South Korea national football team

Early history

Korea (Joseon) was not introduced to the sport of association football until the late 19th century; it is often said that football in Korea dates to 1882, when the Royal Navy 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 for the Japan national team, most notably Kim Yong-sik who played for Japan at the 1936 Summer Olympics.^[7]

The Joseon FA was reorganized in 1945 as Japanese occupation ended with the 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: 9–0 against Hungary (the joint-heaviest defeat in World Cup history) and 7–0 against Turkey. Their third scheduled game, against West Germany, was never played because neither were seeded in their group, as per that tournament's rules.^[10] It would take thirty-two years before South Korea was able to participate at the World Cup 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 gold 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]

Second World Cup team (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,^[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 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.^[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 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.^[28] 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,^[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.^[32] The KFA promised him to ensure long-term training camps and authority about management of coaching staff.^[33] 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.^[34] 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.^[35][36][37]

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.^[38]

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.^[39][40] 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.^[41] 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, 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. Park Ji-sung, Park Chu-young, Lee Chung-yong and Ki Sung-yueng were in charge of South Korea's attack in the qualifiers, and were evaluated as four key players in the squad at the time.^[44]

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.^[46] Bento showed a philosophy that wasn't dominated by the opposition's tactics and maintained his team's build-up play.^[47] However, South Korea, 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.^[48]

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.^[49] 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.^[50] Bento was sent off for arguing with referee Anthony Taylor just after the match ended,^[51] 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.^[52] 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.^[53]

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).^[54][55]

Kits and crest

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

Red is the traditional shirt color of the South Korean national team, who are consequently nicknamed the "Reds", while the fans are called the "Red Devils". The away shirt has varied between white and blue. In 1994, the home shirt shifted from red to white, but in October 1995, red returned as 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.^[56] On 5 February 2020, the KFA announced a new, more simplistic logo.^[57] The emblem retained the tiger, albeit in a more minimalist design, enclosed in a rectangular frame.^[57] Red, blue and white, South Korea's traditional colors, have been maintained in the new logo.^[57]

Kit suppliers

Kit deals

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.^[67] They currently play their home matches at several stadiums, which are also used by K League clubs.

Rivalries

South Korea's biggest rival is Japan. 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.^[68][69] South Korea leads the all-time series with 42 wins, 23 draws and 16 losses.^[70]

A rivalry has also developed with Iran.^[71] 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.^[70]

Another major rival is Australia. In head-to-head matches, both teams achieved 9 wins in 29 encounters, and 11 matches ended in a draw.^[70] The two countries have also met in four matches at the Asian Cup,^[72] including the 2015 final, where Australia won 2–1 after extra time for their first ever Asian championship.^[73]

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.^[38] Their most common chant is "Dae~ Han-Min-Guk" (Korean: 대~한민국, lit. Republic of Korea or Great Korea), followed by five claps.^[74] The FIFA Fan Fest was introduced at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea.

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.^{[75][76][77][78]}

  Win0  Draw0  Loss0  Fixture

2023

South Korea  v  Peru

16 June Friendly	South Korea	0–1	Peru	Busan, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9		Report	Reyna 11'	Stadium: Busan Asiad Main Stadium Attendance: 52,443 Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)

South Korea  v  El Salvador

20 June Friendly	South Korea	1–1	El Salvador	Daejeon, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9	Hwang Ui-jo 49'	Report	Roldán 87'	Stadium: Daejeon World Cup Stadium Attendance: 39,823 Referee: Muhammad Taqi (Singapore)

Wales  v  South Korea

7 September Friendly	Wales	0–0	South Korea	Cardiff, Wales
19:45 UTC+1		Report		Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 13,668 Referee: Willie Collum (Scotland)

Saudi Arabia  v  South Korea

12 September Friendly	Saudi Arabia	0–1	South Korea	Newcastle upon Tyne, England
17:30 UTC+1		Report	Cho Gue-sung 32'	Stadium: St James' Park Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Andrew Madley (England)

South Korea  v  Tunisia

13 October Friendly	South Korea	4–0	Tunisia	Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9	Lee Kang-in 55', 57' Meriah 66' (o.g.) Hwang Ui-jo 90+1'	Report		Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance: 59,018 Referee: Amirul Izwan Yaacob (Malaysia)

South Korea  v  Vietnam

17 October Friendly	South Korea	6–0	Vietnam	Suwon, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9	Kim Min-jae 5' Hwang Hee-chan 27' Võ Minh Trọng 50' (o.g.) Son Heung-min 61' Lee Kang-in 70' Jeong Woo-yeong 86'	Report		Stadium: Suwon World Cup Stadium Attendance: 42,175 Referee: Amirul Izwan Yaacob (Malaysia)

South Korea  v  Singapore

16 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	South Korea	5–0	Singapore	Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9	Cho Gue-sung 44' Hwang Hee-chan 49' Son Heung-min 63' Hwang Ui-jo 68' (pen.) Lee Kang-in 85'	Report		Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance: 64,381 Referee: Bijan Heydari (Iran)

China  v  South Korea

21 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	China	0–3	South Korea	Shenzhen, China
20:00 UTC+8		Report	Son Heung-min 11' (pen.), 45' Jung Seung-hyun 87'	Stadium: Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre Attendance: 39,969 Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)

2024

South Korea  v  Iraq

6 January Friendly	South Korea	1–0	Iraq	Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
17:00 UTC+4	Lee Jae-sung 40'	Report		Stadium: New York University Stadium Attendance: 100 Referee: Yahya Al-Mulla (United Arab Emirates)

South Korea  v  Bahrain

15 January 2023 AFC Asian Cup Group E	South Korea	3–1	Bahrain	Al Rayyan, Qatar
14:30 UTC+3	Hwang In-beom 38' Lee Kang-in 56', 68'	Report	Al-Hashsash 51'	Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 8,388 Referee: Ma Ning (China)

Jordan  v  South Korea

20 January 2023 AFC Asian Cup Group E	Jordan	2–2	South Korea	Doha, Qatar
14:30 UTC+3	Park Yong-woo 37' (o.g.) Al-Naimat 45+6'	Report	Son Heung-min 9' (pen.) Al-Arab 90+1' (o.g.)	Stadium: Al Thumama Stadium Attendance: 36,627 Referee: Salman Falahi (Qatar)

South Korea  v  Malaysia

25 January 2023 AFC Asian Cup Group E	South Korea	3–3	Malaysia	Al Wakrah, Qatar
14:30 UTC+3	Jeong Woo-yeong 21' Lee Kang-in 83' Son Heung-min 90+4' (pen.)	Report	Faisal 51' Arif 62' (pen.) Morales 90+15'	Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium Attendance: 30,117 Referee: Khalid Al-Turais (Saudi Arabia)

Saudi Arabia  v  South Korea

30 January 2023 AFC Asian Cup round of 16	Saudi Arabia	1–1 (a.e.t.) (2–4 p)	South Korea	Al Rayyan, Qatar
19:00 UTC+3	Radif 46'	Report	Cho Gue-sung 90+9'	Stadium: Education City Stadium Attendance: 42,389 Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
	Penalties
	Kanno Abdulhamid Al-Najei Ghareeb		Son Heung-min Kim Young-gwon Cho Gue-sung Hwang Hee-chan

Australia  v  South Korea

2 February 2023 AFC Asian Cup quarter-finals	Australia	1–2 (a.e.t.)	South Korea	Al Wakrah, Qatar
18:30 UTC+3	Goodwin 42'	Report	Hwang Hee-chan 90+6' (pen.) Son Heung-min 104'	Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium Attendance: 39,632 Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)

Jordan  v  South Korea

6 February 2023 AFC Asian Cup semi-finals	Jordan	2–0	South Korea	Al Rayyan, Qatar
18:00 UTC+3	Al-Naimat 53' Al-Taamari 66'	Report		Stadium: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium Attendance: 42,850 Referee: Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed (United Arab Emirates)

South Korea  v  Thailand

21 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	South Korea	1–1	Thailand	Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9	Son Heung-min 42'	Report	Mueanta 61'	Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium Attendance: 64,912 Referee: Khalid Al-Turais (Saudi Arabia)

Thailand  v  South Korea

26 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Thailand	0–3	South Korea	Bangkok, Thailand
19:30 UTC+7		Report	Lee Jae-sung 19' Son Heung-min 54' Park Jin-seop 82'	Stadium: Rajamangala Stadium Attendance: 45,458 Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)

Singapore  v  South Korea

6 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Singapore	v	South Korea	Kallang, Singapore
20:00 UTC+8		Report		Stadium: Singapore National Stadium

South Korea  v  China

11 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	South Korea	v	China	Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9		Report		Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium

As of 26 March 2024

Guus Hiddink is widely regarded as the most successful manager in South Korean football history.^[79][80]

As of 29 February 2024^[81][82]

Current coaching staff

Position	Name
Caretaker manager	Hwang Sun-hong
Assistant manager	Michael Kim
Coach	Cho Yong-hyung
	Jung Jo-gook
Goalkeeping coach	Kim Il-jin
Fitness coach	Lee Jae-hong
Technical advisor	Lee Young-jin

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Thailand on 21 and 26 March 2024.^[83][84]

Caps and goals updated as of 26 March 2024, after the match against Thailand.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Song Bum-keun	(1997-10-15) 15 October 1997 (age 26)	1	0	Shonan Bellmare
12	1GK	Lee Chang-geun	(1993-08-30) 30 August 1993 (age 30)	1	0	Daejeon Hana Citizen
21	1GK	Jo Hyeon-woo	(1991-09-25) 25 September 1991 (age 32)	31	0	Ulsan HD
2	2DF	Lee Myung-jae	(1993-11-04) 4 November 1993 (age 30)	1	0	Ulsan HD
3	2DF	Kim Jin-su	(1992-06-13) 13 June 1992 (age 31)	72	2	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
4	2DF	Kim Min-jae	(1996-11-15) 15 November 1996 (age 27)	63	4	Bayern Munich
15	2DF	Kim Moon-hwan	(1995-08-01) 1 August 1995 (age 28)	27	0	Al-Duhail
19	2DF	Kim Young-gwon	(1990-02-27) 27 February 1990 (age 34)	111	7	Ulsan HD
20	2DF	Kwon Kyung-won	(1992-01-31) 31 January 1992 (age 32)	30	2	Suwon FC
22	2DF	Seol Young-woo	(1998-12-05) 5 December 1998 (age 25)	16	0	Ulsan HD
23	2DF	Cho Yu-min	(1996-11-17) 17 November 1996 (age 27)	5	0	Sharjah
5	3MF	Park Jin-seop	(1995-10-23) 23 October 1995 (age 28)	6	1	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
6	3MF	Hwang In-beom	(1996-09-20) 20 September 1996 (age 27)	58	6	Red Star Belgrade
7	3MF	Son Heung-min (captain)	(1992-07-08) 8 July 1992 (age 31)	125	46	Tottenham Hotspur
8	3MF	Paik Seung-ho	(1997-03-17) 17 March 1997 (age 27)	17	3	Birmingham City
10	3MF	Lee Jae-sung	(1992-08-10) 10 August 1992 (age 31)	86	11	Mainz 05
11	3MF	Song Min-kyu	(1999-09-12) 12 September 1999 (age 24)	14	1	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
13	3MF	Hong Hyun-seok	(1999-06-16) 16 June 1999 (age 24)	11	0	Gent
14	3MF	Jeong Ho-yeon	(2000-09-28) 28 September 2000 (age 23)	1	0	Gwangju FC
17	3MF	Jeong Woo-yeong	(1999-09-20) 20 September 1999 (age 24)	22	4	VfB Stuttgart
18	3MF	Lee Kang-in	(2001-02-19) 19 February 2001 (age 23)	27	7	Paris Saint-Germain
9	4FW	Cho Gue-sung	(1998-01-25) 25 January 1998 (age 26)	39	9	Midtjylland
16	4FW	Joo Min-kyu	(1990-04-13) 13 April 1990 (age 34)	2	0	Ulsan HD

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	Kim Seung-gyu	(1990-09-30) 30 September 1990 (age 33)	81	0	Al-Shabab	2023 AFC Asian Cup INJ
GK	Kim Jun-hong	(2003-06-03) 3 June 2003 (age 20)	0	0	Gimcheon Sangmu	v.  Vietnam, 17 October 2023
DF	Kim Tae-hwan	(1989-07-24) 24 July 1989 (age 34)	31	0	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	2023 AFC Asian Cup
DF	Jung Seung-hyun	(1994-04-03) 3 April 1994 (age 30)	25	1	Al-Wasl	2023 AFC Asian Cup
DF	Lee Ki-je	(1991-07-09) 9 July 1991 (age 32)	14	0	Suwon Samsung Bluewings	2023 AFC Asian Cup
DF	Kim Ju-sung	(2000-12-12) 12 December 2000 (age 23)	2	0	FC Seoul	2023 AFC Asian Cup
DF	Kim Ji-soo	(2004-12-24) 24 December 2004 (age 19)	0	0	Brentford B	2023 AFC Asian Cup
DF	Kang Sang-woo	(1993-10-07) 7 October 1993 (age 30)	3	0	FC Seoul	v.  Saudi Arabia, 12 September 2023
DF	Ahn Hyeon-beom	(1994-12-21) 21 December 1994 (age 29)	1	0	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	v.  Saudi Arabia, 12 September 2023
DF	Park Ji-soo	(1994-06-13) 13 June 1994 (age 29)	16	0	Wuhan Three Towns	v.  El Salvador, 20 June 2023
DF	Park Kyu-hyun	(2001-04-14) 14 April 2001 (age 23)	2	0	Dynamo Dresden	v.  El Salvador, 20 June 2023
MF	Um Won-sang	(1999-01-06) 6 January 1999 (age 25)	7	0	Ulsan HD	v.  Thailand, 21 March 2024 INJ
MF	Hwang Hee-chan	(1996-01-26) 26 January 1996 (age 28)	64	13	Wolverhampton Wanderers	2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF	Moon Seon-min	(1992-06-09) 9 June 1992 (age 31)	16	2	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF	Park Yong-woo	(1993-09-10) 10 September 1993 (age 30)	14	0	Al-Ain	2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF	Lee Soon-min	(1994-05-22) 22 May 1994 (age 29)	4	0	Daejeon Hana Citizen	2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF	Yang Hyun-jun	(2002-05-25) 25 May 2002 (age 21)	3	0	Celtic	2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF	Lee Dong-gyeong	(1997-09-20) 20 September 1997 (age 26)	8	1	Ulsan HD	v.  Saudi Arabia, 12 September 2023
MF	Na Sang-ho	(1996-08-12) 12 August 1996 (age 27)	28	2	Machida Zelvia	v.  El Salvador, 20 June 2023
MF	Won Du-jae	(1997-11-18) 18 November 1997 (age 26)	7	0	Gimcheon Sangmu	v.  El Salvador, 20 June 2023
MF	Son Jun-ho	(1992-05-12) 12 May 1992 (age 31)	20	0	Kunyoong FC	v.  Peru, 16 June 2023 WD
FW	Oh Hyeon-gyu	(2001-04-12) 12 April 2001 (age 23)	11	0	Celtic	2023 AFC Asian Cup
FW	Hwang Ui-jo	(1992-08-28) 28 August 1992 (age 31)	62	19	Alanyaspor	v.  China, 21 November 2023
Notes INJ = Withdrew due to injury WD = Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Notable former players

The following players were inducted into the KFA Hall of Fame,^[85] or were selected for the Korean Best XI of All Time in one or more surveys.^[86][87]

As of 26 March 2024^[88]

Players in bold are still active with South Korea.

Most appearances

Top goalscorers

  Champions0  Runners-up0  Third place0  Tournament played on home soil

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	F	A
1930 to 1938	Part of Japan									Part of Japan
1950	Did not enter									Did not enter
1954	Group stage	2	0	0	2	0	16	Squad		2	1	1	0	7	3
1958	Did not enter									Entry denied by FIFA[89]
1962	Did not qualify									4	2	0	2	6	9
1966	Did not enter									Did not enter
1970	Did not qualify									4	1	2	1	6	5
1974										8	3	4	1	10	4
1978										12	5	6	1	16	9
1982										3	2	0	1	7	4
1986	Group stage	3	0	1	2	4	7	Squad		8	7	0	1	17	3
1990		3	0	0	3	1	6	Squad		11	9	2	0	30	1
1994		3	0	2	1	4	5	Squad		13	9	3	1	32	5
1998		3	0	1	2	2	9	Squad		12	9	2	1	28	8
2002	Fourth place	7	3	2	2	8	6	Squad		Qualified as hosts
2006	Group stage	3	1	1	1	3	4	Squad		12	7	3	2	18	7
2010	Round of 16	4	1	1	2	6	8	Squad		14	7	7	0	22	7
2014	Group stage	3	0	1	2	3	6	Squad		14	8	3	3	27	11
2018		3	1	0	2	3	3	Squad		18	12	3	3	38	10
2022	Round of 16	4	1	1	2	5	8	Squad		16	12	3	1	35	4
2026	To be determined									4	3	1	0	12	1
2030										To be determined
2034
Total	Fourth place	38	7	10	21	39	78	11/19[a]		155	97	40	18	311	91

Summer Olympics

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

Summer Olympics record										Qualification record[90]
Year	Round	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	F	A
1900 to 1908	Part of the Korean Empire									Part of the Korean Empire
1912 to 1936	Part of Japan									Part of Japan
1948	Quarter-finals	2	1	0	1	5	15	Squad		Directly qualified
1952	Did not enter									Did not enter
1956	Did not qualify									2	1	0	1	2	2
1960										4	2	0	2	4	4
1964	Group stage	3[a]	0	0	3	1	20	Squad		4	2	1	1	7	4
1968	Did not qualify									5	4	1	0	17	5
1972										4	3	0	1	16	2
1976										6	3	2	1	10	5
1980										6	4	0	2	16	6
1984										11	5	3	3	19	11
1988	Group stage	3[b]	0	2	1	1	2	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1992–present	Entered with the under-23 team									Entered with the under-23 team
Total	Quarter-finals	8	1	2	5	7	37	3/11[c]		42	24	7	11	91	39

AFC Asian Cup

AFC Asian Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	F	A
1956	Champions	3	2	1	0	9	6	Squad		4	4	0	0	9	1
1960	Champions	3	3	0	0	9	1	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1964	Third place	3[a]	1	0	2	2	4	Squad		Direct entry
1968	Did not qualify									4	1	1	2	9	4
1972	Runners-up	5	1	2	2	7	6	Squad		Direct entry
1976	Did not qualify									4	2	0	2	3	3
1980	Runners-up	6	4	1	1	12	6	Squad		3	3	0	0	10	1
1984	Group stage	4	0	2	2	1	3	Squad		4	3	1	0	13	0
1988	Runners-up	6	5	1	0	11	3	Squad		3[a]	1	1	1	5	3
1992	Did not qualify									2[a]	1	0	1	7	2
1996	Quarter-finals	4	1	1	2	7	11	Squad		3	3	0	0	17	0
2000	Third place	6	3	1	2	9	6	Squad		3	3	0	0	19	0
2004	Quarter-finals	4	2	1	1	9	4	Squad		6	4	0	2	30	4
2007	Third place	6	1	4	1	3	3	Squad		6	3	2	1	15	5
2011	Third place	6	4	2	0	13	7	Squad		Directly qualified
2015	Runners-up	6	5	0	1	8	2	Squad		Directly qualified
2019	Quarter-finals	5	4	0	1	6	2	Squad		8	8	0	0	27	0
2023	Semi-finals	6	2	3	1	11	10	Squad		6	5	1	0	22	1
2027	To be determined									To be determined
Total	Champions	73	38	19	16	117	74	15/18		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	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Squad
1951	Did not enter
1954	Silver medalists	4	1	2	1	15	12	Squad
1958	Silver medalists	5	4	0	1	15	6	Squad
1962	Silver medalists	5	4	0	1	9	5	Squad
1966	First round	2	0	0	2	0	4	Squad
1970	Gold medalists	6	3	2	1	5	3	Squad
1974	Second round	5	1	1	3	4	10	Squad
1978	Gold medalists	7	6	1	0	15	3	Squad
1982	Group stage	3	1	0	2	4	3	Squad
1986	Gold medalists	6	4	2	0	14	3	Squad
1990	Bronze medalists	6	5	0	1	18	1	Squad
1994	Fourth place	6	3	0	3	17	7	Squad
1998	Quarter-finals	6	4	0	2	12	6	Squad
2002–present	Entered with the under-23 team
Total	Gold medalists	61	36	8	17	128	63	12/13

EAFF Championship

EAFF Championship record
Year	Round	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Squad
2003	Champions	3	2	1	0	4	1	Squad
2005	Fourth place	3	0	2	1	1	2	Squad
2008	Champions	3	1	2	0	5	4	Squad
2010	Runners-up	3	2	0	1	8	4	Squad
2013	Third place	3	0	2	1	1	2	Squad
2015	Champions	3	1	2	0	3	1	Squad
2017	Champions	3	2	1	0	7	3	Squad
2019	Champions	3	3	0	0	4	0	Squad
2022	Runners-up	3	2	0	1	6	3	Squad
Total	Champions	27	13	10	4	39	20	9/9

Other competitions

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

The following table shows South Korea's head-to-head record, correct as of 26 March 2024.^[91]

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	WPCT
Afghanistan	1	1	0	0	8	2	+6	100.00
Algeria	2	1	0	1	4	4	+0	050.00
Angola	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1	100.00
Argentina	3	0	0	3	2	8	−6	000.00
Australia (list)	29	9	11	9	30	29	+1	031.03
Bahrain	17	12	4	1	40	12	+28	070.59
Bangladesh	2	2	0	0	13	0	+13	100.00
Belarus	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1	000.00
Belgium	4	0	1	3	2	6	−4	000.00
Bolivia	3	1	2	0	1	0	+1	033.33
Bosnia and Herzegovina	2	1	0	1	3	3	+0	050.00
Brazil	8	1	0	7	6	20	−14	012.50
Brunei	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	100.00
Bulgaria	2	0	1	1	1	2	−1	000.00
Burkina Faso	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1	100.00
Cambodia	7	6	0	1	22	4	+18	085.71
Cameroon	5	3	2	0	10	3	+7	060.00
Canada	5	2	1	2	5	4	+1	040.00
Chile	3	1	1	1	2	1	+1	033.33
China (list)	37	22	13	2	55	26	+29	059.46
Chinese Taipei	21	14	1	6	50	19	+31	066.67
Colombia	8	4	3	1	14	9	+5	050.00
Costa Rica	10	4	3	3	13	12	+1	040.00
Croatia	7	2	2	3	7	11	−4	028.57
Cuba	1	0	1	0	0	0	+0	000.00
Czech Republic[a]	5	1	2	2	5	14	−9	020.00
Denmark	2	0	1	1	1	3	−2	000.00
Ecuador	2	1	0	1	3	2	+1	050.00
Egypt	18	6	7	5	18	21	−3	033.33
El Salvador	1	0	1	0	1	1	+0	000.00
England	1	0	1	0	1	1	+0	000.00
Finland	3	3	0	0	5	0	+5	100.00
France	3	0	1	2	3	9	−6	000.00
Georgia	1	0	1	0	2	2	+0	000.00
Germany	4	2	0	2	7	5	+2	050.00
Ghana	7	3	0	4	10	14	−4	042.86
Greece	4	3	1	0	6	1	+5	075.00
Guam	1	1	0	0	9	0	+9	100.00
Guatemala	3	1	1	1	4	3	+1	033.33
Haiti	1	1	0	0	4	1	+3	100.00
Honduras	3	3	0	0	9	0	+9	100.00
Hong Kong	29	22	5	2	69	21	+48	075.86
Hungary	2	0	0	2	0	10	−10	000.00
Iceland	2	2	0	0	6	1	+5	100.00
India	19	14	2	3	48	12	+36	073.68
Indonesia	36	30	4	2	84	19	+65	083.33
Iran	33	10	10	13	36	34	+2	030.30
Iraq	23	9	12	2	27	14	+13	039.13
Israel	11	5	4	2	17	12	+5	045.45
Italy	2	1	0	1	4	4	+0	050.00
Ivory Coast	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	100.00
Jamaica	4	2	2	0	7	3	+4	050.00
Japan (list)	81	42	23	16	124	76	+48	051.85
Jordan	7	3	3	1	7	6	+1	042.86
Kazakhstan	2	1	1	0	4	1	+3	050.00
Kuwait	24	12	4	8	30	20	+10	050.00
Kyrgyzstan	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1	100.00
Laos	5	5	0	0	28	0	+28	100.00
Latvia	2	2	0	0	2	0	+2	100.00
Lebanon	16	12	3	1	28	5	+23	075.00
Libya	1	1	0	0	4	0	+4	100.00
Macau	3	3	0	0	11	2	+9	100.00
Malaysia	47	26	13	8	81	45	+36	055.32
Maldives	2	1	1	0	2	0	+2	050.00
Mali	1	1	0	0	3	1	+2	100.00
Malta	2	1	1	0	3	2	+1	050.00
Mexico	14	4	2	8	18	29	−11	028.57
Moldova	2	2	0	0	5	0	+5	100.00
Mongolia	1	1	0	0	6	0	+6	100.00
Morocco	2	0	1	1	3	5	−2	000.00
Myanmar	27	15	7	5	42	15	+27	055.56
Nepal	7	7	0	0	53	0	+53	100.00
Netherlands	2	0	0	2	0	7	−7	000.00
New Zealand	7	6	1	0	10	1	+9	085.71
Nigeria	5	3	2	0	9	6	+3	060.00
North Korea (list)	17	7	9	1	14	6	+8	041.18
North Macedonia	2	1	1	0	4	3	+1	050.00
Northern Ireland	1	0	0	1	1	2	−1	000.00
Norway	4	1	1	2	5	6	−1	025.00
Oman	5	4	0	1	10	4	+6	080.00
Pakistan	2	2	0	0	13	0	+13	100.00
Panama	1	0	1	0	2	2	+0	000.00
Paraguay	7	2	4	1	8	7	+1	028.57
Peru	3	0	1	2	0	5	−5	000.00
Philippines	8	8	0	0	37	0	+37	100.00
Poland	2	1	0	1	4	3	+1	050.00
Portugal	2	2	0	0	3	1	+2	100.00
Qatar	11	6	2	3	19	13	+6	054.55
Romania	1	0	0	1	1	2	−1	000.00
Russia	3	0	1	2	4	7	−3	000.00
Saudi Arabia	19	5	9	5	20	18	+2	026.32
Scotland	1	1	0	0	4	1	+3	100.00
Senegal	4	1	1	2	3	4	−1	025.00
Serbia	3	1	1	1	3	3	+0	033.33
Serbia and Montenegro[92]	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	100.00
Singapore	27	22	3	2	90	19	+71	081.48
Slovakia	1	0	1	0	0	0	+0	000.00
South Yemen	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	100.00
Spain	6	0	2	4	5	16	−11	000.00
Sri Lanka	3	3	0	0	19	0	+19	100.00
Sudan	1	1	0	0	8	0	+8	100.00
Sweden	5	0	2	3	3	18	−15	000.00
Switzerland	2	1	0	1	2	3	−1	050.00
Syria	10	6	3	1	12	5	+7	060.00
Tajikistan	1	1	0	0	4	1	+3	100.00
Thailand	47	31	8	8	96	37	+59	065.96
Togo	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1	100.00
Trinidad and Tobago	1	0	1	0	1	1	+0	000.00
Tunisia	3	1	1	1	4	1	+3	033.33
Turkey	7	1	2	4	4	13	−9	014.29
Turkmenistan	5	4	0	1	16	4	+12	080.00
Ukraine	2	2	0	0	3	0	+3	100.00
United Arab Emirates	21	13	5	3	38	14	+24	061.90
United States	11	5	3	3	10	8	+2	045.45
Uruguay	10	1	2	7	7	15	−8	010.00
Uzbekistan	16	11	4	1	34	14	+20	068.75
Venezuela	1	1	0	0	3	1	+2	100.00
Vietnam[b]	25	17	6	2	66	21	+45	068.00
Wales	1	0	1	0	0	0	+0	000.00
Yemen[c]	1	1	0	0	6	0	+6	100.00
Yugoslavia[d]	7	0	3	4	4	13	−9	000.00
Zambia	4	2	0	2	10	8	+2	050.00
Total	980	528	241	211	1,762	904	+858	053.88