South Korea National Football Team
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South Korea National Football Team

Korea Republic
Nickname(s)? (Taegeuk Warriors)
? (Tigers of Asia)
AssociationKorea Football Association (KFA)
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
EAFF (East Asia)
Head coachPaulo Bento
CaptainSon Heung-min
Most capsCha Bum-kun
Hong Myung-bo (136)
Top scorerCha Bum-kun (58)
FIFA codeKOR
FIFA ranking
Current 38 Steady(10 December 2020)[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 Cup
Appearances10 (first in 1954)
Best resultFourth place (2002)
Asian Cup
Appearances14 (first in 1956)
Best resultChampions (1956, 1960)
EAFF Championship
Appearances8 (first in 2003)
Best resultChampions (2003, 2008, 2015, 2017, 2019)
Confederations Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2001)
Best resultGroup stage (2001)
South Korea national football team
Hangul
?
Hanja
?
Revised RomanizationDaehan Min'guk Chukgu Gukga Daepyo Tim
McCune-ReischauerTaehan Min'guk Ch'ukku Kukka Taep'yo T'im

The South Korea national football team (Korean: ? ; recognized as Korea Republic by FIFA) represents South Korea in men's international football and is governed by the Korea Football Association. South Korea has developed and emerged as a major football power in Asia since the 80s and is historically the most successful Asian football team, having participated in nine consecutive and ten 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 only Asian team to reach the semi-final stages when they co-hosted the 2002 tournament with Japan. South Korea also recorded five titles and seven-time runners-up in the AFC Asian Cup and the senior Asian Games.[3] 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.[4]

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 British sailors from HMS Flying Fish played a game while their vessel was visiting the Incheon Port.[5] 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.[6] Korean teams participated in competitions with Japanese teams from around 1926; Joseon Football Club became a de facto national team for Koreans, and won the 1935 Emperor's Cup.[5] Koreans also played on the Japanese national team, most notably Kim Yong-sik who played for Japan at the 1936 Summer Olympics.[7]

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

First World Cup team (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.[9] 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: 0-9 against Hungary (the joint-heaviest defeat in World Cup history) and 0-7 against Turkey. Their third scheduled game, against West Germany, was never played because neither were seeded in their group, as per that tournament's rules.[10] It would take thirty-two years before South Korea was able to participate at the World Cup finals again.

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

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.[15] 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.[16] Yangzee players received benefits like exemption from military service, long-term overseas training and high salaries in return for intensive training.[16] At the 1968 Summer Olympics qualification, South Korea was eliminated by goal difference although their points were tied with Japan, the group winners.[17] They also participated in the 1969 Asian Club Championship, finishing as runners-up.[18] However, South Korea failed to qualify for the 1970 FIFA World Cup despite governmental support, and Yangzee was losing support as Kim Hyong-uk, the director of KCIA and supporter of the club, was dismissed from his post, and tensions between South and North Korea were beginning to subside.[16] Yangzee was eventually dissolved in March 1970 without ever having played against North Korea, but players achieved a good result by winning the 1970 Asian Games.[19]

Golden generation (1986)

South Korean starting line-up against Italy at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.[20][21]

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,[22][23] joined the existing winning team, the South Korean squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup was evaluated as the golden generation in their country.[24] South Korea lost 1-3 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 2-3 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.[25][26] South Korea redeemed their failure of World Cup success with a gold at the 1986 Asian Games.[27]

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 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 1-3. 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.[28] South Korea was then thoroughly outclassed by the Netherlands, managed by Guus Hiddink, losing 0-5 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,[29] who conceded five of the Netherlands' 17 shots on target.[30] 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.[31] The KFA promised him to ensure long-term training camps and authority about management of coaching staff.[32] At the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, they lost 0-5 against France, the eventual champions, and failed to advance to the semi-finals although defeating Australia and Mexico. South Korean journalists criticized Hiddnk and gave him a nickname "Oh-dae-ppang", which means five to nothing in Korean, when South Korea lost 0-5 again at the friendly match against Czech Republic after the Confederations Cup.[33] At the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup, South Korea finished in fourth place with two draws and three losses without a win. However, their results improved at three friendly matches prior to the World Cup against Scotland,[34]England and France.[35][36]

Seoul Plaza during the 2002 World Cup

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.[37]

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.[38][39] The game then went to the penalty shoot-out where South Korea won 5-3, thus becoming the first Asian team to reach the final four.[40] The South Korean team's run was halted by a 0-1 loss to Germany in the semi-finals. They lost to Turkey 2-3 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.

Captain Park era (2008)

South Korea playing against Argentina at the FIFA World Cup, in June 2010.

In 2008, South Korea chose Huh Jung-moo as their manager again, and Park Ji-sung as the next captain. Under Huh and Park, the South Korean team was undefeated for 27 consecutive games in 2009.[41] 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 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 large loss 1-4, 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.

Miracle of Kazan (2018)

For the combined qualification matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, South Korea won all seven matches without conceding a goal in the second round but following a series of poor results in the third round of qualifiers, including losses to China and Qatar, the former manager Uli Stielike was sacked and was replaced by under-23 coach Shin Tae-yong for the remainder of the qualifying round.[42] Under Shin Tae-yong, the team managed to qualify as the second-placed team in their group following two goalless draws against Iran and Uzbekistan, sending South Korea to the World Cup for the ninth consecutive time.[43]

South Korea national team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

At the 2018 World Cup, they lost their first game against Sweden 0-1 after conceding a penalty kick. They then faced Mexico and lost 1-2 after conceding another penalty kick. However, despite their two consecutive losses, South Korea was not eliminated just yet. To have any chance of advancing, South Korea would have to win their final group stage match against the defending champions Germany by at least two goals and Mexico would have to defeat Sweden in its last group stage game.[44] South Korea for its part did what it had to do to stay in contention and won 2-0 against Germany with goals from Kim Young-gwon and Son Heung-min, causing them to be eliminated in the first round for the first time in 80 years. Germany had 28 shots with 6 on target, but the South Korea's defense, led by keeper Jo Hyeon-woo, did not concede once.[45] However, Mexico lost to Sweden that same day and thus South Korea ultimately finished third in the group. As a result, South Korea saved Mexico from being eliminated and Mexican fans heavily praised the Koreans and celebrated their victory in front of the South Korean embassy.[46] The match is also called the "Miracle of Kazan" in South Korea although they dropped out of the tournament.[47] This is further emphasized by the fact that the victory over Germany was a turning point for a declining South Korea team, who have since been recognised as a powerhouse on the rise in Asia.

Team image

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.[48] On 5 February 2020, the KFA announced a new, more simplistic logo.[49] The emblem retained the tiger, albeit in a more minimalist design, enclosed in a rectangular frame.[49] Red, blue and white, South Korea's traditional colors, have been maintained in the new logo.[49]

Kit suppliers

Period 1977-1985 1985-1988 1988-1995 1996-present
Kit supplier Adidas[a]
Asics
Kolon Sports
Prospecs
Weekend 		Weekend[b] Rapido[c] Nike[53]
  1. ^ Adidas was South Korea's first official kit sponsor,[50] but South Korea used several brands for the same period.
  2. ^ Sportswear brand of the Samsung C&T Corporation[51]
  3. ^ Weekend was renamed Rapido in January 1988.[52]

Kit deals

Kit supplier Period Contract date Contract duration Total Per year Ref.
Nike 1996-present
December 1995
1996-1997 $3 million $1.5 million
16 December 1997
1998-2002 $38 million $7.6 million [54]
9 January 2003
2003-2007 $50 million $10.0 million [55]
23 October 2007
2008-2011 $49 million $12.3 million [56]
13 January 2012
2012-2019 $120 million $15.0 million [57]
20 January 2020
 2020-2031 $204 million $17.0 million [58]

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.[37] Their most common chant is "Dae~han Minguk" (Korean: "?~"; meaning: Republic of Korea or mighty Korea), followed by five claps. The FIFA Fan Fest was introduced at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea.

Home stadium

The South Korea national football team played their first home match at the Dongdaemun Stadium on 21 April 1956. The match was a qualifier of the 1956 AFC Asian Cup against the Philippines.[59] They currently play their home matches at several stadiums which K League clubs also use.

Rivalries

Notable 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. Some matches in the past have been tainted with controversy. South Korea leads the all-time series with 42 wins, 23 draws and 14 losses.[60]

A rivalry has also developed with Iran.[61] The two nations have played against each other officially since 1958, totalling 31 matches as of June 2019, including nine 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, 9 draws and 9 losses.[60]

Another major rival is Australia, and is also one of the most followed rivalries in Asia. South Korea trails behind Australia with 8 wins, 11 draws and 9 defeats. South Korea is frequently unlucky when facing Australia in major competitions, winning only two official matches. South Korea lost to Australia in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final.[62]

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. They also possess a strong rivalry with North Korea, though matches are infrequent due to diplomatic and security reasons.

Head-to-head records

As of 17 November 2020[60][63]
Opponent GP W D L GF GA GD Win % Details
 Japan 79 42 23 14 123 70 +53 053.16 Matches
 Iran 31 9 9 13 33 33 +0 029.03 Matches
 Australia 28 8 11 9 28 28 +0 028.57 Matches
 China PR 35 20 13 2 49 26 +23 057.14 Matches
 North Korea 17 7 9 1 14 6 +8 041.18 Matches
All nations 932 500 230 202 1,664 858 +806 053.65

Competitive record

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place     Fourth place  

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position GP W D L GF GA Squad GP W D L GF GA
Brazil 1950 Did not enter
Switzerland 1954 Group stage 16th 2 0 0 2 0 16 Squad 2 1 1 0 7 3
Sweden 1958 Preliminary competition entry denied[64]
Chile 1962 Did not qualify 4 2 0 2 6 9
England 1966 Did not enter
Mexico 1970 Did not qualify 4 1 2 1 6 5
West Germany 1974 8 3 4 1 10 4
Argentina 1978 12 5 6 1 16 9
Spain 1982 3 2 0 1 7 4
Mexico 1986 Group stage 20th 3 0 1 2 4 7 Squad 8 7 0 1 17 3
Italy 1990 22nd 3 0 0 3 1 6 Squad 11 9 2 0 30 1
United States 1994 20th 3 0 2 1 4 5 Squad 13 9 3 1 32 5
France 1998 30th 3 0 1 2 2 9 Squad 12 9 2 1 28 8
South Korea Japan 2002 Fourth place 4th 7 3 2 2 8 6 Squad Qualified as hosts
Germany 2006 Group stage 17th 3 1 1 1 3 4 Squad 12 7 3 2 18 7
South Africa 2010 Round of 16 15th 4 1 1 2 6 8 Squad 14 7 7 0 22 7
Brazil 2014 Group stage 27th 3 0 1 2 3 6 Squad 14 8 3 3 27 11
Russia 2018 19th 3 1 0 2 3 3 Squad 18 12 3 3 38 10
Qatar 2022 To be determined 4 2 2 0 10 0
United StatesCanadaMexico 2026 To be determined
Total Fourth place 10/18[a] 34 6 9 19 34 70 139 84 38 17 274 86
  1. ^ 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.
Summer Olympic Games record Qualification record[65]
Year Result Position GP W D L GF GA Squad GP W D L GF GA
United Kingdom 1948 Quarter-finals 8th 2 1 0 1 5 15 Squad Directly qualified
Finland 1952 Did not enter
Australia 1956 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 2
Italy 1960 4 2 0 2 4 4
Japan 1964 Group stage 14th 2[a] 0 0 2 1 16 Squad 4 2 1 1 7 4
Mexico 1968 Did not qualify 5 4 1 0 17 5
West Germany 1972 4 3 0 1 16 2
Canada 1976 6 3 2 1 10 5
Soviet Union 1980 6 4 0 2 16 6
United States 1984 11 5 3 3 19 11
South Korea 1988 Group stage 11th 1[b] 0 1 0 0 0 Squad Qualified as hosts
1992-present See South Korea national under-23 football team
Total 3/11[c] 5 1 1 3 6 31 42 24 7 11 91 39
  1. ^ Does not include one unofficial match against Brazil U23.
  2. ^ Does not include two unofficial matches against Soviet Union Olympic and Argentina Olympic.
  3. ^ Statistics since 1948, when South Korea became a member of FIFA

AFC Asian Cup

AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position GP W D L GF GA Squad GP W D L GF GA
British Hong Kong 1956 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 9 6 Squad 4 4 0 0 9 1
South Korea 1960 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 9 1 Squad Qualified as hosts
Israel 1964[a] Third place 3rd 3 1 0 2 2 4 Squad Walkover
Iran 1968 Did not qualify 4 1 1 2 9 4
Flag of Thailand (TIS 982 draft standard).svg 1972 Runners-up 2nd 5 1 2 2 7 6 Squad Walkover
Iran 1976 Did not qualify 4 2 0 2 3 3
Kuwait 1980 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 12 6 Squad 3 3 0 0 10 1
Singapore 1984 Group stage 9th 4 0 2 2 1 3 Squad 4 3 1 0 13 0
Qatar 1988 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 1 0 11 3 Squad See B team
Japan 1992 Did not qualify See B team
United Arab Emirates 1996 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 1 2 7 11 Squad 3 3 0 0 17 0
Lebanon 2000 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 9 6 Squad 3 3 0 0 19 0
China 2004 Quarter-finals 6th 4 2 1 1 9 4 Squad 6 4 0 2 30 4
IndonesiaMalaysiaFlag of Thailand (TIS 982 draft standard).svgVietnam 2007 Third place 3rd 6 1 4 1 3 3 Squad 6 3 2 1 15 5
Qatar 2011 Third place 3rd 6 4 2 0 13 7 Squad Directly qualified
Australia 2015 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 0 1 8 2 Squad Directly qualified
United Arab Emirates 2019 Quarter-finals 5th 5 4 0 1 6 2 Squad 8 8 0 0 27 0
China 2023 To be determined 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 2 titles 14/17 67 36 16 15 106 64 45 34 4 7 152 18
  1. ^ South Korea participated in 1964 AFC Asian Cup as B team, but Korea Football Association recognized its matches as International A Matches.[66]

Asian Games

Football at the Asian Games has been an under-23 tournament since 2002.
Asian Games record
Year Result Position GP W D L GF GA Squad
India 1951 Did not enter
Philippines 1954 Silver medal 2nd 4 1 2 1 15 12 Squad
Japan 1958 Silver medal 2nd 5 4 0 1 15 6 Squad
Indonesia 1962 Silver medal 2nd 5 4 0 1 9 5 Squad
Flag of Thailand (TIS 982 draft standard).svg 1966 Round 1 11th 2 0 0 2 0 4 Squad
Flag of Thailand (TIS 982 draft standard).svg 1970 Gold medal 1st 6 3 2 1 5 3 Squad
Iran 1974 Round 2 8th 5 1 1 3 4 10 Squad
Flag of Thailand (TIS 982 draft standard).svg 1978 Gold medal 1st 7 6 1 0 15 3 Squad
India 1982 Group stage 9th 3 1 0 2 4 3 Squad
South Korea 1986 Gold medal 1st 6 4 2 0 14 3 Squad
China 1990 Bronze medal 3rd 6 5 0 1 18 1 Squad
Japan 1994 Fourth place 4th 6 3 0 3 17 7 Squad
Flag of Thailand (TIS 982 draft standard).svg 1998 Quarter-finals 6th 6 4 0 2 12 6 Squad
2002-present See South Korea national under-23 football team
Total 3 titles 12/13 61 36 8 17 128 63

EAFF Championship

EAFF Championship record
Year Result Position GP W D L GF GA Squad
Japan 2003 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 4 1 Squad
South Korea 2005 Fourth place 4th 3 0 2 1 1 2 Squad
China 2008 Champions 1st 3 1 2 0 5 4 Squad
Japan 2010 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 8 4 Squad
South Korea 2013 Third place 3rd 3 0 2 1 1 2 Squad
China 2015 Champions 1st 3 1 2 0 3 1 Squad
Japan 2017 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 7 3 Squad
South Korea 2019 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 4 0 Squad
Total 5 titles 8/8 24 11 10 3 33 17

Other competitions

Year Competition Result Position GP W D L GF GA Squad
United States 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group stage 9th 2 0 2 0 2 2 Squad
South KoreaJapan 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Group stage 5th 3 2 0 1 3 6 Squad
United States 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup Fourth place 4th 5 0 2 3 3 7 Squad

Results and fixtures

All-time matches

As of 17 November 2020[67]
Year GP W D L Win %
1948-1949 4 2 1 1 050.00
1950-1959 44 26 8 10 059.09
1960-1969 90 52 15 23 057.78
1970-1979 186 117 44 25 062.90
1980-1989 130 75 30 25 057.69
1990-1999 151 70 45 36 046.36
2000-2009 171 76 56 39 044.44
2010-2019 154 81 31 42 052.60
2020-present 2 1 0 1 050.00
Total 932 500 230 202 053.65

Recent results

The following matches include the most recent results and future fixtures.

  Win   Draw   Loss

9 October 2020 (2020-10-09) Unofficial friendly South Korea  2-2  South Korea U23 Goyang, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9
Report
Stadium: Goyang Stadium
Attendance: 0
Referee: Kim Jong-hyeok (South Korea)
12 October 2020 (2020-10-12) Unofficial friendly South Korea U23  0-3
(5-2 agg.)		  South Korea Goyang, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9 Report
Stadium: Goyang Stadium
Attendance: 2,075
Referee: Kim Woo-sung (South Korea)
14 November 2020 (2020-11-14) Friendly Mexico  3-2  South Korea Wiener Neustadt, Austria
21:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Stadion Wiener Neustadt
Attendance: 0
Referee: Harald Lechner (Austria)
17 November 2020 (2020-11-17) Friendly South Korea  2-1  Qatar Maria Enzersdorf, Austria
14:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: BSFZ-Arena
Attendance: 0
Referee: Julian Weinberger (Austria)
March 2021 (2021-03) World Cup & Asian Cup qualification South Korea  v  Turkmenistan Cheonan, South Korea
Report Stadium: Cheonan Stadium
March 2021 (2021-03) World Cup & Asian Cup qualification Sri Lanka  v  South Korea Colombo, Sri Lanka
Report Stadium: Colombo Racecourse
June 2021 (2021-06) World Cup & Asian Cup qualification South Korea  v  North Korea South Korea
Report
June 2021 (2021-06) World Cup & Asian Cup qualification South Korea  v  Lebanon South Korea
Report

Coaching staff

Paulo Bento became the team's manager in 2018.
Guus Hiddink is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time in South Korea.

Current coaches

As of 24 March 2020[68]
Position Name
Manager Portugal Paulo Bento
Assistant coach(es)
Portugal Sérgio Costa
Portugal Filipe Coelho
CanadaSouth Korea Michael Kim
South Korea Choi Tae-uk
Fitness coach Portugal Pedro Pereira
Goalkeeping coach Portugal Vítor Silvestre

All-time managers

Record holders

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the friendly matches against Mexico and Qatar on 14 and 17 November 2020.[73][74]
Caps and goals updated as of 17 November 2020, after the match against Qatar.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Gu Sung-yun (1994-06-27) 27 June 1994 (age 26) 4 0 South Korea Daegu FC
12 1GK Lee Chang-keun (1993-08-30) 30 August 1993 (age 27) 1 0 South Korea Gimcheon Sangmu
20 2DF Kwon Kyung-won (1992-01-31) 31 January 1992 (age 28) 16 2 South Korea Gimcheon Sangmu
2 2DF Kim Tae-hwan (1989-07-24) 24 July 1989 (age 31) 10 0 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai
14 2DF Jung Seung-hyun (1994-04-03) 3 April 1994 (age 26) 8 0 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai
3 2DF Lee Ju-yong (1992-09-26) 26 September 1992 (age 28) 5 0 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
18 2DF Won Du-jae (1997-11-18) 18 November 1997 (age 23) 2 0 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai
25 2DF Yoon Jong-gyu (1998-03-20) 20 March 1998 (age 22) 1 0 South Korea FC Seoul
26 2DF Jeong Tae-wook (1997-05-16) 16 May 1997 (age 23) 0 0 South Korea Daegu FC
10 3MF Lee Jae-sung (1992-08-10) 10 August 1992 (age 28) 51 8 Germany Holstein Kiel
5 3MF Jung Woo-young (1989-12-14) 14 December 1989 (age 31) 51 3 Qatar Al-Sadd
8 3MF Nam Tae-hee (1991-07-03) 3 July 1991 (age 29) 48 6 Qatar Al-Sadd
23 3MF Ju Se-jong (1990-10-30) 30 October 1990 (age 30) 28 1 Japan Gamba Osaka
13 3MF Son Jun-ho (1992-05-12) 12 May 1992 (age 28) 8 0 China Shandong Taishan
7 4FW Son Heung-min (captain) (1992-07-08) 8 July 1992 (age 28) 89 26 England Tottenham Hotspur
16 4FW Hwang Ui-jo (1992-08-28) 28 August 1992 (age 28) 34 12 France Bordeaux
11 4FW Hwang Hee-chan (1996-01-26) 26 January 1996 (age 24) 34 5 Germany RB Leipzig
19 4FW Lee Kang-in (2001-02-19) 19 February 2001 (age 19) 5 0 Spain Valencia
17 4FW Um Won-sang (1999-01-06) 6 January 1999 (age 22) 1 0 South Korea Gwangju FC

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 Jo Hyeon-woo (1991-09-25) 25 September 1991 (age 29) 16 0 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai v.  Mexico, 14 November 2020 COV
DF Kim Moon-hwan (1995-08-01) 1 August 1995 (age 25) 11 0 United States Los Angeles FC v.  Mexico, 14 November 2020 COV
DF Kim Min-jae (1996-11-15) 15 November 1996 (age 24) 30 3 China Beijing Guoan v.  Mexico, 14 November 2020 WD
DF Park Ji-soo (1994-06-13) 13 June 1994 (age 26) 3 0 South Korea Suwon FC v.  Mexico, 14 November 2020 WD
DF Hong Chul (1990-09-17) 17 September 1990 (age 30) 30 0 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai v.  Mexico, 14 November 2020 INJ
DF Kim Jin-su (1992-06-13) 13 June 1992 (age 28) 46 1 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr v.  Mexico, 14 November 2020 COV
DF Kim Young-bin (1991-09-20) 20 September 1991 (age 29) 0 0 South Korea Gangwon FC v.  South Korea U23, 12 October 2020
DF Sim Sang-min (1993-05-21) 21 May 1993 (age 27) 0 0 South Korea Gimcheon Sangmu v.  South Korea U23, 12 October 2020
MF Kwon Chang-hoon (1994-06-30) 30 June 1994 (age 26) 23 5 Germany SC Freiburg v.  Mexico, 14 November 2020 COV
MF Hwang In-beom (1996-09-20) 20 September 1996 (age 24) 23 3 Russia Rubin Kazan v.  Mexico, 14 November 2020 COV
MF Yoon Bit-garam (1990-05-07) 7 May 1990 (age 30) 15 3 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai v.  South Korea U23, 12 October 2020
MF Kim In-sung (1989-09-09) 9 September 1989 (age 31) 2 0 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai v.  South Korea U23, 12 October 2020
MF Lee Dong-gyeong (1997-09-20) 20 September 1997 (age 23) 2 0 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai v.  South Korea U23, 12 October 2020
MF Lee Yeong-jae (1994-09-13) 13 September 1994 (age 26) 2 0 South Korea Suwon FC v.  South Korea U23, 12 October 2020
MF Han Seung-gyu (1996-09-28) 28 September 1996 (age 24) 0 0 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors v.  South Korea U23, 12 October 2020
MF Lee Hyeon-sik (1996-03-21) 21 March 1996 (age 24) 0 0 South Korea Daejeon Hana Citizen v.  South Korea U23, 12 October 2020
MF Lee Chung-yong (1988-07-02) 2 July 1988 (age 32) 89 9 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai v.  South Korea U23, 9 October 2020 INJ
FW Na Sang-ho (1996-08-12) 12 August 1996 (age 24) 13 2 South Korea FC Seoul v.  Mexico, 14 November 2020 COV
FW Lee Dong-jun (1997-02-01) 1 February 1997 (age 23) 0 0 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai v.  Mexico, 14 November 2020 COV
FW Lee Jeong-hyeop (1991-06-24) 24 June 1991 (age 29) 24 5 South Korea Gyeongnam FC v.  South Korea U23, 12 October 2020
FW Kim Ji-hyeon (1996-07-22) 22 July 1996 (age 24) 0 0 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai v.  South Korea U23, 12 October 2020

INJ Withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
COV Player withdrew due to COVID-19
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Player records

As of 7 January 2019

Statistics below are from matches considered official by the KFA.[75]

Notable players

The following players were inducted into the Korean Football Hall of Fame,[76] or were selected for the Korean Football All-time Best XI in one or more surveys.[77][78]
Players in bold are regarded as some of the greatest South Korean footballers of all time.[79][80]

Honours

Fourth place: 2002
Winners: 1956, 1960
Runners-up: 1972, 1980, 1988, 2015
Third place: 1964, 2000, 2007, 2011
Gold medal: 1970, 1978, 1986
Silver medal: 1954, 1958, 1962
Bronze medal: 1990
Fourth place: 1994
Fourth place: 2002
Winners: 1987
Winners: 2003, 2008, 2015, 2017, 2019
Runners-up: 2010
Third place: 2013
Fourth place: 2005
  • Minor competitions
Korea Cup: 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1991, 1997
Pestabola Merdeka: 1960, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1978
King's Cup: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1998
Jakarta Anniversary Tournament: 1981
Dynasty Cup: 1990
LG Cup: 2000, 2001, 2006
  • Other awards
FIFA World Cup Most Entertaining Team: 2002
AFC National Team of the Year: 2002, 2009
EAFF Championship Fair Play Award: 2008
AFC Asian Cup Fair Play Award: 2011

See also

References

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 2020.
  2. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 2020.
  3. ^ Wright, Rob (6 June 2018). "World Cup 2018: Why you should follow South Korea". RTÉ.
  4. ^ ? [Red Devils]. Naver.com (in Korean). Encyclopedia of Korean Culture. Retrieved 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d Hong, Fan (2016). Sport and Nationalism in Asia: Power, Politics and Identity. Routledge. pp. 93-97. ISBN 9781317574019.
  6. ^ "History". KFA. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 2012.
  7. ^ "KIM Yong Sik". Japan National Football Team Database. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 2019.
  8. ^ "Korea Football Association". SportsKnowHow.com. Retrieved 2018.
  9. ^ "A rivalry is born in Tokyo". FIFA. Retrieved 2019.
  10. ^ "World Cup 1954". RSSSF. Retrieved 2019.
  11. ^ "Asian Nations Cup 1956". RSSSF. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 2019.
  12. ^ "Asian Nations Cup 1960". RSSSF. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 2019.
  13. ^ "40 ? ? ? " (in Korean). The Hankyoreh. 30 March 2004. Retrieved 2020.
  14. ^ ? ' '... . YouTube.com (in Korean). Channel A. 4 January 2019. Retrieved 2020.
  15. ^ Bae, Jin-nam (20 June 2009). ?, 1966? . Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2020.
  16. ^ a b c Kim, Hyeon-hoe (12 April 2011). , ? (in Korean). Nate Sports. Retrieved 2019.
  17. ^ Goihman, Miron (4 January 2018). "Games of the XIX. Olympiad - Football Qualifying Tournament". RSSSF. Retrieved 2020.
  18. ^ Mulcahy, Enda; Karsdorp, Dirk (26 August 2009). "Asian Club Competitions 1968/69". RSSSF. Retrieved 2020.
  19. ^ "Asian Games 1970". RSSSF. 29 February 2012. Retrieved 2019.
  20. ^ "1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico (TM) - Korea Republic 2-3 Italy". FIFA. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 2020.
  21. ^ "? ". Naver.com (in Korean). Dong-A Ilbo. 10 June 1986. Retrieved 2020.
  22. ^ "Top 10 Bundesliga Imports". Goal. 1 August 2010. Retrieved 2019.
  23. ^ Nalapat, Abilash (18 August 2015). "Matthaus on Germany's close ties with Asia and Maradona vs. Messi". ESPN. Retrieved 2018.
  24. ^ , ! (in Korean). OhmyNews. 10 August 2006. Retrieved 2020.
  25. ^ ? ? /86? (in Korean). MBC. 20 June 2002. Retrieved 2020.
  26. ^ ? . Naver.com (in Korean). Maeil Business Newspaper. 11 June 1986. Retrieved 2019.
  27. ^ "Asian Games 1986". RSSSF. 21 December 2009. Retrieved 2019.
  28. ^ Bae, Jae-sung (22 June 2018). '? ' " " (in Korean). JoongAng Ilbo. Retrieved 2020.
  29. ^ Han, Hyeon-sung (20 September 2016). '' ? ? 5 (in Korean). Sports-G. Retrieved 2020.
  30. ^ Hersh, Philip (21 June 1998). "NETHERLANDS 5, SOUTH KOREA 0". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2020.
  31. ^ " ?". Naver.com (in Korean). Kukmin Ilbo. 18 December 2000. Retrieved 2019.
  32. ^ Choi, Hyo-hoon (26 June 2018). 2002 ? ? ? (in Korean). brunch. Retrieved 2019.
  33. ^ "? '' ". Naver.com (in Korean). Money Today. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 2019.
  34. ^ "South Korea vs. Scotland - Football Match Summary - May 16, 2002". ESPN. Retrieved 2019.
  35. ^ "South Korea hold England". BBC Sport. 21 May 2002. Retrieved 2019.
  36. ^ "Korea Republic v France, 26 May 2002". 11v11. Retrieved 2019.
  37. ^ a b "History of the Red Devils" (in Korean). Joynews24. 21 May 2006. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 2010.
  38. ^ "Spain rage at referee". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 2014.
  39. ^ "Biggest World Cup controversies". WorldCup.com.au. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 2014.
  40. ^ "The Story Of The World Cup: South Korea/Japan 2002". FirstTouchOnline.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 2014.
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  42. ^ "Shin Tae-yong named Korea Republic coach". AFC. 4 July 2017. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 2017.
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  44. ^ "FIFA World Cup 2018: South Korea have one percent chance of staying in the tournament, says midfielder Ju Se-jong". Firstpost. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 2019.
  45. ^ Emons, Michael (27 June 2018). "Germany knocked out of 2018 World Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2018.
  46. ^ Park, Gene; Steinberg, Dan. "'Vamos Korea': Mexico fans shower Korea with love after the unlikeliest World Cup assist - The Washington Post". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019.
  47. ^ "South Korea media celebrate 'miracle of Kazan'". Gulf News. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 2019.
  48. ^ " ? " .. ?. Naver.com (in Korean). Korea Economic Daily. 2 May 2001. Retrieved 2020.
  49. ^ a b c KFA, ...19 ? (in Korean). KFA. Retrieved 2020.
  50. ^ ?· ? ? . Naver.com (in Korean). Kyunghyang. 27 February 1981. Retrieved 2020.
  51. ^ !?- ? . Naver.com (in Korean). Kyunghyang. 30 May 1986. Retrieved 2020.
  52. ^ "?". Naver.com (in Korean). Kyunghyang. 20 June 1990. Retrieved 2020.
  53. ^ ? ' 100?'. Naver.com (in Korean). Kyunghyang. 11 December 1997. Retrieved 2020.
  54. ^ "? 380? ". Naver.com (in Korean). The Hankyoreh. 17 December 1997. Retrieved 2020.
  55. ^ ?, ? 500? ?. Naver.com (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 9 January 2003. Retrieved 2020.
  56. ^ , 490 4? . Naver.com (in Korean). Newsis. 23 October 2007. Retrieved 2020.
  57. ^ ? 1200. JTBC.joins.com (in Korean). JoongAng Ilbo. 16 January 2012. Retrieved 2020.
  58. ^ KFA, ? ?-? (in Korean). KFA. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 2020.
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  62. ^ Greco, John (21 August 2018). "A long standing rivalry: Caltex Socceroos' history against Korea Republic". Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 2020.
  63. ^ https://www.worldfootball.net/teams/suedkorea-team/21/
  64. ^ "History of the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition (by year)" (PDF). FIFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 2011.
  65. ^ "Football Tournament of the Olympic Games - Overview". RSSSF. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 2020.
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  69. ^ Jeong, Young-jae (26 May 2018). ' ' , 8 ? (in Korean). JoongAng Ilbo. Retrieved 2020.
  70. ^ (in Korean). KFA. Retrieved 2020.
  71. ^ Salmon, Andrew (2 May 2012). "(35) Hiddink: hero from Holland and Korea's football magician". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2020.
  72. ^ Shin, Ik-soo (25 June 2010). [Leaders] ? 16? ? (in Korean). Maeil Business Newspaper. Retrieved 2020.
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  75. ^ "KFA Archives" (in Korean). KFA. 1 August 2018.
  76. ^ ' ' . (in Korean). KFA. 23 November 2006. Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved 2020.
  77. ^ ·... ` ` (in Korean). JoongAng Ilbo. 24 April 2002. Retrieved 2020.
  78. ^ .., 11. Naver.com (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 2019.
  79. ^ [3] 14?_vsvs . YouTube.com (in Korean). KBS Sports. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 2020.
  80. ^ ? ? (in Korean). Naver Sports. 13 April 2020. Retrieved 2020.

External links

Preceded by
Inaugural Champion 		Asian Champions
1956 (First title)
1960 (Second title) 		Succeeded by
1964 Israel 
Preceded by
1964 Myanmar  		Asian Games Champions
1970 (First title) 		Succeeded by
1974 Iran 
Preceded by
1974 Iran  		Asian Games Champions
1978 (Second title) 		Succeeded by
1982 Iraq 
Preceded by
1982 Iraq  		Asian Games Champions
1986 (Third title) 		Succeeded by
1990 Iran 
Preceded by
1985 Cameroon  		Afro-Asian Cup Champions
1988 (First title) 		Succeeded by
1991 Algeria 
Preceded by
Inaugural Champion 		EAFF Champions
2003 (First title) 		Succeeded by
2005 China PR 
Preceded by
2005 China PR  		EAFF Champions
2008 (Second title) 		Succeeded by
2010 China PR 
Preceded by
2013 Japan  		EAFF Champions
2015 (Third title)
2017 (Fourth title)
2019 (Fifth title) 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
2001 China PR  		AFC Men's Team of the Year
2002 		Succeeded by
2003 Iraq 
Preceded by
2008 Japan  		AFC Men's Team of the Year
2009 		Succeeded by
2010 Japan 

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