국가대표팀; recognized as Korea Republic by FIFA[3]) represents South Korea in men's international football and is governed by the Korea Football Association. South Korea has emerged as a major football power in Asia since the 1980s, having participated in ten consecutive and eleven overall FIFA World Cup tournaments, the most for any Asian country. Despite initially going through five World Cup tournaments without winning a match, South Korea became the first (and so far only) Asian team to reach the semi-finals when they co-hosted the 2002 tournament with Japan. South Korea also won two AFC Asian Cup titles, and finished as runners-up on four occasions. Furthermore, the team won three gold medals and three silver medals at the senior Asian Games.[4]
| South Korea national football team | |
| Hangul | 대한민국 축구 국가대표팀 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 大韓民國 蹴球 國家代表팀 |
| Revised Romanization | Daehan Min'guk Chukgu Gukga Daepyo Tim |
| McCune–Reischauer | Taehan Min'guk Ch'ukku Kukka Taep'yo T'im |
The team is commonly nicknamed the "Reds" by both fans and the media due to the color of their primary kit. The national team's supporting group is officially referred to as the Red Devils.[5]
History
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 the Royal Navy sailors from HMS Flying Fish played a game while their vessel was visiting the Incheon Port.[6] Korea became a Japanese colony in 1905 and was annexed into it 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.[7] 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.[6] Koreans also played for the Japanese national team, most notably Kim Yong-sik who played for Japan at the 1936 Summer Olympics.[8]
The Joseon FA was reorganized in 1945 as Japanese occupation ended with the end of World War II.[6][9] 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.[6]
First World Cup team (1954)
In 1954, South Korea entered FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time, and qualified for the 1954 FIFA World Cup by beating Japan 7–3 on aggregate.[10] South Korea were only the second Asian team to compete at a World Cup after the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), 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.[11] It would take thirty-two years before South Korea was able to participate at the World Cup finals again.
Despite this poor performance, South Korea successfully rallied by winning the inaugural AFC Asian Cup in 1956.[12] They hosted the next edition in 1960 and successfully retained the title, beating South Vietnam, Israel, and Republic of China in the process.[13] However, the South Korean players received fake medals, instead of the gold medals they had been promised, and returned them to the KFA.[14] 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 1960, something that has thus been attributed to the "curse of the fake gold medals."[15]
Foundation of Yangzee (1967)
In 1965, the South Korean government was hesitant to play football matches against North Korea and thus withdrew from the 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.[16] This would be proven true, as the North Koreans advanced to the quarter-finals at the 1966 FIFA World Cup. In March 1967, the South Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) founded Yangzee FC, collecting famous footballers in South Korea to train them intensively.[17] Yangzee players received benefits like exemption from military service, long-term overseas training and high salaries in return for intensive training.[17] At the 1968 Summer Olympics qualification, South Korea was eliminated by goal difference although their points were tied with Japan, the group winners.[18] They also participated in the 1969 Asian Club Championship, finishing as runners-up.[19] 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.[17] 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.[20]
Golden generation (1986)
In 1986, South Korea won the East Asian tournament of the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification including two victories against Japan in the final round, and was able to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1954. After one of the greatest forwards of German Bundesliga at that time, Cha Bum-kun,[23][24] joined the existing winning team, the South Korean squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup was evaluated as the golden generation in their country.[25] South Korea lost 3–1 to the eventual champion Argentina but Park Chang-sun scored the first South Korean goal of the World Cup in the first group match. They drew 1–1 with Bulgaria and faced the defending champion Italy in the crucial 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 although Huh Jung-moo pulled one back. Afterwards, South Korean newscasts and journalists criticized the referee David Socha, claiming that his judgements about situations of the game were poor including the decision to award a penalty to Italy.[26][27] South Korea redeemed their failure of World Cup success with a gold at the 1986 Asian Games.[28]
Tragedy of Marseille (1998)
In 1997, Cha Bum-kun became the head coach going into the 1998 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, 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.[29] 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,[30] who conceded five of the Netherlands' 17 shots on target.[31] The team then managed a 1–1 draw against Belgium.
Hiddink's magic (2002)
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.[33] The KFA promised him to ensure long-term training camps and authority about management of coaching staff.[34] 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.[35] 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, finishing the preparation for the tournament successfully.[36][37][38]
South Korea co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament with Japan. They had never won a game in the World Cup previously but 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 the favored Portuguese side. Portugal earned two red cards in the match, reducing them to nine men and Park Ji-sung scored the winning goal 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.[39]
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. South Korea faced Spain in the quarter-finals. Spain managed to score twice in this match, but both goals were disallowed by the referees.[40][41] The game then went to the penalty shoot-out where South Korea won 5–3, thus becoming the first Asian team to reach the final four.[42] The South Korean team's run was halted by a 1–0 loss to Germany in the semi-finals. They lost to Turkey 3–2 in the third-place match and finished the tournament in fourth place.
Team captain Hong Myung-bo received the Bronze Ball as the World Cup's third best player, the first Asian footballer to be awarded this. In addition Hong was selected for the team of tournament alongside teammate Yoo Sang-chul, the first and only time Asian footballers have been named. This level of success was unprecedented for a country that had never before won a game in the World Cup. They had gone further than any Asian team and upset several established European teams in the process, leading to an increase in the popularity of football in the country. Hiddink became a national hero in South Korea, becoming the first person to be granted honorary citizenship as well as being given a private villa.[citation needed]
Captain Park era (2008)
In 2008, South Korea chose Huh Jung-moo as their manager, and Park Ji-sung as the next captain. Under Huh and Park, the South Korean team was undefeated for 27 consecutive games in 2009.[43] At 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, 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. They then obtained a 2–2 draw in a match against Nigeria, with Lee Jung-soo scoring in the tournament once more and Park Chu-young redeeming his own goal from the previous game by scoring from a free kick. This allowed them to make it to the second round for the first time on foreign soil. In the knockout stage they met Uruguay, who took an early lead with a goal from Luis Suárez. South Korea equalized in the second half after Lee Chung-yong scored his second goal of the tournament but South Korea conceded another goal by Suárez in the 80th minute. Despite maintaining the majority of the possession in the second half, South Korea was unable to equalize again and were eliminated from the tournament.
Proactive football (2022)
Kim Pan-gon, the KFA official in charge of finding a new coach, contracted Paulo Bento and his coaching team to set long-term goals after the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[45] Bento showed a philosophy that wasn't dominated by the opposition's tactics and maintained his team's build-up play.[46] However, South Korea, an underdog in the World Cup, 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.[47]
Bento's team easily qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after scoring well against Asian teams, but the media still doubted that his proactive tactics would be effective against World Cup giants. 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.[48] At the World Cup, South Korea contested a goalless draw with Uruguay, but 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.[49] Bento was sent off for arguing with referee Anthony Taylor just after the match ended,[50] 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 Kim Young-gwon and Hwang Hee-chan's goals, advancing to the knockout stage as group runners-up.[51] 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.[52]
Team image
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).[53][54]
Kits and crest
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 home color, paired with black shorts.
South Korea used to wear the South Korean flag as their shirt badge until 2001, when their tiger crest was unveiled.[55] On 5 February 2020, the KFA announced a new, more simplistic logo.[56] The emblem retained the tiger, albeit in a more minimalist design, enclosed in a rectangular frame.[56] Red, blue and white, South Korea's traditional colors, have been maintained in the new logo.[56]
Kit suppliers
| Kit supplier | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adidas, Asics, Kolon Sports, Prospecs, Weekend | 1977–1985 | South Korea didn't have an exclusive kit sponsor at that time, though they contracted with Adidas as their first official kit sponsor.[57] |
| Weekend | 1985–1988 | Sportswear brand of Samsung C&T Corporation[58] |
| Rapido | 1988–1995 | Weekend was renamed "Rapido" in January 1988.[59] |
| Nike | 1996–present | Contracted at the end of 1995,[60] and sponsored since 1 January 1996. |
Kit deals
| Kit supplier | Period | Contract date | Contract duration | Total | Annual | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nike | 1996–present | December 1995 | 1996–1997 | $3 million | $1.5 million | |
| 16 December 1997 | 1998–2002 | $38 million | $7.6 million | [61] | ||
| 9 January 2003 | 2003–2007 | $50 million | $10.0 million | [62] | ||
| 23 October 2007 | 2008–2011 | $49 million | $12.3 million | [63] | ||
| 13 January 2012 | 2012–2019 | $120 million | $15.0 million | [64] | ||
20 January 2020 | 2020–2031 | $204 million | $17.0 million | [65] |
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.[66] They currently play their home matches at several stadiums, which are also used by K League clubs.
Rivalries
South Korea's greatest rival is Japan. This 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.[67][68] South Korea leads the all-time series with 42 wins, 23 draws and 16 losses.[69]
A rivalry has also developed with Iran.[70] The two nations have played against each other officially since 1958, totalling 33 matches as of March 2022, including eleven World Cup qualifiers. South Korea and Iran were among the strongest Asian national teams during the 1960s and 1970s. Although the teams only had one chance to play against each other in the final match of the AFC 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.[69]
Another major rival is Australia. South Korea trails behind Australia with 8 wins, 11 draws and 9 defeats. In major competitions, South Korea won only two official matches against Australia, and also lost in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final.[71]
South Korea has had great success against China, with China failing to defeat them in 28 competitive matches before finally winning a game in 2010.[citation needed] 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.[39] Their most common chant is "Dae-Han-Min-Guk" (Korean: 대~한민국; lit. 'Republic of Korea' or 'Great Korea'), followed by five claps.[72] The FIFA Fan Fest was introduced at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea.
Recent results and fixtures
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.[73][74][75][76]
2022
| 2 June Friendly | South Korea | 1–5 | Brazil | Seoul, South Korea |
| 20:00 UTC+9 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance: 64,872 Referee: Ryuji Sato (Japan) |
| 6 June Friendly | South Korea | 2–0 | Chile | Daejeon, South Korea |
| 20:00 UTC+9 |
| Report | Stadium: Daejeon World Cup Stadium Attendance: 40,135 Referee: Ryuji Sato (Japan) |
| 10 June Friendly | South Korea | 2–2 | Paraguay | Suwon, South Korea |
| 20:00 UTC+9 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Suwon World Cup Stadium Attendance: 40,228 Referee: Jérémie Pignard (France) |
| 14 June Friendly | South Korea | 4–1 | Egypt | Seoul, South Korea |
| 20:00 UTC+9 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance: 59,712 Referee: Jérémie Pignard (France) |
| 20 July 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship | China | 0–3 | South Korea | Toyota, Japan |
| 19:00 UTC+9 | Report |
| Stadium: Toyota Stadium Attendance: 200 Referee: Akhrol Riskullaev (Uzbekistan) |
| 24 July 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship | South Korea | 3–0 | Hong Kong | Toyota, Japan |
| 16:00 UTC+9 |
| Report | Stadium: Toyota Stadium, Toyota Attendance: 4,335 Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia) |
| 27 July 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship | Japan | 3–0 | South Korea | Toyota, Japan |
| 19:20 UTC+9 | Report | Stadium: Toyota Stadium Attendance: 14,117 Referee: Akhrol Riskullaev (Uzbekistan) |
| 23 September Friendly | South Korea | 2–2 | Costa Rica | Goyang, South Korea |
| 20:00 UTC+9 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Goyang Stadium Attendance: 37,581 Referee: Alex King (Australia) |
| 27 September Friendly | South Korea | 1–0 | Cameroon | Seoul, South Korea |
| 20:00 UTC+9 |
| Report | Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance: 59,389 Referee: Alex King (Australia) |
| 11 November Friendly | South Korea | 1–0 | Iceland | Hwaseong, South Korea |
| 20:00 UTC+9 |
| Report | Stadium: Hwaseong Stadium Attendance: 15,274 Referee: Jumpei Iida (Japan) |
| 24 November 2022 FIFA World Cup Group H | Uruguay | 0–0 | South Korea | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
| 16:00 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium: Education City Stadium Attendance: 41,663 Referee: Clément Turpin (France) |
| 28 November 2022 FIFA World Cup Group H | South Korea | 2–3 | Ghana | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
| 16:00 UTC+3 |
| Report | Stadium: Education City Stadium Attendance: 43,983 Referee: Anthony Taylor (England) |
| 2 December 2022 FIFA World Cup Group H | South Korea | 2–1 | Portugal | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
| 18:00 UTC+3 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Education City Stadium Attendance: 44,097 Referee: Facundo Tello (Argentina) |
| 5 December 2022 FIFA World Cup R16 | Brazil | 4–1 | South Korea | Doha, Qatar |
| 22:00 UTC+3 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Stadium 974 Attendance: 43,847 Referee: Clément Turpin (France) |
2023
| 24 March Friendly | South Korea | 2–2 | Colombia | Ulsan, South Korea |
| 20:00 UTC+9 |
| Report | Stadium: Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium Attendance: 35,727 Referee: Jumpei Iida (Japan) |
| 28 March Friendly | South Korea | 1–2 | Uruguay | Seoul, South Korea |
| 20:00 UTC+9 |
| Report | Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance: 63,952 Referee: Yudai Yamamoto (Japan) |
All-time results
- As of 28 March 2023
| Year | GP | W | D | L | Win % | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948–1959 | 48 | 28 | 9 | 11 | 58.33 | Matches |
| 1960–1969 | 90 | 52 | 15 | 23 | 57.78 | Matches |
| 1970–1979 | 186 | 117 | 44 | 25 | 62.90 | Matches |
| 1980–1989 | 129 | 75 | 29 | 25 | 58.14 | Matches |
| 1990–1999 | 151 | 70 | 45 | 36 | 46.36 | Matches |
| 2000–2009 | 171 | 76 | 56 | 39 | 44.44 | Matches |
| 2010–2019 | 154 | 81 | 31 | 42 | 52.60 | Matches |
| 2020–present | 34 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 58.82 | Matches |
| Total | 963 | 519 | 235 | 209 | 53.89 | — |
Coaching staff
- As of 9 March 2023[79]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Jürgen Klinsmann |
| Assistant manager | Andi Herzog |
| Coach | Paolo Stringara |
| Michael Kim | |
| Goalkeeping coach | Andreas Köpke |
| Fitness coach | Werner Leuthard |
| Technical advisor | Cha Du-ri |
Players
Current squad
The following players were called up for the friendly matches against Colombia and Uruguay on 24 and 28 March 2023, respectively.[80][81]
Caps and goals updated as of 28 March 2023, after the match against Uruguay.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Kim Seung-gyu | 30 September 1990 | 72 | 0 | Al-Shabab |
| 12 | GK | Song Bum-keun | 15 October 1997 | 1 | 0 | Shonan Bellmare |
| 21 | GK | Jo Hyeon-woo | 25 September 1991 | 23 | 0 | Ulsan Hyundai |
| 2 | DF | Lee Ki-je | 9 July 1991 | 4 | 0 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
| 4 | DF | Kim Min-jae | 15 November 1996 | 49 | 3 | Napoli |
| 14 | DF | Cho Yu-min | 17 November 1996 | 5 | 0 | Daejeon Hana Citizen |
| 15 | DF | Kim Moon-hwan | 1 August 1995 | 26 | 0 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
| 19 | DF | Kim Young-gwon | 27 February 1990 | 102 | 7 | Ulsan Hyundai |
| 20 | DF | Kwon Kyung-won | 31 January 1992 | 30 | 2 | Gamba Osaka |
| 23 | DF | Kim Tae-hwan | 24 July 1989 | 21 | 0 | Ulsan Hyundai |
| 27 | DF | Seol Young-woo | 5 December 1998 | 0 | 0 | Ulsan Hyundai |
| 5 | MF | Jung Woo-young | 14 December 1989 | 72 | 3 | Al-Sadd |
| 6 | MF | Hwang In-beom | 20 September 1996 | 43 | 5 | Olympiacos |
| 7 | MF | Son Heung-min (captain) | 8 July 1992 | 110 | 37 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 8 | MF | Paik Seung-ho | 17 March 1997 | 15 | 3 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
| 10 | MF | Lee Jae-sung | 10 August 1992 | 69 | 9 | Mainz 05 |
| 13 | MF | Son Jun-ho | 12 May 1992 | 20 | 0 | Shandong Taishan |
| 17 | MF | Na Sang-ho | 12 August 1996 | 27 | 2 | FC Seoul |
| 18 | MF | Lee Kang-in | 19 February 2001 | 12 | 0 | Mallorca |
| 22 | MF | Kwon Chang-hoon | 30 June 1994 | 43 | 12 | Gimcheon Sangmu |
| 24 | MF | Song Min-kyu | 12 September 1999 | 13 | 1 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
| 25 | MF | Jeong Woo-yeong | 20 September 1999 | 11 | 2 | SC Freiburg |
| 9 | FW | Cho Gue-sung | 25 January 1998 | 22 | 6 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
| 16 | FW | Hwang Ui-jo | 28 August 1992 | 54 | 16 | FC Seoul |
| 26 | FW | Oh Hyeon-gyu | 12 April 2001 | 3 | 0 | Celtic |
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the South Korea squad within the last twelve months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Gu Sung-yun | 27 June 1994 | 4 | 0 | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | v. Iceland, 11 November 2022 |
| GK | Kim Dong-jun | 19 December 1994 | 1 | 0 | Jeju United | v. Cameroon, 27 September 2022 |
| DF | Kim Jin-su | 13 June 1992 | 66 | 2 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | v. Colombia, 24 March 2023 INJ |
| DF | Hong Chul | 17 September 1990 | 47 | 1 | Daegu FC | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| DF | Yoon Jong-gyu | 20 March 1998 | 4 | 0 | Gimcheon Sangmu | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| DF | Park Ji-soo | 13 June 1994 | 14 | 0 | Portimonense | v. Iceland, 11 November 2022 |
| DF | Lee Sang-min | 1 January 1998 | 0 | 0 | Gimcheon Sangmu | v. Iceland, 11 November 2022 |
| DF | Park Min-gyu | 10 August 1995 | 0 | 0 | Gimcheon Sangmu | v. Iceland, 11 November 2022 |
| DF | Kim Ju-sung | 12 December 2000 | 1 | 0 | FC Seoul | 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship |
| DF | Lee Jae-ik | 21 May 1999 | 1 | 0 | Seoul E-Land | 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship |
| DF | Lee Yong | 24 December 1986 | 57 | 0 | Suwon FC | v. Egypt, 14 June 2022 |
| DF | Jung Seung-hyun | 3 April 1994 | 11 | 0 | Ulsan Hyundai | v. Egypt, 14 June 2022 |
| MF | Hwang Hee-chan | 26 January 1996 | 51 | 10 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | v. Colombia, 24 March 2023 INJ |
| MF | Kim Jin-gyu | 24 February 1997 | 8 | 2 | Gimcheon Sangmu | v. Iceland, 11 November 2022 |
| MF | Um Won-sang | 6 January 1999 | 7 | 0 | Ulsan Hyundai | v. Iceland, 11 November 2022 |
| MF | Ko Seung-beom | 24 April 1994 | 3 | 0 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | v. Iceland, 11 November 2022 |
| MF | Yang Hyun-jun | 25 May 2002 | 0 | 0 | Gangwon FC | v. Iceland, 11 November 2022 |
| MF | Lee Yeong-jae | 13 September 1994 | 5 | 0 | Gimcheon Sangmu | 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship |
| MF | Kim Dong-hyun | 11 June 1997 | 3 | 0 | Gimcheon Sangmu | 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship |
| MF | Kang Seong-jin | 26 March 2003 | 2 | 2 | FC Seoul | 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship |
| MF | Goh Young-joon | 9 July 2001 | 1 | 0 | Pohang Steelers | 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship |
| MF | Lee Ki-hyuk | 7 July 2000 | 1 | 0 | Jeju United | 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship |
| FW | Cho Young-wook | 5 February 1999 | 4 | 1 | Gimcheon Sangmu | v. Cameroon, 27 September 2022 |
| ||||||
Notable former players
The following players were inducted into the KFA Hall of Fame,[82] or were selected for the Korean Best XI of All Time in one or more surveys.[83][84]
Goalkeepers
- Hong Deok-young (1948–1954)
- Lee Se-yeon (1966–1973)
- Lee Woon-jae (1994–2010)
- Kim Jung-nam (1964–1973)
- Kim Ho (1966–1972)
- Hong Myung-bo (1990–2002)
- Lee Young-pyo (1999–2011)
- Kim Yong-sik (1948–1950)
- Huh Jung-moo (1974–1986)
- Lee Young-moo (1975–1981)
- Cho Kwang-rae (1977–1986)
- Park Chang-sun (1979–1986)
- Park Ji-sung (2000–2011)
- Lee Hoe-taik (1966–1977)
- Cha Bum-kun (1972–1986)
- Choi Soon-ho (1980–1991)
- Kim Joo-sung (1985–1996)
Individual records
- As of 28 March 2023[85]
Players in bold are still active with South Korea.
Most appearances
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha Bum-kun | 136 | 58 | 1972–1986 |
| Hong Myung-bo | 136 | 10 | 1990–2002 | |
| 3 | Lee Woon-jae | 133 | 0 | 1994–2010 |
| 4 | Lee Young-pyo | 127 | 5 | 1999–2011 |
| 5 | Kim Ho-kon | 124 | 5 | 1971–1979 |
| 6 | Yoo Sang-chul | 122 | 18 | 1994–2005 |
| 7 | Cho Young-jeung | 113 | 1 | 1975–1986 |
| 8 | Ki Sung-yueng | 110 | 10 | 2008–2019 |
| Son Heung-min | 110 | 37 | 2010–present | |
| 10 | Park Sung-hwa | 107 | 26 | 1975–1984 |
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha Bum-kun | 58 | 136 | 0.43 | 1972–1986 |
| 2 | Hwang Sun-hong | 50 | 103 | 0.49 | 1988–2002 |
| 3 | Son Heung-min | 37 | 110 | 0.34 | 2010–present |
| 4 | Park Lee-chun | 36 | 89 | 0.4 | 1969–1974 |
| 5 | Kim Jae-han | 33 | 57 | 0.58 | 1972–1979 |
| Lee Dong-gook | 33 | 105 | 0.31 | 1998–2017 | |
| 7 | Choi Soon-ho | 30 | 103 | 0.29 | 1980–1991 |
| 8 | Kim Do-hoon | 29 | 72 | 0.4 | 1994–2003 |
| Huh Jung-moo | 29 | 84 | 0.35 | 1974–1986 | |
| 10 | Choi Yong-soo | 27 | 67 | 0.4 | 1995–2003 |
| Lee Tae-ho | 27 | 72 | 0.38 | 1980–1991 | |
| Kim Jin-kook | 27 | 94 | 0.29 | 1972–1978 |
Competitive record
Champions Runners-up Third place Tournament played on home soil
FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | |
| 1930 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | ||||||||||||||
| 1934 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1938 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1950 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 1954 | Group stage | 16th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | Squad | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | |
| 1958 | Did not enter | Entry denied by FIFA[86] | ||||||||||||||
| 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 | 20th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | Squad | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 3 | |
| 1990 | 22nd | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | Squad | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 1 | ||
| 1994 | 20th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Squad | 13 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 32 | 5 | ||
| 1998 | 30th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | Squad | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 8 | ||
| 2002 | Fourth place | 4th | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
| 2006 | Group stage | 17th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | Squad | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 7 | |
| 2010 | Round of 16 | 15th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | Squad | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 22 | 7 | |
| 2014 | Group stage | 27th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | Squad | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 11 | |
| 2018 | 19th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | Squad | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 38 | 10 | ||
| 2022 | Round of 16 | 16th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | Squad | 16 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 35 | 4 | |
| 2026 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| Total | Fourth place | 11/19[a] | 38 | 7 | 10 | 21 | 39 | 78 | — | 151 | 94 | 39 | 18 | 299 | 90 | |
- ^ Statistics since 1948, when South Korea became a member of FIFA.
Olympic Games
- Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since 1992.
| Olympic Games record | Qualification record[87] | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | |
| 1900–1936 | Not an IOC member | |||||||||||||||
| 1948 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 15 | Squad | Directly qualified | ||||||
| 1952 | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
| 1956 | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| 1960 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 1964 | Group stage | 14th | 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 | 11th | 3[b] | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
| 1992–present | See South Korea national under-23 football team | |||||||||||||||
| Total | Quarter-finals | 3/11[c] | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 37 | — | 42 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 91 | 39 | |
- ^ Includes one unofficial match against Brazil Olympic.
- ^ Includes two unofficial matches against the Soviet Union Olympic and Argentina Olympic.
- ^ Statistics since 1947, when South Korea became a member of the International Olympic Committee.
AFC Asian Cup
| AFC Asian Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | |
| 1956 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 6 | Squad | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| 1960 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
| 1964[a] | Third place | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Squad | Direct entry | ||||||
| 1968 | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 4 | |||||||||
| 1972 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | Squad | Direct entry | ||||||
| 1976 | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| 1980 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 6 | Squad | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
| 1984 | Group stage | 9th | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Squad | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 1988 | Runners-up | 2nd | 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 | 7th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 11 | Squad | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | |
| 2000 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 6 | Squad | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| 2004 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | Squad | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 4 | |
| 2007 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Squad | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 5 | |
| 2011 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 7 | Squad | Directly qualified | ||||||
| 2015 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | Squad | Directly qualified | ||||||
| 2019 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | Squad | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| 2023 | Qualified | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |||||||||
| Total | Champions | 15/18 | 67 | 36 | 16 | 15 | 106 | 64 | — | 56 | 41 | 6 | 9 | 186 | 24 | |
Asian Games
- Football at the Asian Games has been an under-23 tournament since 2002.
| Asian Games record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Squad |
| 1951 | Did not enter | ||||||||
| 1954 | Silver medalists | 2nd | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 12 | Squad |
| 1958 | Silver medalists | 2nd | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 6 | Squad |
| 1962 | Silver medalists | 2nd | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | Squad |
| 1966 | First round | 11th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | Squad |
| 1970 | Gold medalists | 1st | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | Squad |
| 1974 | Second round | 8th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | Squad |
| 1978 | Gold medalists | 1st | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 3 | Squad |
| 1982 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | Squad |
| 1986 | Gold medalists | 1st | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 3 | Squad |
| 1990 | Bronze medalists | 3rd | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 1 | Squad |
| 1994 | Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 7 | Squad |
| 1998 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 6 | Squad |
| 2002–present | See South Korea national under-23 football team | ||||||||
| Total | Gold medalists | 12/13 | 61 | 36 | 8 | 17 | 128 | 63 | — |
EAFF Championship
| EAFF Championship record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Squad |
| 2003 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | Squad |
| 2005 | Fourth place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Squad |
| 2008 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | Squad |
| 2010 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | Squad |
| 2013 | Third place | 3rd | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Squad |
| 2015 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | Squad |
| 2017 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | Squad |
| 2019 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | Squad |
| 2022 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Squad |
| Total | Champions | 9/9 | 27 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 39 | 20 | — |
Other competitions
| Year | Competition | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Squad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | CONCACAF Gold Cup | Group stage | 9th | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | Squad |
| 2001 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | Squad |
| 2002 | CONCACAF Gold Cup | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | Squad |
Head-to-head record
The following table shows South Korea's head-to-head record, correct as of 28 March 2023.[88]
| Positive balance (more wins) | |
| Neutral balance (equal W/L ratio) | |
| Negative balance (more losses) |
| Opponent | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Winning % | Confederation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 100.00 | AFC |
| Algeria | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | +0 | 50.00 | CAF |
| Angola | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 | CAF |
| Argentina | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 0.00 | CONMEBOL |
| Australia (list) | 28 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 28 | 28 | +0 | 28.57 | AFC[a] |
| Bahrain | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 37 | 11 | +26 | 68.75 | AFC |
| Bangladesh | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | +13 | 100.00 | AFC |
| Belarus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0.00 | UEFA |
| Belgium | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 0.00 | UEFA |
| Bolivia | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 33.33 | CONMEBOL |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | +0 | 50.00 | UEFA |
| Brazil | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 20 | −14 | 12.50 | CONMEBOL |
| Brunei | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 100.00 | AFC |
| Bulgaria | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0.00 | UEFA |
| Burkina Faso | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 | CAF |
| Cambodia[b] | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 4 | +18 | 85.71 | AFC |
| Cameroon | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 60.00 | CAF |
| Canada | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 40.00 | CONCACAF |
| Chile | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 33.33 | CONMEBOL |
| China (list) | 36 | 21 | 13 | 2 | 52 | 26 | +26 | 58.33 | AFC |
| Chinese Taipei[c] | 21 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 50 | 19 | +31 | 66.67 | AFC |
| Colombia | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 50.00 | CONMEBOL |
| Costa Rica | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 12 | +1 | 40.00 | CONCACAF |
| Croatia | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 28.57 | UEFA |
| Cuba | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 0.00 | CONCACAF |
| Czech Republic[d] | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 20.00 | UEFA |
| Denmark | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0.00 | UEFA |
| Ecuador | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 50.00 | CONMEBOL |
| Egypt[e] | 18 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 18 | 21 | −3 | 33.33 | CAF |
| England | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 0.00 | UEFA |
| Finland | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 100.00 | UEFA |
| France | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 0.00 | UEFA |
| Georgia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +0 | 0.00 | UEFA |
| Germany | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 50.00 | UEFA |
| Ghana | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 14 | −4 | 42.86 | CAF |
| Greece | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 75.00 | UEFA |
| Guam | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 100.00 | AFC |
| Guatemala | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 33.33 | CONCACAF |
| Haiti | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 100.00 | CONCACAF |
| Honduras | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 100.00 | CONCACAF |
| Hong Kong | 29 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 69 | 21 | +48 | 75.86 | AFC |
| Hungary | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | −10 | 0.00 | UEFA |
| Iceland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 100.00 | UEFA |
south, korea, national, football, team, this, article, about, team, women, team, south, korea, women, national, football, team, korean, 대한민국, 축구, 국가대표팀, recognized, korea, republic, fifa, represents, south, korea, international, football, governed, korea, foot. This article is about men s team For women s team see South Korea women s national football team The South Korea national football team Korean 대한민국 축구 국가대표팀 recognized as Korea Republic by FIFA 3 represents South Korea in men s international football and is governed by the Korea Football Association South Korea has emerged as a major football power in Asia since the 1980s having participated in ten consecutive and eleven overall FIFA World Cup tournaments the most for any Asian country Despite initially going through five World Cup tournaments without winning a match South Korea became the first and so far only Asian team to reach the semi finals when they co hosted the 2002 tournament with Japan South Korea also won two AFC Asian Cup titles and finished as runners up on four occasions Furthermore the team won three gold medals and three silver medals at the senior Asian Games 4 Korea RepublicNickname s 태극전사 Taegeuk Warriors 아시아의 호랑이 Tigers of Asia AssociationKorea Football Association KFA ConfederationAFC Asia Sub confederationEAFF East Asia Head coachJurgen KlinsmannCaptainSon Heung minMost capsCha Bum kunHong Myung bo both 136 Top scorerCha Bum kun 58 Home stadiumVariousFIFA codeKORFirst coloursSecond coloursFIFA rankingCurrent27 2 6 April 2023 1 Highest17 December 1998 Lowest69 November 2014 January 2015 First international South Korea 5 3 Mexico London England 2 August 1948 Biggest win South Korea 16 0 Nepal Incheon South Korea 29 September 2003 Biggest defeat South Korea 0 12 Sweden London England 5 August 1948 World CupAppearances11 first in 1954 Best resultFourth place 2002 Asian CupAppearances14 first in 1956 Best resultChampions 1956 1960 EAFF ChampionshipAppearances9 first in 2003 Best resultChampions 2003 2008 2015 2017 2019 FIFA Confederations CupAppearances1 first in 2001 Best resultGroup stage 2001 Medal record Men s footballAFC Asian Cup1956 Hong Kong Team1960 South Korea Team1972 Thailand Team1980 Kuwait Team1988 Qatar Team2015 Australia Team1964 Israel Team2000 Lebanon Team2007 Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam Team2011 Qatar TeamAsian Games1970 Bangkok Team1978 Bangkok Team1986 Seoul Team1954 Manila Team1958 Tokyo Team1962 Jakarta Team1990 Beijing TeamEAFF Championship2003 Japan Team2008 China Team2015 China Team2017 Japan Team2019 South Korea Team2010 Japan Team2022 Japan Team2013 South Korea TeamWebsitekfa or krSouth Korea national football teamHangul대한민국 축구 국가대표팀Hanja大韓民國 蹴球 國家代表팀Revised RomanizationDaehan Min guk Chukgu Gukga Daepyo TimMcCune ReischauerTaehan Min guk Ch ukku Kukka Taep yo T imThe team is commonly nicknamed the Reds by both fans and the media due to the color of their primary kit The national team s supporting group is officially referred to as the Red Devils 5 Contents 1 History 1 1 Early history 1 2 First World Cup team 1954 1 3 Foundation of Yangzee 1967 1 4 Golden generation 1986 1 5 Tragedy of Marseille 1998 1 6 Hiddink s magic 2002 1 7 Captain Park era 2008 1 8 Proactive football 2022 2 Team image 2 1 Nicknames 2 2 Kits and crest 2 2 1 Kit suppliers 2 2 2 Kit deals 2 3 Home stadium 2 4 Rivalries 2 5 Supporters 3 Recent results and fixtures 3 1 2022 3 2 2023 4 All time results 5 Coaching staff 6 Players 6 1 Current squad 6 2 Recent call ups 6 3 Notable former players 7 Individual records 7 1 Most appearances 7 2 Top goalscorers 8 Competitive record 8 1 FIFA World Cup 8 2 Olympic Games 8 3 AFC Asian Cup 8 4 Asian Games 8 5 EAFF Championship 8 6 Other competitions 9 Head to head record 10 Honours 11 See also 12 References 13 External linksHistory EditMain article History of the South Korea national football team Early history Edit Further information Football in South Korea 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 the Royal Navy sailors from HMS Flying Fish played a game while their vessel was visiting the Incheon Port 6 Korea became a Japanese colony in 1905 and was annexed into it 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 7 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 6 Koreans also played for the Japanese national team most notably Kim Yong sik who played for Japan at the 1936 Summer Olympics 8 The Joseon FA was reorganized in 1945 as Japanese occupation ended with the end of World War II 6 9 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 6 First World Cup team 1954 Edit In 1954 South Korea entered FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time and qualified for the 1954 FIFA World Cup by beating Japan 7 3 on aggregate 10 South Korea were only the second Asian team to compete at a World Cup after the Dutch East Indies Indonesia 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 11 It would take thirty two years before South Korea was able to participate at the World Cup finals again Despite this poor performance South Korea successfully rallied by winning the inaugural AFC Asian Cup in 1956 12 They hosted the next edition in 1960 and successfully retained the title beating South Vietnam Israel and Republic of China in the process 13 However the South Korean players received fake medals instead of the gold medals they had been promised and returned them to the KFA 14 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 1960 something that has thus been attributed to the curse of the fake gold medals 15 Foundation of Yangzee 1967 Edit Main article Yangzee FC In 1965 the South Korean government was hesitant to play football matches against North Korea and thus withdrew from the 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 16 This would be proven true as the North Koreans advanced to the quarter finals at the 1966 FIFA World Cup In March 1967 the South Korean Central Intelligence Agency KCIA founded Yangzee FC collecting famous footballers in South Korea to train them intensively 17 Yangzee players received benefits like exemption from military service long term overseas training and high salaries in return for intensive training 17 At the 1968 Summer Olympics qualification South Korea was eliminated by goal difference although their points were tied with Japan the group winners 18 They also participated in the 1969 Asian Club Championship finishing as runners up 19 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 17 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 20 Golden generation 1986 Edit OhYun kyoChoYoung jeungChungYong hwanParkKyung hoonHuhJung mooParkChang sunChoKwang raeByunByung jooKimJoo sungChaBum kunChoiSoon hoSouth Korea s starting line up against Italy at the 1986 FIFA World Cup 21 22 In 1986 South Korea won the East Asian tournament of the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification including two victories against Japan in the final round and was able to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1954 After one of the greatest forwards of German Bundesliga at that time Cha Bum kun 23 24 joined the existing winning team the South Korean squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup was evaluated as the golden generation in their country 25 South Korea lost 3 1 to the eventual champion Argentina but Park Chang sun scored the first South Korean goal of the World Cup in the first group match They drew 1 1 with Bulgaria and faced the defending champion Italy in the crucial 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 although Huh Jung moo pulled one back Afterwards South Korean newscasts and journalists criticized the referee David Socha claiming that his judgements about situations of the game were poor including the decision to award a penalty to Italy 26 27 South Korea redeemed their failure of World Cup success with a gold at the 1986 Asian Games 28 Tragedy of Marseille 1998 Edit In 1997 Cha Bum kun became the head coach going into the 1998 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 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 29 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 30 who conceded five of the Netherlands 17 shots on target 31 The team then managed a 1 1 draw against Belgium Hiddink s magic 2002 Edit Seoul Plaza during the 2002 World Cup LeeWoon jaeHongMyung boChoiJin cheulKimTae youngSongChong gugLeeYoung pyoKimNam ilYooSang chulParkJi sungSeolKi hyeonAhnJung hwanSouth Korea s starting line up against Italy at the 2002 FIFA World Cup 32 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 33 The KFA promised him to ensure long term training camps and authority about management of coaching staff 34 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 35 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 finishing the preparation for the tournament successfully 36 37 38 South Korea co hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament with Japan They had never won a game in the World Cup previously but 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 the favored Portuguese side Portugal earned two red cards in the match reducing them to nine men and Park Ji sung scored the winning goal 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 39 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 South Korea faced Spain in the quarter finals Spain managed to score twice in this match but both goals were disallowed by the referees 40 41 The game then went to the penalty shoot out where South Korea won 5 3 thus becoming the first Asian team to reach the final four 42 The South Korean team s run was halted by a 1 0 loss to Germany in the semi finals They lost to Turkey 3 2 in the third place match and finished the tournament in fourth place Team captain Hong Myung bo received the Bronze Ball as the World Cup s third best player the first Asian footballer to be awarded this In addition Hong was selected for the team of tournament alongside teammate Yoo Sang chul the first and only time Asian footballers have been named This level of success was unprecedented for a country that had never before won a game in the World Cup They had gone further than any Asian team and upset several established European teams in the process leading to an increase in the popularity of football in the country Hiddink became a national hero in South Korea becoming the first person to be granted honorary citizenship as well as being given a private villa citation needed Captain Park era 2008 Edit South Korea playing against Argentina at the FIFA World Cup in June 2010 In 2008 South Korea chose Huh Jung moo as their manager and Park Ji sung as the next captain Under Huh and Park the South Korean team was undefeated for 27 consecutive games in 2009 43 At 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 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 They then obtained a 2 2 draw in a match against Nigeria with Lee Jung soo scoring in the tournament once more and Park Chu young redeeming his own goal from the previous game by scoring from a free kick This allowed them to make it to the second round for the first time on foreign soil In the knockout stage they met Uruguay who took an early lead with a goal from Luis Suarez South Korea equalized in the second half after Lee Chung yong scored his second goal of the tournament but South Korea conceded another goal by Suarez in the 80th minute Despite maintaining the majority of the possession in the second half South Korea was unable to equalize again and were eliminated from the tournament Proactive football 2022 Edit Paulo Bento was the longest serving manager in South Korean national team history 44 Kim Pan gon the KFA official in charge of finding a new coach contracted Paulo Bento and his coaching team to set long term goals after the 2018 FIFA World Cup 45 Bento showed a philosophy that wasn t dominated by the opposition s tactics and maintained his team s build up play 46 However South Korea an underdog in the World Cup 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 47 Bento s team easily qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after scoring well against Asian teams but the media still doubted that his proactive tactics would be effective against World Cup giants 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 48 At the World Cup South Korea contested a goalless draw with Uruguay but 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 49 Bento was sent off for arguing with referee Anthony Taylor just after the match ended 50 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 Kim Young gwon and Hwang Hee chan s goals advancing to the knockout stage as group runners up 51 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 52 Team image EditNicknames Edit 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 53 54 Kits and crest Edit 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 home color paired with black shorts South Korea used to wear the South Korean flag as their shirt badge until 2001 when their tiger crest was unveiled 55 On 5 February 2020 the KFA announced a new more simplistic logo 56 The emblem retained the tiger albeit in a more minimalist design enclosed in a rectangular frame 56 Red blue and white South Korea s traditional colors have been maintained in the new logo 56 Kit suppliers Edit Kit supplier Period NotesAdidas Asics Kolon Sports Prospecs Weekend ko 1977 1985 South Korea didn t have an exclusive kit sponsor at that time though they contracted with Adidas as their first official kit sponsor 57 Weekend ko 1985 1988 Sportswear brand of Samsung C amp T Corporation 58 Rapido ko 1988 1995 Weekend was renamed Rapido in January 1988 59 Nike 1996 present Contracted at the end of 1995 60 and sponsored since 1 January 1996 Kit deals Edit Kit supplier Period Contract date Contract duration Total Annual Ref Nike 1996 present December 1995 1996 1997 3 million 1 5 million16 December 1997 1998 2002 38 million 7 6 million 61 9 January 2003 2003 2007 50 million 10 0 million 62 23 October 2007 2008 2011 49 million 12 3 million 63 13 January 2012 2012 2019 120 million 15 0 million 64 20 January 2020 2020 2031 204 million 17 0 million 65 Home stadium Edit Main article List of football stadiums in South Korea 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 66 They currently play their home matches at several stadiums which are also used by K League clubs Rivalries Edit South Korea s greatest rival is Japan This 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 67 68 South Korea leads the all time series with 42 wins 23 draws and 16 losses 69 A rivalry has also developed with Iran 70 The two nations have played against each other officially since 1958 totalling 33 matches as of March 2022 including eleven World Cup qualifiers South Korea and Iran were among the strongest Asian national teams during the 1960s and 1970s Although the teams only had one chance to play against each other in the final match of the AFC 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 69 Another major rival is Australia South Korea trails behind Australia with 8 wins 11 draws and 9 defeats In major competitions South Korea won only two official matches against Australia and also lost in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final 71 South Korea has had great success against China with China failing to defeat them in 28 competitive matches before finally winning a game in 2010 citation needed They also possess a strong rivalry with North Korea though matches are infrequent due to diplomatic and security reasons Supporters Edit See also Red Devils supporters club 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 39 Their most common chant is Dae Han Min Guk Korean 대 한민국 lit Republic of Korea or Great Korea followed by five claps 72 The FIFA Fan Fest was introduced at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea Recent results and fixtures EditMain article South Korea national football team results 2020 present Win Draw Loss Fixtures The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months as well as any future matches that have been scheduled 73 74 75 76 2022 Edit South Korea v Brazil 2 June FriendlySouth Korea 1 5 BrazilSeoul South Korea20 00 UTC 9 Hwang Ui jo 31 Report Richarlison 7 Neymar 42 pen 57 pen Coutinho 80 Gabriel Jesus 90 3 Stadium Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance 64 872Referee Ryuji Sato Japan South Korea v Chile 6 June FriendlySouth Korea 2 0 ChileDaejeon South Korea20 00 UTC 9 Hwang Hee chan 12 Son Heung min 90 1 Report Stadium Daejeon World Cup Stadium Attendance 40 135Referee Ryuji Sato Japan South Korea v Paraguay 10 June FriendlySouth Korea 2 2 ParaguaySuwon South Korea20 00 UTC 9 Son Heung min 66 Jeong Woo yeong 90 3 Report Almiron 23 49 Stadium Suwon World Cup Stadium Attendance 40 228Referee Jeremie Pignard France South Korea v Egypt 14 June FriendlySouth Korea 4 1 EgyptSeoul South Korea20 00 UTC 9 Hwang Ui jo 16 Kim Young gwon 21 Cho Gue sung 85 Kwon Chang hoon 90 1 Report Mohamed 37 Stadium Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance 59 712Referee Jeremie Pignard France China v South Korea 20 July 2022 EAFF E 1 Football ChampionshipChina 0 3 South KoreaToyota Japan19 00 UTC 9 Report Zhu Chenjie 39 o g Kwon Chang hoon 54 Cho Gue sung 80 Stadium Toyota Stadium Attendance 200Referee Akhrol Riskullaev Uzbekistan South Korea v Hong Kong 24 July 2022 EAFF E 1 Football ChampionshipSouth Korea 3 0 Hong KongToyota Japan16 00 UTC 9 Kang Seong jin 17 86 Hong Chul 74 Report Stadium Toyota Stadium Toyota Attendance 4 335Referee Nazmi Nasaruddin Malaysia Japan v South Korea 27 July 2022 EAFF E 1 Football ChampionshipJapan 3 0 South KoreaToyota Japan19 20 UTC 9 Soma 49 Sasaki 63 Machino 72 Report Stadium Toyota Stadium Attendance 14 117Referee Akhrol Riskullaev Uzbekistan South Korea v Costa Rica 23 September FriendlySouth Korea 2 2 Costa RicaGoyang South Korea20 00 UTC 9 Hwang Hee chan 28 Son Heung min 85 Report Bennette 41 63 Stadium Goyang Stadium Attendance 37 581Referee Alex King Australia South Korea v Cameroon 27 September FriendlySouth Korea 1 0 CameroonSeoul South Korea20 00 UTC 9 Son Heung min 35 Report Stadium Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance 59 389Referee Alex King Australia South Korea v Iceland 11 November FriendlySouth Korea 1 0 IcelandHwaseong South Korea20 00 UTC 9 Song Min kyu 33 Report Stadium Hwaseong Stadium Attendance 15 274Referee Jumpei Iida Japan Uruguay v South Korea 24 November 2022 FIFA World Cup Group HUruguay 0 0 South KoreaAl Rayyan Qatar16 00 UTC 3 Report Stadium Education City Stadium Attendance 41 663Referee Clement Turpin France South Korea v Ghana 28 November 2022 FIFA World Cup Group HSouth Korea 2 3 GhanaAl Rayyan Qatar16 00 UTC 3 Cho Gue sung 58 61 Report Salisu 24 Kudus 34 68 Stadium Education City Stadium Attendance 43 983Referee Anthony Taylor England South Korea v Portugal 2 December 2022 FIFA World Cup Group HSouth Korea 2 1 PortugalAl Rayyan Qatar18 00 UTC 3 Kim Young gwon 27 Hwang Hee chan 90 1 Report Horta 5 Stadium Education City Stadium Attendance 44 097Referee Facundo Tello Argentina Brazil v South Korea 5 December 2022 FIFA World Cup R16Brazil 4 1 South KoreaDoha Qatar22 00 UTC 3 Vinicius 7 Neymar 13 pen Richarlison 29 Paqueta 36 Report Paik Seung ho 76 Stadium Stadium 974 Attendance 43 847Referee Clement Turpin France 2023 Edit South Korea v Colombia 24 March FriendlySouth Korea 2 2 ColombiaUlsan South Korea20 00 UTC 9 Son Heung min 10 45 2 Report Rodriguez 46 Carrascal 49 Stadium Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium Attendance 35 727Referee Jumpei Iida Japan South Korea v Uruguay 28 March FriendlySouth Korea 1 2 UruguaySeoul South Korea20 00 UTC 9 Hwang In beom 51 Report Coates 10 Vecino 63 Stadium Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance 63 952Referee Yudai Yamamoto Japan All time results EditMain article South Korea national football team results As of 28 March 2023Year GP W D L Win Matches1948 1959 48 28 9 11 0 58 33 Matches1960 1969 90 52 15 23 0 57 78 Matches1970 1979 186 117 44 25 0 62 90 Matches1980 1989 129 75 29 25 0 58 14 Matches1990 1999 151 70 45 36 0 46 36 Matches2000 2009 171 76 56 39 0 44 44 Matches2010 2019 154 81 31 42 0 52 60 Matches2020 present 34 20 6 8 0 58 82 MatchesTotal 963 519 235 209 0 53 89 Coaching staff Edit Jurgen Klinsmann became South Korea s 73rd manager in 2023 Guus Hiddink is widely regarded as the most successful manager in South Korean football history 77 78 Main article List of South Korea national football team managers As of 9 March 2023 79 Position NameManager Jurgen KlinsmannAssistant manager Andi HerzogCoach Paolo Stringara Michael KimGoalkeeping coach Andreas KopkeFitness coach Werner LeuthardTechnical advisor Cha Du riPlayers EditCurrent squad Edit The following players were called up for the friendly matches against Colombia and Uruguay on 24 and 28 March 2023 respectively 80 81 Caps and goals updated as of 28 March 2023 after the match against Uruguay No Pos Player Date of birth age Caps Goals Club1 1 GK Kim Seung gyu 1990 09 30 30 September 1990 age 32 72 0 Al Shabab12 1 GK Song Bum keun 1997 10 15 15 October 1997 age 25 1 0 Shonan Bellmare21 1 GK Jo Hyeon woo 1991 09 25 25 September 1991 age 31 23 0 Ulsan Hyundai2 2 DF Lee Ki je 1991 07 09 9 July 1991 age 31 4 0 Suwon Samsung Bluewings4 2 DF Kim Min jae 1996 11 15 15 November 1996 age 26 49 3 Napoli14 2 DF Cho Yu min 1996 11 17 17 November 1996 age 26 5 0 Daejeon Hana Citizen15 2 DF Kim Moon hwan 1995 08 01 1 August 1995 age 27 26 0 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors19 2 DF Kim Young gwon 1990 02 27 27 February 1990 age 33 102 7 Ulsan Hyundai20 2 DF Kwon Kyung won 1992 01 31 31 January 1992 age 31 30 2 Gamba Osaka23 2 DF Kim Tae hwan 1989 07 24 24 July 1989 age 33 21 0 Ulsan Hyundai27 2 DF Seol Young woo 1998 12 05 5 December 1998 age 24 0 0 Ulsan Hyundai5 3 MF Jung Woo young 1989 12 14 14 December 1989 age 33 72 3 Al Sadd6 3 MF Hwang In beom 1996 09 20 20 September 1996 age 26 43 5 Olympiacos7 3 MF Son Heung min captain 1992 07 08 8 July 1992 age 30 110 37 Tottenham Hotspur8 3 MF Paik Seung ho 1997 03 17 17 March 1997 age 26 15 3 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors10 3 MF Lee Jae sung 1992 08 10 10 August 1992 age 30 69 9 Mainz 0513 3 MF Son Jun ho 1992 05 12 12 May 1992 age 30 20 0 Shandong Taishan17 3 MF Na Sang ho 1996 08 12 12 August 1996 age 26 27 2 FC Seoul18 3 MF Lee Kang in 2001 02 19 19 February 2001 age 22 12 0 Mallorca22 3 MF Kwon Chang hoon 1994 06 30 30 June 1994 age 28 43 12 Gimcheon Sangmu24 3 MF Song Min kyu 1999 09 12 12 September 1999 age 23 13 1 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors25 3 MF Jeong Woo yeong 1999 09 20 20 September 1999 age 23 11 2 SC Freiburg9 4 FW Cho Gue sung 1998 01 25 25 January 1998 age 25 22 6 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors16 4 FW Hwang Ui jo 1992 08 28 28 August 1992 age 30 54 16 FC Seoul26 4 FW Oh Hyeon gyu 2001 04 12 12 April 2001 age 22 3 0 CelticRecent call ups Edit The following players have also been called up to the South Korea squad within the last twelve months Pos Player Date of birth age Caps Goals Club Latest call upGK Gu Sung yun 1994 06 27 27 June 1994 age 28 4 0 Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo v Iceland 11 November 2022GK Kim Dong jun 1994 12 19 19 December 1994 age 28 1 0 Jeju United v Cameroon 27 September 2022DF Kim Jin su 1992 06 13 13 June 1992 age 30 66 2 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors v Colombia 24 March 2023 INJDF Hong Chul 1990 09 17 17 September 1990 age 32 47 1 Daegu FC 2022 FIFA World CupDF Yoon Jong gyu 1998 03 20 20 March 1998 age 25 4 0 Gimcheon Sangmu 2022 FIFA World CupDF Park Ji soo 1994 06 13 13 June 1994 age 28 14 0 Portimonense v Iceland 11 November 2022DF Lee Sang min 1998 01 01 1 January 1998 age 25 0 0 Gimcheon Sangmu v Iceland 11 November 2022DF Park Min gyu 1995 08 10 10 August 1995 age 27 0 0 Gimcheon Sangmu v Iceland 11 November 2022DF Kim Ju sung 2000 12 12 12 December 2000 age 22 1 0 FC Seoul 2022 EAFF E 1 Football ChampionshipDF Lee Jae ik 1999 05 21 21 May 1999 age 23 1 0 Seoul E Land 2022 EAFF E 1 Football ChampionshipDF Lee Yong 1986 12 24 24 December 1986 age 36 57 0 Suwon FC v Egypt 14 June 2022DF Jung Seung hyun 1994 04 03 3 April 1994 age 29 11 0 Ulsan Hyundai v Egypt 14 June 2022MF Hwang Hee chan 1996 01 26 26 January 1996 age 27 51 10 Wolverhampton Wanderers v Colombia 24 March 2023 INJMF Kim Jin gyu 1997 02 24 24 February 1997 age 26 8 2 Gimcheon Sangmu v Iceland 11 November 2022MF Um Won sang 1999 01 06 6 January 1999 age 24 7 0 Ulsan Hyundai v Iceland 11 November 2022MF Ko Seung beom 1994 04 24 24 April 1994 age 28 3 0 Suwon Samsung Bluewings v Iceland 11 November 2022MF Yang Hyun jun 2002 05 25 25 May 2002 age 20 0 0 Gangwon FC v Iceland 11 November 2022MF Lee Yeong jae 1994 09 13 13 September 1994 age 28 5 0 Gimcheon Sangmu 2022 EAFF E 1 Football ChampionshipMF Kim Dong hyun 1997 06 11 11 June 1997 age 25 3 0 Gimcheon Sangmu 2022 EAFF E 1 Football ChampionshipMF Kang Seong jin 2003 03 26 26 March 2003 age 20 2 2 FC Seoul 2022 EAFF E 1 Football ChampionshipMF Goh Young joon 2001 07 09 9 July 2001 age 21 1 0 Pohang Steelers 2022 EAFF E 1 Football ChampionshipMF Lee Ki hyuk 2000 07 07 7 July 2000 age 22 1 0 Jeju United 2022 EAFF E 1 Football ChampionshipFW Cho Young wook 1999 02 05 5 February 1999 age 24 4 1 Gimcheon Sangmu v Cameroon 27 September 2022NotesINJ Withdrew due to injuryNotable former players Edit The following players were inducted into the KFA Hall of Fame 82 or were selected for the Korean Best XI of All Time in one or more surveys 83 84 Goalkeepers Hong Deok young 1948 1954 Lee Se yeon 1966 1973 Lee Woon jae 1994 2010 Defenders Kim Jung nam 1964 1973 Kim Ho 1966 1972 Hong Myung bo 1990 2002 Lee Young pyo 1999 2011 Midfielders Kim Yong sik 1948 1950 Huh Jung moo 1974 1986 Lee Young moo 1975 1981 Cho Kwang rae 1977 1986 Park Chang sun 1979 1986 Park Ji sung 2000 2011 Forwards Lee Hoe taik 1966 1977 Cha Bum kun 1972 1986 Choi Soon ho 1980 1991 Kim Joo sung 1985 1996 Individual records EditMain article South Korea national football team records and statistics As of 28 March 2023 85 Players in bold are still active with South Korea Most appearances Edit Hong Myung bo is South Korea s joint most capped player with 136 appearances Rank Player Caps Goals Career1 Cha Bum kun 136 58 1972 1986Hong Myung bo 136 10 1990 20023 Lee Woon jae 133 0 1994 20104 Lee Young pyo 127 5 1999 20115 Kim Ho kon 124 5 1971 19796 Yoo Sang chul 122 18 1994 20057 Cho Young jeung 113 1 1975 19868 Ki Sung yueng 110 10 2008 2019Son Heung min 110 37 2010 present10 Park Sung hwa 107 26 1975 1984Top goalscorers Edit Cha Bum kun is South Korea s joint most capped player and top goalscorer with 58 goals Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career1 Cha Bum kun 58 136 0 43 1972 19862 Hwang Sun hong 50 103 0 49 1988 20023 Son Heung min 37 110 0 34 2010 present4 Park Lee chun 36 89 0 4 1969 19745 Kim Jae han 33 57 0 58 1972 1979Lee Dong gook 33 105 0 31 1998 20177 Choi Soon ho 30 103 0 29 1980 19918 Kim Do hoon 29 72 0 4 1994 2003Huh Jung moo 29 84 0 35 1974 198610 Choi Yong soo 27 67 0 4 1995 2003Lee Tae ho 27 72 0 38 1980 1991Kim Jin kook 27 94 0 29 1972 1978Competitive record Edit Champions Runners up Third place Tournament played on home soil FIFA World Cup Edit Main article South Korea at the FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup record Qualification recordYear Round Position Pld W D L F A Squad Pld W D L F A 1930 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member 1934 1938 1950 Did not enter Did not enter 1954 Group stage 16th 2 0 0 2 0 16 Squad 2 1 1 0 7 3 1958 Did not enter Entry denied by FIFA 86 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 20th 3 0 1 2 4 7 Squad 8 7 0 1 17 3 1990 22nd 3 0 0 3 1 6 Squad 11 9 2 0 30 1 1994 20th 3 0 2 1 4 5 Squad 13 9 3 1 32 5 1998 30th 3 0 1 2 2 9 Squad 12 9 2 1 28 8 2002 Fourth place 4th 7 3 2 2 8 6 Squad Qualified as hosts 2006 Group stage 17th 3 1 1 1 3 4 Squad 12 7 3 2 18 7 2010 Round of 16 15th 4 1 1 2 6 8 Squad 14 7 7 0 22 7 2014 Group stage 27th 3 0 1 2 3 6 Squad 14 8 3 3 27 11 2018 19th 3 1 0 2 3 3 Squad 18 12 3 3 38 10 2022 Round of 16 16th 4 1 1 2 5 8 Squad 16 12 3 1 35 4 2026 To be determined To be determinedTotal Fourth place 11 19 a 38 7 10 21 39 78 151 94 39 18 299 90 Statistics since 1948 when South Korea became a member of FIFA Olympic Games Edit Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under 23 tournament since 1992 Olympic Games record Qualification record 87 Year Round Position Pld W D L F A Squad Pld W D L F A1900 1936 Not an IOC member 1948 Quarter finals 8th 2 1 0 1 5 15 Squad Directly qualified 1952 Did not enter 1956 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 2 1960 4 2 0 2 4 4 1964 Group stage 14th 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 11th 3 b 0 2 1 1 2 Squad Qualified as hosts1992 present See South Korea national under 23 football teamTotal Quarter finals 3 11 c 8 1 2 5 7 37 42 24 7 11 91 39 Includes one unofficial match against Brazil Olympic Includes two unofficial matches against the Soviet Union Olympic and Argentina Olympic Statistics since 1947 when South Korea became a member of the International Olympic Committee AFC Asian Cup Edit Main article South Korea at the AFC Asian Cup AFC Asian Cup record Qualification recordYear Round Position Pld W D L F A Squad Pld W D L F A 1956 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 9 6 Squad 4 4 0 0 9 1 1960 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 9 1 Squad Qualified as hosts 1964 a Third place 3rd 3 1 0 2 2 4 Squad Direct entry 1968 Did not qualify 4 1 1 2 9 4 1972 Runners up 2nd 5 1 2 2 7 6 Squad Direct entry 1976 Did not qualify 4 2 0 2 3 3 1980 Runners up 2nd 6 4 1 1 12 6 Squad 3 3 0 0 10 1 1984 Group stage 9th 4 0 2 2 1 3 Squad 4 3 1 0 13 0 1988 Runners up 2nd 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 7th 4 1 1 2 7 11 Squad 3 3 0 0 17 0 2000 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 9 6 Squad 3 3 0 0 19 0 2004 Quarter finals 6th 4 2 1 1 9 4 Squad 6 4 0 2 30 4 2007 Third place 3rd 6 1 4 1 3 3 Squad 6 3 2 1 15 5 2011 Third place 3rd 6 4 2 0 13 7 Squad Directly qualified 2015 Runners up 2nd 6 5 0 1 8 2 Squad Directly qualified 2019 Quarter finals 5th 5 4 0 1 6 2 Squad 8 8 0 0 27 0 2023 Qualified 6 5 1 0 22 1Total Champions 15 18 67 36 16 15 106 64 56 41 6 9 186 24 a b c South Korea played with their B team Asian Games Edit Football at the Asian Games has been an under 23 tournament since 2002 Asian Games recordYear Round Position Pld W D L F A Squad 1951 Did not enter 1954 Silver medalists 2nd 4 1 2 1 15 12 Squad 1958 Silver medalists 2nd 5 4 0 1 15 6 Squad 1962 Silver medalists 2nd 5 4 0 1 9 5 Squad 1966 First round 11th 2 0 0 2 0 4 Squad 1970 Gold medalists 1st 6 3 2 1 5 3 Squad 1974 Second round 8th 5 1 1 3 4 10 Squad 1978 Gold medalists 1st 7 6 1 0 15 3 Squad 1982 Group stage 9th 3 1 0 2 4 3 Squad 1986 Gold medalists 1st 6 4 2 0 14 3 Squad 1990 Bronze medalists 3rd 6 5 0 1 18 1 Squad 1994 Fourth place 4th 6 3 0 3 17 7 Squad 1998 Quarter finals 6th 6 4 0 2 12 6 Squad2002 present See South Korea national under 23 football teamTotal Gold medalists 12 13 61 36 8 17 128 63 EAFF Championship Edit EAFF Championship recordYear Round Position Pld W D L F A Squad 2003 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 4 1 Squad 2005 Fourth place 4th 3 0 2 1 1 2 Squad 2008 Champions 1st 3 1 2 0 5 4 Squad 2010 Runners up 2nd 3 2 0 1 8 4 Squad 2013 Third place 3rd 3 0 2 1 1 2 Squad 2015 Champions 1st 3 1 2 0 3 1 Squad 2017 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 7 3 Squad 2019 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 4 0 Squad 2022 Runners up 2nd 3 2 0 1 6 3 SquadTotal Champions 9 9 27 13 10 4 39 20 Other competitions Edit Year Competition Round Position Pld W D L F A Squad 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group stage 9th 2 0 2 0 2 2 Squad 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Group stage 5th 3 2 0 1 3 6 Squad 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup Fourth place 4th 5 0 2 3 3 7 SquadHead to head record EditThe following table shows South Korea s head to head record correct as of 28 March 2023 88 Key Positive balance more wins Neutral balance equal W L ratio Negative balance more losses Opponent Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA GD Winning Confederation Afghanistan 1 1 0 0 8 2 6 100 00 AFC Algeria 2 1 0 1 4 4 0 0 50 00 CAF Angola 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 100 00 CAF Argentina 3 0 0 3 2 8 6 00 0 00 CONMEBOL Australia list 28 8 11 9 28 28 0 0 28 57 AFC a Bahrain 16 11 4 1 37 11 26 0 68 75 AFC Bangladesh 2 2 0 0 13 0 13 100 00 AFC Belarus 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 00 0 00 UEFA Belgium 4 0 1 3 2 6 4 00 0 00 UEFA Bolivia 3 1 2 0 1 0 1 0 33 33 CONMEBOL Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 0 50 00 UEFA Brazil 8 1 0 7 6 20 14 0 12 50 CONMEBOL Brunei 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 100 00 AFC Bulgaria 2 0 1 1 1 2 1 00 0 00 UEFA Burkina Faso 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 100 00 CAF Cambodia b 7 6 0 1 22 4 18 0 85 71 AFC Cameroon 5 3 2 0 10 3 7 0 60 00 CAF Canada 5 2 1 2 5 4 1 0 40 00 CONCACAF Chile 3 1 1 1 2 1 1 0 33 33 CONMEBOL China list 36 21 13 2 52 26 26 0 58 33 AFC Chinese Taipei c 21 14 1 6 50 19 31 0 66 67 AFC Colombia 8 4 3 1 14 9 5 0 50 00 CONMEBOL Costa Rica 10 4 3 3 13 12 1 0 40 00 CONCACAF Croatia 7 2 2 3 7 11 4 0 28 57 UEFA Cuba 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 00 0 00 CONCACAF Czech Republic d 5 1 2 2 5 14 9 0 20 00 UEFA Denmark 2 0 1 1 1 3 2 00 0 00 UEFA Ecuador 2 1 0 1 3 2 1 0 50 00 CONMEBOL Egypt e 18 6 7 5 18 21 3 0 33 33 CAF England 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 00 0 00 UEFA Finland 3 3 0 0 5 0 5 100 00 UEFA France 3 0 1 2 3 9 6 00 0 00 UEFA Georgia 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 00 0 00 UEFA Germany 4 2 0 2 7 5 2 0 50 00 UEFA Ghana 7 3 0 4 10 14 4 0 42 86 CAF Greece 4 3 1 0 6 1 5 0 75 00 UEFA Guam 1 1 0 0 9 0 9 100 00 AFC Guatemala 3 1 1 1 4 3 1 0 33 33 CONCACAF Haiti 1 1 0 0 4 1 3 100 00 CONCACAF Honduras 3 3 0 0 9 0 9 100 00 CONCACAF Hong Kong 29 22 5 2 69 21 48 0 75 86 AFC Hungary 2 0 0 2 0 10 10 00 0 00 UEFA Iceland 2 2 0 0 6 1 5 100 00 UEFA span, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library, article, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games. |