South Korea national football team

The South Korea national football team (Korean: 대한민국 축구 국가대표팀; recognized as Korea Republic by FIFA) represents South Korea in men's international football and is governed by the Korea Football Association, a member of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Korea Republic
Nickname(s)Taegeuk Warriors
Tigers of Asia
AssociationKorea Football Association (KFA)
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationEAFF (East Asia)
Head coachHong Myung-bo
CaptainSon Heung-min
Most capsSon Heung-min (140)
Top scorerCha Bum-kun (58)
FIFA codeKOR
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 22 (22 December 2025)
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
Appearances11 (first in 1954)
Best resultFourth place (2002)
Asian Cup
Appearances15 (first in 1956)
Best resultChampions (1956, 1960)
EAFF Championship
Appearances10 (first in 2003)
Best resultChampions (2003, 2008, 2015, 2017, 2019)
Confederations Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2001)
Best resultGroup stage (2001)
Medal record
Men's football
AFC Asian Cup
1956 Hong Kong
1960 South Korea
1972 Thailand
1980 Kuwait
1988 Qatar
2015 Australia
1964 Israel
2000 Lebanon
2007 Indonesia, Malaysia,
Thailand and Vietnam
2011 Qatar
Asian Games
1970 Bangkok
1978 Bangkok
1986 Seoul
1954 Manila
1958 Tokyo
1962 Jakarta
1990 Beijing
EAFF Championship
2003 Japan
2008 China
2015 China
2017 Japan
2019 South Korea
2010 Japan
2022 Japan
2025 South Korea
2013South Korea
Websitewww.kfa.or.kr
South Korea national football team
Hangul
대한민국 축구 국가대표팀
Hanja
大韓民國 蹴球 國家代表팀
RRDaehanminguk chukgu gukgadaepyotim
MRTaehanmin'guk ch'ukku kukkadaep'yot'im

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 has 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.

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.

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. 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. 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. Koreans also played for the Japan national team, most notably Kim Yong-sik who played for Japan at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

The Joseon FA was reorganized in 1945 as Japanese occupation ended with the end of World War II. 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.

First World Cup team

In 1954, South Korea entered FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time, and qualified for the 1954 FIFA World Cup in Switzerland by beating Japan 7–3 on aggregate. South Korea were only the second Asian team to compete at a World Cup after the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) in 1938, 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. It would take thirty-two years before South Korea was able to participate at the World Cup finals again.

Two years later, South Korea won the inaugural AFC Asian Cup in 1956. They hosted the next edition in 1960 and successfully retained the title, beating South Vietnam, Israel, and Republic of China in the process. However, the South Korean players received fake medals, instead of the gold medals they had been promised, and returned them to the KFA. 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, something that has thus been attributed to the "curse of the fake gold medals."

Foundation of Yangzee

In 1965, the South Korean government was hesitant to play football matches against North Korea and thus withdrew from 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. This would be proven true, as the North Koreans advanced to the quarter-finals at the finals in England.

In March 1967, the South Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) founded Yangzee FC, collecting footballers in South Korea to train them intensively. Yangzee players received benefits like exemption from military service, long-term overseas training and high salaries in return for intensive training. At the 1968 Summer Olympics qualification, South Korea was eliminated by goal difference, despite being tied with Japan, the group winners, on points. They also participated in the 1969 Asian Champion Club Tournament, finishing as runners-up. 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. 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.

Second World Cup team

Cho
Young-jeung
Chung
Yong-hwan
Park
Kyung-hoon
Huh
Jung-moo
Park
Chang-sun
Cho
Kwang-rae
Byun
Byung-joo
Kim
Joo-sung
Cha
Bum-kun
Choi
Soon-ho
South Korea's starting line-up against Italy at the 1986 FIFA World Cup

In 1985, South Korea won the East Asian tournament of FIFA World Cup qualification including two victories against Japan in the final round, and sealed a spot at the World Cup for the first time since 1954. After one of the greatest forwards of German Bundesliga at that time, Cha Bum-kun, joined the existing winning team, the South Korean squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup was evaluated as the golden generation in their country. South Korea lost 3–1 to the eventual champion Argentina but Park Chang-sun scored the first-ever South Korean World Cup goal in the first group match. They drew 1–1 with Bulgaria and faced the defending champion Italy in the 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 despite Huh Jung-moo pulling one back. Afterwards, South Korean newscasts and journalists criticised the referee David Socha, claiming that his judgements about situations of the game were poor including the decision to award a penalty to Italy. South Korea redeemed their failure of World Cup success with a gold at the 1986 Asian Games.

Tragedy of Marseille

In 1997, Cha Bum-kun became the head coach going into 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 in France, 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. 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, who conceded five of the Netherlands' 17 shots on target. The team then drew 1–1 against Belgium in their final group match.

Hiddink's magic

Hong
Myung-bo
Choi
Jin-cheul
Kim
Tae-young
Song
Chong-gug
Lee
Young-pyo
Kim
Nam-il
Yoo
Sang-chul
Park
Ji-sung
Seol
Ki-hyeon
Ahn
Jung-hwan
South Korea's starting line-up against Italy at the 2002 FIFA World Cup

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. 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. 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.

South Korea co-hosted the 2002 World Cup tournament with Japan. Having never won a game in the World Cup previously, 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 Portugal, who earned two red cards in the match, reducing them to nine men. Park Ji-sung scored 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.

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. The game then went to the penalty shoot-out where South Korea won 5–3, thus becoming the first Asian team to reach the semi-finals. The South Korean team's run was halted by a 1–0 loss to Germany, and their tournament ended in fourth place after a loss to Turkey 3–2 in the third-place match.

Team captain Hong Myung-bo received the Bronze Ball as the third best player of the World Cup, the first Asian footballer to receive this award. In addition, Hong was named in the team of the tournament alongside teammate Yoo Sang-chul. This level of success was unprecedented for a country that had never won a World Cup match before. They went further than any Asian team, upsetting several established European teams in the process, leading to a rise in the popularity of football in the country. Hiddink became a national hero in South Korea and was granted honorary citizenship.

Era of Huh and Park

Cho
Yong-hyung
Lee
Jung-soo
Cha
Du-ri
Lee
Young-pyo
Ki
Sung-yueng
Kim
Jung-woo
Lee
Chung-yong
Yeom
Ki-hun
Park
Ji-sung
Park
Chu-young
South Korea's starting line-up against Greece at the 2010 FIFA World Cup

In 2008, South Korea chose Hiddink's predecessor Huh Jung-moo as their manager again. Huh appointed Park Ji-sung, who got his international debut after being discovered by Huh in the past, as a new captain. Under Huh and Park, the South Korean team was undefeated for 27 consecutive games between 2008 and 2009. In 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 in South Africa, 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. Their next result was a 2–2 draw in the match against Nigeria, with Lee Jung-soo and Park Chu-young scoring. This allowed them to make it to the knockout stage for the first time on foreign soil. In the round of 16 they met Uruguay, who took an early lead through Luis Suárez. South Korea equalized in the second half after Lee Chung-yong scored his second goal of the tournament but conceded to Suárez again in the 80th minute. Despite maintaining the majority of the possession in the second half, South Korea was unable to equalise again and were eliminated from the tournament.

Proactive football

Kim Pan-gon, the KFA official in charge of finding a new manager, contracted Paulo Bento and his coaching team to set long-term goals after the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Bento showed a philosophy that wasn't dominated by the opposition's tactics and maintained his team's build-up play. However, South Korea 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.

Bento's team easily qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar 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. At the World Cup, South Korea contested a goalless draw with Uruguay, and 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. Bento was sent off for arguing with referee Anthony Taylor just after the match ended, 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. 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.

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).

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 the home color, paired with black shorts.

South Korea used to wear the country's flag as their shirt badge until 2001, when their tiger crest was unveiled. On 5 February 2020, the KFA announced a new, more simplistic logo. The emblem retained the tiger, albeit in a more minimalist design, enclosed in a rectangular frame. Red, blue and white, South Korea's traditional colors, have been maintained in the new logo.

Kit suppliers

Kit supplier Period Notes
Adidas, Asics, Kolon Sports, Pro-Specs, Weekend 1977–1986 South Korea contracted with Adidas as their first official kit sponsor, but they did not have an exclusive kit sponsor at that time.
Rapido [ko] (Weekend) 1987–1995 Signed a long-term contract with Weekend (renamed Rapido in January 1988) in 1987.
Nike 1996–present Contracted at the end of 1995, 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
9 January 2003 2003–2007 $50 million $10.0 million
23 October 2007 2008–2011 $49 million $12.3 million
13 January 2012 2012–2019 $120 million $15.0 million
20 January 2020
2020–2031 $204 million $17.0 million

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. 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. The 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. South Korea leads the all-time series with 42 wins, 23 draws and 17 losses.

A rivalry has also developed with Iran. The two nations have played against each other officially since 1958, totalling 33 matches as of March 2022, including eleven World Cup qualifiers. Although the teams played against each other only once in the final match of the 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.

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

South Korea has had great success against China, as China failed to beat them in competitive matches for 32 years before finally winning in 2010. 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. Their most common chant is "Dae~ Han-Min-Guk" [ko] (대~한민국), followed by five claps.

The FIFA Fan Fest was introduced at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea.[citation needed]

Recent results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2025

South Korea  v  Oman
20 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification South Korea  1–1  Oman Goyang, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9
  • Hwang Hee-chan 41'
Report
  • Al-Busaidi 80'
Stadium: Goyang Stadium
Attendance: 35,212
Referee: Alireza Faghani (Australia)
South Korea  v  Jordan
25 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification South Korea  1–1  Jordan Suwon, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9
  • Lee Jae-sung 5'
Report
  • Kwon Kyung-won 30' (o.g.)
Stadium: Suwon World Cup Stadium
Attendance: 41,582
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
Iraq  v  South Korea
5 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Iraq  0–2  South Korea Basra, Iraq
21:15 UTC+3 Report
  • Kim Jin-gyu 63'
  • Oh Hyeon-gyu 82'
Stadium: Basra International Stadium
Attendance: 55,972
Referee: Yusuke Araki (Japan)
South Korea  v  Kuwait
10 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification South Korea  4–0  Kuwait Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9
  • Al Hajeri 30' (o.g.)
  • Lee Kang-in 51'
  • Oh Hyeon-gyu 54'
  • Lee Jae-sung 72'
Report Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium
Attendance: 41,119
Referee: Majed Al-Shamrani (Saudi Arabia)
South Korea  v  China
7 July 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship South Korea  3–0  China Yongin, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9
  • Lee Dong-gyeong 8'
  • Joo Min-kyu 21'
  • Kim Ju-sung 57'
Report Stadium: Yongin Mireu Stadium
Attendance: 4,426
Referee: Tuan Yaasin (Malaysia)
Hong Kong  v  South Korea
11 July 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Hong Kong  0–2  South Korea Yongin, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9 Report
  • Kang Sang-yoon 27'
  • Lee Ho-jae 67'
Stadium: Yongin Mireu Stadium
Attendance: 5,521
Referee: Ahmad A'Qashah (Singapore)
South Korea  v  Japan
15 July 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship South Korea  0–1  Japan Yongin, South Korea
19:24 UTC+9 Report
  • Germain 8'
Stadium: Yongin Mireu Stadium
Attendance: 18,418
Referee: Tuan Yaasin (Malaysia)
United States  v  South Korea
6 September Friendly United States  0–2  South Korea Harrison, United States
17:00 UTC−4 Report
  • Son Heung-min 18'
  • Lee Dong-gyeong 43'
Stadium: Sports Illustrated Stadium
Attendance: 26,500
Referee: Reon Radix (Grenada)
Mexico  v  South Korea
9 September Friendly Mexico  2–2  South Korea Nashville, United States
20:00 UTC−5
  • Jiménez 22'
  • Giménez 90+4'
Report
  • Son Heung-min 65'
  • Oh Hyeon-gyu 75'
Stadium: Geodis Park
Attendance: 27,604
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr. (United States)
South Korea  v  Brazil
10 October Friendly South Korea  0–5  Brazil Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9 Report
  • Estêvão 13', 47'
  • Rodrygo 41', 49'
  • Vinícius 77'
Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium
Attendance: 63,237
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)
South Korea  v  Paraguay
14 October Friendly South Korea  2–0  Paraguay Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9
  • Eom Ji-sung 15'
  • Oh Hyeon-gyu 75'
Report Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium
Attendance: 22,206
Referee: Yusuke Araki (Japan)
South Korea  v  Bolivia
14 November Friendly South Korea  2–0  Bolivia Daejeon, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9
  • Son Heung-min 57'
  • Cho Gue-sung 88'
Report Stadium: Daejeon World Cup Stadium
Attendance: 33,852
Referee: Ma Ning (China)
South Korea  v  Ghana
18 November Friendly South Korea  1–0  Ghana Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9
  • Lee Tae-seok 63'
Report Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium
Attendance: 33,256
Referee: Ahmad Al-Ali (Kuwait)

2026

South Korea  v UEFA Path D winner
11 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A South Korea  v UEFA Path D winner Zapopan, Mexico
20:00 UTC−6 Report Stadium: Estadio Akron
Mexico  v  South Korea
18 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A Mexico  v  South Korea Zapopan, Mexico
19:00 UTC−6 Report Stadium: Estadio Akron
South Africa  v  South Korea
24 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A South Africa  v  South Korea Guadalupe, Mexico
19:00 UTC−6 Report Stadium: Estadio BBVA

All-time results

As of 18 November 2025
Results by decade
Year Pld W D L Win % Matches
1948–1959 48 28 9 11 058.33 Matches
1960–1969 90 52 15 23 057.78 Matches
1970–1979 186 117 44 25 062.90 Matches
1980–1989 129 75 29 25 058.14 Matches
1990–1999 151 70 45 36 046.36 Matches
2000–2009 171 76 56 39 044.44 Matches
2010–2019 154 81 31 42 052.60 Matches
2020–present 72 43 17 12 059.72 Matches
Total 1,001 542 246 213 054.15

Coaching staff

Guus Hiddink is widely regarded as the most successful manager in South Korean football history.
As of 18 November 2025
Current coaching staff
Position Name
Manager Hong Myung-bo
Assistant manager João Aroso
Tactical coach Tiago Maia
Coaches Kim Dong-jin
Kim Jin-kyu
Goalkeeping coach Pedro Roma
Fitness coaches Lee Jae-hong
Nuno Matias

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the friendly matches against Bolivia and Ghana on 14 and 18 November 2025, respectively.
Caps and goals updated as of 18 November 2025, after the match against Ghana.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Kim Seung-gyu (1990-09-30) 30 September 1990 (age 35) 84 0 FC Tokyo
12 1GK Song Bum-keun (1997-10-15) 15 October 1997 (age 28) 2 0 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
21 1GK Jo Hyeon-woo (1991-09-25) 25 September 1991 (age 34) 46 0 Ulsan HD

2 2DF Lee Myung-jae (1993-11-04) 4 November 1993 (age 32) 10 0 Daejeon Hana Citizen
3 2DF Lee Han-beom (2002-06-17) 17 June 2002 (age 23) 4 0 Midtjylland
4 2DF Kim Min-jae (1996-11-15) 15 November 1996 (age 29) 75 4 Bayern Munich
13 2DF Lee Tae-seok (2002-07-28) 28 July 2002 (age 23) 13 1 Austria Wien
14 2DF Cho Yu-min (1996-11-17) 17 November 1996 (age 29) 17 0 Sharjah
15 2DF Kim Moon-hwan (1995-08-01) 1 August 1995 (age 30) 33 0 Daejeon Hana Citizen
16 2DF Park Jin-seob (1995-10-23) 23 October 1995 (age 30) 11 1 Zhejiang FC
22 2DF Seol Young-woo (1998-12-05) 5 December 1998 (age 27) 30 0 Red Star Belgrade
26 2DF Kim Tae-hyeon (2000-09-17) 17 September 2000 (age 25) 5 0 Kashima Antlers

5 3MF Won Du-jae (1997-11-18) 18 November 1997 (age 28) 11 0 Khor Fakkan
8 3MF Seo Min-woo (1998-03-12) 12 March 1998 (age 27) 4 0 Gangwon FC
10 3MF Lee Jae-sung (1992-08-10) 10 August 1992 (age 33) 102 15 Mainz 05
11 3MF Hwang Hee-chan (1996-01-26) 26 January 1996 (age 29) 75 16 Wolverhampton Wanderers
17 3MF Eom Ji-sung (2002-05-09) 9 May 2002 (age 23) 6 2 Swansea City
19 3MF Lee Kang-in (2001-02-19) 19 February 2001 (age 24) 44 11 Paris Saint-Germain
20 3MF Bae Jun-ho (2003-08-21) 21 August 2003 (age 22) 11 2 Stoke City
23 3MF Jens Castrop (2003-07-29) 29 July 2003 (age 22) 5 0 Borussia Mönchengladbach
24 3MF Kim Jin-gyu (1997-02-24) 24 February 1997 (age 28) 18 3 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
25 3MF Kwon Hyeok-kyu (2001-03-13) 13 March 2001 (age 24) 1 0 Nantes
27 3MF Yang Min-hyeok (2006-04-16) 16 April 2006 (age 19) 2 0 Portsmouth

7 4FW Son Heung-min (captain) (1992-07-08) 8 July 1992 (age 33) 140 54 Los Angeles FC
9 4FW Cho Gue-sung (1998-01-25) 25 January 1998 (age 27) 41 10 Midtjylland
18 4FW Oh Hyeon-gyu (2001-04-12) 12 April 2001 (age 24) 24 6 Genk

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 Lee Chang-geun (1993-08-30) 30 August 1993 (age 32) 3 0 Daejeon Hana Citizen 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
GK Kim Dong-heon (1997-03-03) 3 March 1997 (age 28) 0 0 Incheon United 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship

DF Kim Ju-sung (2000-12-12) 12 December 2000 (age 25) 7 1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima v.  Paraguay, 14 October 2025
DF Jeong Sang-bin (2002-04-01) 1 April 2002 (age 23) 3 1 St. Louis City v.  Paraguay, 14 October 2025
DF Kim Ji-soo (2004-12-24) 24 December 2004 (age 21) 0 0 1. FC Kaiserslautern v.  Paraguay, 14 October 2025
DF Byeon Jun-soo (2001-11-30) 30 November 2001 (age 24) 1 0 Gwangju FC v.  Mexico, 9 September 2025
DF Park Seung-wook (1997-05-07) 7 May 1997 (age 28) 5 0 Shimizu S-Pulse 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
DF Cho Hyun-taek (2001-08-02) 2 August 2001 (age 24) 1 0 Ulsan HD 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
DF Kim Tae-hyun (1996-12-19) 19 December 1996 (age 29) 1 0 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
DF Seo Myung-gwan (2002-11-23) 23 November 2002 (age 23) 1 0 Ulsan HD 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
DF Kwon Kyung-won (1992-01-31) 31 January 1992 (age 33) 35 2 FC Anyang v.  Kuwait, 10 June 2025
DF Choi Jun (1999-04-17) 17 April 1999 (age 26) 1 0 FC Seoul v.  Kuwait, 10 June 2025
DF Jung Seung-hyun (1994-04-03) 3 April 1994 (age 31) 26 1 Ulsan HD v.  Jordan, 25 March 2025 INJ
DF Hwang Jae-won (2002-08-16) 16 August 2002 (age 23) 3 0 Daegu FC v.  Jordan, 25 March 2025

MF Hwang In-beom (1996-09-20) 20 September 1996 (age 29) 71 6 Feyenoord v.  Bolivia, 14 November 2025 INJ
MF Paik Seung-ho (1997-03-17) 17 March 1997 (age 28) 23 3 Birmingham City v.  Bolivia, 14 November 2025 INJ
MF Lee Dong-gyeong (1997-09-20) 20 September 1997 (age 28) 16 3 Ulsan HD v.  Bolivia, 14 November 2025 INJ
MF Park Yong-woo (1993-09-10) 10 September 1993 (age 32) 24 0 Al-Ain v.  Mexico, 9 September 2025
MF Na Sang-ho (1996-08-12) 12 August 1996 (age 29) 30 2 Machida Zelvia 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF Moon Seon-min (1992-06-09) 9 June 1992 (age 33) 21 2 FC Seoul 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF Kang Sang-yoon (2004-05-31) 31 May 2004 (age 21) 3 1 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF Jeon Jin-woo (1999-09-09) 9 September 1999 (age 26) 2 0 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship INJ
MF Jeong Seung-won (1997-02-27) 27 February 1997 (age 28) 2 0 FC Seoul 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF Kim Bong-soo (1999-12-26) 26 December 1999 (age 26) 2 0 Daejeon Hana Citizen 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF Lee Seung-won (2003-03-06) 6 March 2003 (age 22) 2 0 Gangwon FC 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF Mo Jae-hyeon (1996-09-24) 24 September 1996 (age 29) 2 0 Gangwon FC 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF Yang Hyun-jun (2002-05-25) 25 May 2002 (age 23) 6 0 Celtic v.  Kuwait, 10 June 2025

FW Oh Se-hun (1999-01-15) 15 January 1999 (age 26) 10 2 Shimizu S-Pulse v.  Mexico, 9 September 2025
FW Joo Min-kyu (1990-04-13) 13 April 1990 (age 35) 11 3 Daejeon Hana Citizen 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
FW Lee Ho-jae (2000-10-14) 14 October 2000 (age 25) 3 1 Pohang Steelers 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship

Notes
  • INJ = Withdrew due to injury

Notable players

The following players were inducted into the official Hall of Fame, or were selected for an all-time XI in a survey.

Korea Football Association Hall of Fame (2005)
  • Cha Bum-kun
  • Hong Deok-young
  • Kim Yong-sik
  • Lee Hoe-taik
All-time Best XI by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation and Gallup Korea (2002)
  • Cha Bum-kun
  • Choi Soon-ho
  • Cho Kwang-rae
  • Huh Jung-moo
  • Kim Ho
  • Kim Joo-sung
  • Kim Jung-nam
  • Lee Hoe-taik
  • Lee Se-yeon
  • Lee Young-moo
  • Park Chang-sun
Experts' Best XI for the last 40 years by Best Eleven (2010)
  • Cha Bum-kun
  • Cho Kwang-rae
  • Hong Myung-bo
  • Huh Jung-moo
  • Kim Ho
  • Kim Joo-sung
  • Kim Jung-nam
  • Lee Hoe-taik
  • Lee Woon-jae
  • Lee Young-pyo
  • Park Ji-sung

Individual records

As of 18 November 2025

Players in bold are still active with South Korea.

Most appearances

Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Son Heung-min 140 54 2010–present
2 Cha Bum-kun 136 58 1972–1986
Hong Myung-bo 136 10 1990–2002
4 Lee Woon-jae 133 0 1994–2010
5 Lee Young-pyo 127 5 1999–2011
6 Kim Ho-kon 124 5 1971–1979
7 Yoo Sang-chul 122 18 1994–2005
8 Cho Young-jeung 113 1 1975–1986
9 Kim Young-gwon 112 7 2010–present
10 Ki Sung-yueng 110 10 2008–2019

Top goalscorers

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Cha Bum-kun 58 136 0.43 1972–1986
2 Son Heung-min 54 140 0.39 2010–present
3 Hwang Sun-hong 50 103 0.49 1988–2002
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 Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
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
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 Qualified 16 11 5 0 40 8
2030 To be determined To be determined
2034
Total Fourth place 38 7 10 21 39 78 12/20 167 105 44 18 339 98
  1. Statistics since 1948, when South Korea became a member of FIFA.

Summer Olympics

Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since 1992.
Summer Olympics record Qualification record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
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 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 0 2 1 1 2 Squad Qualified as hosts
1992 to present Entered with the under-23 team Entered with the under-23 team
Total Quarter-finals 8 1 2 5 7 37 3/11 42 24 7 11 91 39
  1. Includes one unofficial match against Brazil Olympic.
  2. Includes two unofficial matches against the Soviet Union Olympic and Argentina Olympic.
  3. 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 Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
1956 Champions 3 2 1 0 9 6 Squad 4 4 0 0 9 1
1960 Champions 3 3 0 0 9 1 Squad Qualified as hosts
1964 Third place 3 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 1 1 1 5 3
1992 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 7 2
1996 Quarter-finals 4 1 1 2 7 11 Squad 3 3 0 0 17 0
2000 Third place 6 3 1 2 9 6 Squad 3 3 0 0 19 0
2004 Quarter-finals 4 2 1 1 9 4 Squad 6 4 0 2 30 4
2007 Third place 6 1 4 1 3 3 Squad 6 3 2 1 15 5
2011 Third place 6 4 2 0 13 7 Squad Directly qualified
2015 Runners-up 6 5 0 1 8 2 Squad Directly qualified
2019 Quarter-finals 5 4 0 1 6 2 Squad 8 8 0 0 27 0
2023 Semi-finals 6 2 3 1 11 10 Squad 6 5 1 0 22 1
2027 Qualified 6 5 1 0 20 1
Total Champions 73 38 19 16 117 74 16/19 62 46 7 9 206 25
  1. South Korea played with their "B" team.

Asian Games

Football at the Asian Games has been an under-23 tournament since 2002.
Asian Games record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA 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 to 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 GF GA 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
2025 Runners-up 3 2 0 1 5 1 Squad
Total Champions 30 15 10 5 44 21 10/10

Other competitions

Competition Round Pld W D L GF GA 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

Head-to-head record

The following table shows South Korea's head-to-head record, correct as of 18 November 2025.

  1. Including Czechoslovakia.
  2. Including South Vietnam.
  3. Including North Yemen.
  4. Including SFR Yugoslavia and FR Yugoslavia.

Honours

Intercontinental

  • Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
Champions: 1987

Continental

  • AFC Asian Cup
Champions: 1956, 1960
Runners-up: 1972, 1980, 1988, 2015
Third place: 1964, 2000, 2007, 2011
Gold medalists: 1970, 1978, 1986
Silver medalists: 1954, 1958, 1962
Bronze medalists: 1990

Regional

  • EAFF Championship
Champions: 2003, 2008, 2015, 2017, 2019
Runners-up: 2010, 2022, 2025
Third place: 2013

Other competitions

  • Korea Cup: 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1991, 1997
  • Merdeka Tournament: 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 (Iran), 2001 (Egypt), 2006 (Saudi Arabia)

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

wikipedia, wiki, encyclopedia, book, library, article, read, free download, Information about South Korea national football team, What is South Korea national football team? What does South Korea national football team mean?