South Korea national football team: players, coach, World Cup 2022, trophies

South Korea national football team: players, coach, World Cup 2022, trophies

Babu Tendu, Peris Walubengo
updated at August 9, 2023 at 9:30 AM

South Korea has the most successful Asian football team and has dominated football in Asia since the 1980s. They have won two AFC Asian Cup titles and been the runners-up four times. The South Korean national football team has also participated in ten World Cup tournaments and is the only Asian team to have reached the semi-finals.

South Korea national football team players
Heung-Min, Young-gwon, Hyeon-woo, Tae-hwan, Kyung-won, Sung-yun, Sang-ho, Woo-Young. Photo: @Liverpool, @ATNroadtobrazil, @TongilFoundation, @amir, @cerezoosaka, @MundoFútbol (modified by author)
Source: UGC

The South Korean team knocked Germany out of the 2018 World Cup with a 2 - 0 victory but did not make it to the finals. They also lost the tournament at the group level. Korea has secured a place in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and looks more promising than ever. This article lists the South Korean national team's players, coaches, world rankings, trophies, and more.

South Korea's national football team profile

Full name

South Korea national football team

Nicknames

Taegeuk Warriors, Tigers of Asia

Association

Korea Football Association (KFA)

Confederation

AFC (Asia)

Sub-confederation

EAFF (East Asia)

Head coach

Paulo Bento

Captain

Son Heung-min

Players with the most caps

Cha Bum-kun, Hong Myung-bo (136)

Top scorer

Cha Bum-kun (58)

FIFA code

KOR

Current FIFA ranking

29 (as of May 2022)

Highest FIFA ranking

17 (December 1998)

Lowest FIFA ranking

69 (November 2014- January 2015)

World Cup appearances

10

Best World Cup results

Fourth place (2002)

Squad size

24 players

Players' average age

27.2 years

Squad value

$140.6 million

Instagram

@thekfa

Twitter

@theKFA

Facebook

@KoreaFootballTeam

The South Korea national football team's players

Records show that Korea was introduced to football in the late 19th century, but it is believed they began playing this game in 1882 when they were still an empire.

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South Korea qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 1954 by beating Japan 7- 3. They were the second Asian team to compete in World Cup after the Dutch East Indies from Indonesia. Below is South Korea's national football team's roster:

Position

Player

Caps

Goals

Club (as of Nov. 2022)

Goalkeeper

Kim Seung-gyu

66

0

Al-Shabab

Goalkeeper

Jo Hyeon-woo

22

0

Ulsan Hyundai

Goalkeeper

Gu Sung-yun

4

0

Unattached

Goalkeeper

Song Bum-keun

1

0

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

Defender

Kim Young-gwon

95

6

Ulsan Hyundai

Defender

Kim Jin-su

61

2

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

Defender

Hong Chul

45

1

Daegu FC

Defender

Kwon Kyung-won

27

2

Gamba Osaka

Defender

Kim Moon-hwan

21

0

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

Defender

Kim Tae-hwan

18

0

Ulsan Hyundai

Defender

Park Ji-soo

3

0

Gimcheon Sangmu

Defender

Cho Yu-min

3

0

Daejeon Hana Citizen

Defender

Yoon Jong-gyu

0

0

FC Seoul

Defender

Lee Sang-min

0

0

FC Seoul

Defender

Park Min-gyu

0

0

Suwon FC

Midfielder

Jung Woo-young

65

3

Al-Sadd

Midfielder

Kwon Chang-hoon

41

12

Gimcheon Sangmu

Midfielder

Na Sang-ho

23

2

FC Seoul

Midfielder

Son Jun-ho

14

0

Shandong Taishan

Midfielder

Paik Seung-ho

13

2

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

Midfielder

Song Min-kyu

12

0

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

Midfielder

Kim Jin-gyu

8

2

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

Midfielder

Um Won-sang

7

0

Ulsan Hyundai

Midfielder

Ko Seung-beom

3

0

Gimcheon Sangmu

Midfielder

Yang Hyun-jun

0

0

Gangwon FC

Forward

Cho Gue-sung

15

4

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

Forward

Oh Hyeon-gyu

0

0

Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Who is the South Korea national football team's captain?

Son Heung-min is the Korea Republic football squad's captain. He has played for Bayer Leverkusen and is now at Premier League club Tottenham FC. Heung-min is one of the best wingers in Europe. The player's annual salary is around $9.09 million, and he has a net worth of about $20 million.

South Korea national football team's captain
South Korea's forward Son Heung-min shoots and scores a goal during the Russia 2018 World Cup match between South Korea and Germany at the Kazan Arena in Kazan on 27 June 2018. Photo by Jewel SAMAD.
Source: Getty Images

Heung-Min underwent surgery on a fracture around his eye and has confirmed he is fit for the World Cup with South Korea. More information about this Korean skipper is in the following profile summary;

Full name

Son Heung-min

Nickname

Sonaldo

Birthdate

8 July 1992

Birthplace

Chuncheon, South Korea

Age

30 (as of November 2022)

Zodiac sign

Cancer

Career

Professional footballer

Position

Forward-Left Winger

Preferred foot

Right

Jersey number

7

Current teams

Tottenham Hotspur, South Korea national team (captain)

Former club

Bayer Leverkusen

Height

1.84 metres

Outfitter

Adidas

Agent

CAA Base Ltd

Net worth

$20 million

Salary

$9.09 million

Instagram

@hm_son7

Twitter

@Sonny7

Facebook

@HeungMinSonOfficial

Who coaches the South Korea national football team?

Paulo Bento is the Korean Republic football team's current manager. He is a former professional footballer played for two major clubs in his home country, the Primeira Liga. Paulo Bento also played for the Portugal national team in Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup.

South Korea national football team's coach
South Korea Head Coach Paulo Bento gestures during the match between Brazil and the Korean Republic on 19 November 2019 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Photo by Eurasia Sports Images.
Source: Getty Images

Paulo Bento's coaching career began in 2004 at the Sporting CP club. He coached several other teams before joining the Korean team in 2018. Here is a profile summary about head coach Bento:

Full name

Paulo Jorge Gomes Bento

Birthdate

June 20, 1969

Birthplace

Lisbon, Portugal

Nationality

Portuguese

Age

53 (as of November 2022)

Zodiac sign

Gemini

Height

1.74 metres

Career

Football manager, retired footballer

Former playing position

Defensive midfielder (1982 - 2004)

Teams coached

South Korea national football team (2018 to date); Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic FC (2017 - 2018); Olympiacos FC (2016 - 2017) Cruzeiro Esporte Clube (2006); Portugal national football team (2010 - 2014); Sporting Clube de Portugal (2004 - 2009)

The South Korea national football team's top players

South Korea has been a major football power in Asia since the 1980s. It top players are Cha Bum-Kun and Son Heung-min. Find out more about them below:

1. Cha Bum-Kun

Cha Bum-Kun is one of the most exceptional players from Korea in the 20th century. The then-teenage striker was the youngest player to join his country's national team in 1972.

The player made it to Korea's all-time goalscoring list after amassing 121 caps and scoring 55 goals. Cha Bum-Kun was a lethal attacker but was heavily manned at the 1986 World Cup to curb his influence on matches.

South Korea national football team's top players
14 March 2018. The former South Korean soccer player Bum-Kun Cha stands in the German House in the evening. Photo by Jan Woitas.
Source: Getty Images

Ten years in Germany saw Cha score 98 goals in 308 appearances and win two UEFA Cups and a German Cup. The International Football Hall of Fame and Museum (IFFHS) rated him the best Asian footballer of the 20th century.

2. Son Heung-min

Footballer Son Heung-min of South Korea was crowned the Best Footballer in Asia in 2021 for the sixth time in a row. The Tottenham Hotspur forward triumphed by a record margin in the vote polled by 51 judges to earn a fifth title in seven years.

South Korea national football team's ranking
Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City on 1 May 2022 in London, United Kingdom. Photo by Marc Atkins.
Source: Getty Images

The South Korea national football team's nicknames

The team's nicknames are "The Taegeuk Warriors" and the "Tigers of Asia." Moreover, fans and media houses in Asia also call them the "Reds" or the "Red Devils" because of their playing kit's colour.

What is Korea's FIFA ranking?

The South Korea national football team's ranking is as follows.

FIFA Ranking

Rank

Points

Dates

Latest

29

1522.85

10 February 2022

Highest

17

57

23 December 1998

Lowest

69

481

8 January 2015

The team has a good FIFA Ranking because of its recent successes in the Asian Cups. They secured a place in the upcoming Qatar tournament by ranking second in their World Cup 2022 qualification group. Iran topped the group with 25 points. The Korea Republic.

How many times did South Korea qualify for World Cup?

The South Korean team has participated in the FIFA World Cup ten times. The team made its debut in 1954 and has consistently appeared in every edition since 1986.

South Korea and Japan co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where Korea finished fourth by defeating Poland 2 - 0. They became the first team outside Europe and the Americas to reach the semi-finals. This is South Korea's best World Cup performance to date.

South Korea national football team in the World Cup
Yong Lee of the Korean Republic passes the ball during the 2018 FIFA World Cup match between the Korean Republic and Germany at Kazan Arena on 27 June 2018 in Kazan, Russia. Photo by Shaun Botterill.
Source: Getty Images

The South Korea national football team's trophies

The Korean national squad has won numerous major trophies over the years, including;

  • Asian Cup Winner (2)
  • East Asia Champion (6)
  • Asian Games Gold medal (3)
  • Afro-Asian cup of nations winner (1)

Is South Korea in FIFA 22?

Korea will participate in the 2022 World Cup edition in Qatar.

What is the South Korea national football team's world cup squad?

Players who will represent South Korea in the 2002 World Cup are:

Midfielders

Defenders

Attackers

Goalkeepers

Jung Woo-young

Kim Jin-su

Son Heung-min

Song Bum-keun

Lee Jae-sung

Hong Chul

Hwang Ui-jo

Kim Seung-gyu

Paik Seung-ho

Kim Moon-hwan

Cho Gue-sung

Jo Hyeon-woo

Yang Hyun-jun

Kim Young-gwon

Hwang Hee-chan

Song Bum-keun

Nam Tae-hee

Kwon Kyung-won

Jeong Woo-yeong

Song Min-kyu

Cho Yu-min

Kwon Chang-hoon

Kang Seong-jin

Kim Tae-hwan

Cho Young-wook

Na Sang-ho

Yoon Jong-gyu

Na Sang-ho

Son Jun-ho

Lee Yong – Suwon

Son Jun-ho

Lee Kang-in

Park Ji-soo

Lee Kang-in

Hwang In-beom

Kim Min-jae

Hwang In-beom

South Korea national football team's jersey

South Korea national football team's coach
South Korea national football team's jersey and training kits. Photo: @KoreaFootballTeam, @KoreaFootballTeam, @KoreaFootballTeam, @Elsa (modified by author)
Source: UGC

The South Korea national football team's jersey is primarily red. They pair red shirts with blue, black, or red shorts. The team also has white jerseys and black training kits.

What is the South Korea national football team's schedule?

The South Korea national football team's matches are as follows:

Date

Teams

Competition

TV (Time)

Friday, 11 November 2022

South Korea vs. Iceland

International Friendly

2:00 PM

Thursday, 24 November 2022

Uruguay vs. South Korea

FIFA World Cup

FS1 (4:00 PM)

Monday, 28 November 2022

South Korea vs. Ghana

FIFA World Cup

FS1 (4:00 PM)

Friday, 2 December 2022

South Korea vs. Portugal

FIFA World Cup

FOX (6:00 PM)

Is the South Korea national football team on Twitter?

The Korean Republic football squad uses these social media handles;

What is the South Korea national football team's website?

The team does not have a website as of November 2022.

Who is the best team in Korea?

The top five best football teams in Korea are:

  • Jeonbuk FC from South Korea
  • Ulsan Hyundai from South Korea
  • Pohang Steelers from South Korea
  • Daegu FC from South Korea
  • Jeju United from South Korea

Does North Korea have a football national team?

The North Korea national football team is under the DPR Korea Football Association. The team pulled out of the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in May 2021.

The South Korean national football team will look to shine in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Although their last World Cup appearance led to a disappointing group-stage exit, they are arguably one of the best international squads in the Asian continent.

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Authors
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Babu Tendu
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Peris Walubengo photo
Peris Walubengo
Peris Walubengo is a content creator with 4 years of experience in writing informational and entertainment articles, researching, editing, and proofreading.