South Korea national football team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see South Korea women's national football team.
 Korea Republic
Nickname(s) Taegeuk Warriors (태극전사)
The Reds
Red Devils (붉은 악마)
Association Korea Football Association (KFA)
대한축구협회
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation EAFF (East Asia)
Head coach Uli Stielike
Captain Ki Sung-yueng
Most caps Hong Myung-bo (136)
Top scorer Cha Bum-kun (58)
Home stadium Seoul World Cup Stadium
FIFA code KOR
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 37 Increase 7 (24 November 2016)
Highest 17 (December 1998)
Lowest 69 (November 2014 – January 2015)
Elo ranking
Current 22 Steady (2 December 2016)
Highest 15 (September 1980, June 2002)
Lowest 82
First international
 South Korea 5–1 Hong Kong 
(Hong Kong; July 6, 1948)[1]
Biggest win
 South Korea 16–0 Nepal   
(Incheon, South Korea; September 29, 2003)
Biggest defeat
 South Korea 0–9 Hungary 
(Zürich, Switzerland; June 17, 1954)
World Cup
Appearances 9 (first in 1954)
Best result Fourth Place, 2002
Asian Cup
Appearances 13 (first in 1956)
Best result Champions, 1956 and 1960
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Appearances 2 (first in 2000)
Best result Fourth Place, 2002
Confederations Cup
Appearances 1 (first in 2001)
Best result Group Stage, 2001
South Korea national football team
Hangul 대한민국 축구 국가대표팀
Hanja 大韓民國 蹴球 國家代表
Revised Romanization Daehan Min'guk Chukgu Gukga Daepyo Tim
McCune–Reischauer Taehan Min'guk Ch'ukku Kukka Taep'yo T'im

The Korea Republic national football team represents South Korea in international association football and is controlled by the Korea Football Association.

Since the 1960s, South Korea has emerged as a major football power in Asia and is historically the most successful Asian football team, having participated in eight consecutive and nine 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 currently only Asian team to reach the semi-final stages when they co-hosted the 2002 tournament with Japan. They have since improved their ability to play on foreign soil and were able to reach the Round of 16 in the 2010 World Cup. South Korea won the first two AFC Asian Cup tournaments though they have been unable to win since, finishing second in 1972, 1980, 1988, and 2015, and third in 1964, 2000, 2007, and 2011. They also took the gold medal at the 1970, 1978, 1986, and 2014 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

Pre–1954

Koreans were not introduced to football until 1882, when British crew members played a game while their vessel was visiting the Incheon Port.[2] In 1921, the first All Korea Football Tournament was held, and in 1928, The Korea Football Association was organized, which created a foundation to disseminate and develop football in Korea.[3] In 1940, however, the Governor-General of Korea forced the Korea Football Association to dissolve.[4]

Following the establishment of the Republic of Korea, the Korea Football Association (KFA) was reinstated in 1948 and joined FIFA, the international football governing body. The same year, the Korean national team made its international debut at the Olympic Games in London. The KFA joined the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) in 1954.

1954–1989

South Korea first entered the World Cup in 1954 as the second Asian team ever to compete in the World Cup after the Dutch East Indies. South Korea played games against Hungary and Turkey, losing 9–0 and 7–0 respectively (the game scheduled 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 in the World Cup finals again.

South Korea would later participate in the first Asian Cup in 1956. They drew with Hong Kong but defeated Israel and South Vietnam to take first place. They hosted and won the second Asian Cup in 1960, winning all of their games. However, they failed to repeat this success and lost all their games in the 1964 Asian Cup and failed to qualify in 1968. They recovered in 1972 and took second place. They once again failed to qualify in 1976 but reached second place again in 1980.

In 1986, South Korea was able to qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, held in Mexico, for the first time since 1954. They, however, failed to win a game despite the presence of Cha Bum-kun, at the time one of the best Asian players, losing 3–1 to Argentina, drawing 1–1 with Bulgaria, and losing 3–2 to Italy.

Their next major tournament was the 1988 AFC Asian Cup, in which they won all their games in the group stage and defeated China 2–1 in the semi-finals but lost on penalties 4–3 in the final against Saudi Arabia.

1990–2001

South Korea started the 1990s poorly. At the 1990 FIFA World Cup, they lost all their games against Spain 3–1, Uruguay 1–0, and Belgium 2–0. South Korea failed to qualify for the 1992 Asian Cup as well.

In the 1994 FIFA World Cup they managed to draw with Spain 2–2. Hong Myung-bo scored a goal and assisted teammate Seo Jung-won with the second, with both goals occurring in the last five minutes of the game. In their next game they earned another draw with Bolivia 0–0. In their last game against Germany they nearly managed another draw with Hwang Sun-hong and Hong Myung-bo each scoring a goal in the second half after being down 3–0 but they were unable to score thereafter and were defeated 3–2. In the 1996 Asian Cup they barely managed to make it out of the group stage as they ranked third on their group, losing to Kuwait on goal difference. A comparison made between all the third ranked teams in each group allowed South Korea to advance. However, they suffered a 2–6 loss to Iran in the quarter-finals, conceding five goals in the second half.

Afterwards, former South Korean legend Cha Bum-kun became the head coach going into the 1998 FIFA World Cup. After performing well in the qualification, however, the team played poorly in the tournament, losing to Mexico 3–1 and the Netherlands 5–0. Cha was sacked after the loss to the Netherlands. The team then managed a 1–1 draw against Belgium. In the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, South Korea managed to advance out of the group stage and defeated Iran 2–1 in the quarter-finals but were beaten by Saudi Arabia 2–1 in the semi-finals. They defeated China 1–0 to gain third-place.

Semifinalists: 2002 World Cup

South Korea co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament with Japan. As they had never won a game in the World Cup previously, hopes were not very high. In addition there was pre-tournament criticism concerning Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, who many felt did not take his job seriously. However once the tournament began the South Korean team achieved their first ever victory in a World Cup with a 2–0 victory against Poland. 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 Korean public, with many people joining the Red Devils, which gained widespread attention with their passionate support of the team.[5]

South Korea's second round opponents were Italy, who they defeated 2–1 in a very physical match. The 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 cancelled by the referee officials. The game then went to the penalties and South Korea won the penalty shootout 5–3 in a very controversial game, and becoming the first Asian team to reach the final four.[6][7][8]

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 to gain 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.

2003–2010

Despite widespread pleas for him to stay, Hiddink resigned following the World Cup. After his departure there was a greater emphasis on hiring foreign coaches. As a result, Portuguese coach Humberto Coelho became the new manager. Under his management Korea participated in and won the first EAFF East Asian Cup in 2003. However, following shocking defeats to Oman and Vietnam and a hapless 0–0 draw against the Maldives, Coehlo was sacked. Dutch coach Jo Bonfrere then took over. They had less success the next year in the Asian Cup, losing to Iran in the quarter finals. South Korea hosted the East Asian Cup in 2005 but finished in last place.

Korea qualified for the 2006 World Cup after defeating Kuwait in the qualifiers, finishing second in Group B after Saudi Arabia. By this point Bonfrere had come under heavy criticism for the team's poor performance during the 2005 East Asian Cup as well as a 0–2 defeat to Saudi Arabia during World Cup qualification. He eventually resigned, and as a result, the Korean Football Association named Dick Advocaat the new coach to lead the team into the World Cup. During the 2006 World Cup, South Korea achieved their first World Cup victory outside Asia by beating Togo 2–1, with goals from Lee Chun-soo and Ahn Jung-hwan. Their next game was against France, who held the lead for most of the game but a goal by Park Ji-sung allowed the South Korean team to draw with the eventual finalists. This placed South Korea at the top of their group but they lost their last game 2–0 to Switzerland, which eliminated them from the tournament. Advocaat resigned after failing to reach the second round and was replaced by assistant coach Pim Verbeek, who had also worked under Hiddink during the 2002 World Cup.

Korea's next major tournament was the 2007 Asian Cup. The team struggled in the group stages without key players Lee Young-pyo, Park Ji-sung, and Seol Ki-hyeon. The team drew its first game 1–1 against Saudi Arabia but suffered a shocking 1–2 defeat to Bahrain. They defeated Indonesia in their final group game and managed to scrape through with four points. They defeated Iran in the quarterfinals via penalty shootout following a 0–0 draw. Korea entered another penalty shootout after another goalless draw to Iraq but were defeated. They then beat Japan on penalties once more to gain third place. Later, it was discovered that during the tournament, four veteran players, including then captain Lee Woon-jae, broke team rules to go on a late-night drinking binge in an Indonesian bar. Each of the four players were banned from national team participation for at least two years.[9] Pim Verbeek resigned after the tournament, taking blame for the team's unsatisfactory performance as they had failed to score a single goal following the group stage and had to resort to penalties for three games in a row. He also criticized the unrealistic expectations from the fans. Afterwards, South Korea chose its first Korean coach since 2000 when Huh Jung-moo, who had coached the team in 2000, took the helm for the second time. Under his management, the South Korean team managed to win the 2008 East Asian Cup, go undefeated for 27 consecutive games in 2009, and qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

2010–2014

South Korea won the 2010 World Cup AFC qualification with 16 points – seven wins and seven draws in total. In the 2010 World Cup they were placed in Group B. 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 4–1, including an own goal by forward Park Chu-young.

South Korea playing against Argentina at the FIFA World Cup, in June 2010.
South Korea national football team – October 2012

They then obtained a 2–2 draw in a hard fought 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 Chong-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.

Following the World Cup, Cho Kwang-rae took over as the coach. In the 2011 AFC Asian Cup they started out with a 2–1 victory over Bahrain. They drew 1–1 with Australia in their second game and finished the group stage with a 4–1 victory over India. South Korea finished with seven points but was second in the group after Australia on goal difference. They played Iran in the quarterfinals and after extra time beat them 1–0. They faced rivals Japan in the semi-finals. South Korea took the lead after Ki Sung-yueng converted a penalty in the 23rd minute. Japan scored an equalizer and the game went to extra time. Japan went ahead during the first half of extra time but Korea scored an equalizer at the end of the game, forcing the game into penalties. Korea failed to score, with Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima saving two penalites and were beaten 3–0 in the penalty shoot-out. They defeated Uzbekistan 3–2 to earn third place for the second Asian Cup in a row. They managed to win the Fair Play Award and midfielder Koo Ja-cheol finished as the tournament's top scorer with five goals.

Following the Asian Cup, key players Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo retired and the team's performance began to decline. Following a humiliating 3–0 loss to Japan and a shocking 1–2 loss to Lebanon in Beirut, Cho was unceremoniously sacked despite an initial 6–0 victory over Lebanon on home soil. He was hurriedly replaced with Choi Kang-hee with the task of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup as the team was in jeopardy of breaking its long-running streak of World Cup qualifications. Under Choi South Korea narrowly qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil by finishing second in their group via goal difference. Choi's contract was up after the conclusion of the qualification matches and was replaced by former player Hong Myung-bo, who had captained the 2002 World Cup team and coached the under-23 team to a bronze medal finish at the 2012 Olympics.

2014 FIFA World Cup

Despite high expectations under Hong, South Korea continued its run of poor form. A victory against Costa Rica was followed by losses to Mexico and the United States and shortly prior to the World Cup the team registered dismal losses against Tunisia and Ghana. South Korea started its World Cup campaign against Russia, with forward Lee Keun-ho scoring in the second half after coming on as a substitute for Park Chu-young. Russia equalized six minutes later and the game ended in a 1–1 draw. South Korea suffered a 4–2 loss to Algeria in their second game, conceding three goals by half time with no shots on goal. Son Heung-min and Koo Ja-cheol both scored goals in the second half but the South Koreans were unable to equalize, leaving them at the bottom of their group. Their final game was against Belgium and despite Belgian midfielder Steven Defour earning a red card in the match they were able to win 1–0, eliminating South Korea and leaving them without a single win for the first time since 1998.

The team's poor performance resulted in a hostile reaction from fans, who threw toffees at them upon their return.[10] Hong was heavily criticized for the perceived lack of strategy and team selection controversies. Following the World Cup, Hong initially intended to continue in his position until the 2015 Asian Cup, but relented and resigned under heavy media pressure along with several KFA associates in responsibility for the failures at the World Cup. The KFA reinstated Lee Yong-soo as its technical committee director, who held the same position during Hiddink's success in 2002.

Following the World Cup, the South Korean team's rank, as well as public support of the team, continued to decline. The team was ranked 57th before the tournament and dropped to a low of 69th by the end of the year, their worst ever. After initial negotiations with Bert van Marwijk broke down, the KFA appointed Uli Stielike in October as the new manager with a contract up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Shortly after the announcement, the national team managed a 3–1 victory over Venezuela, their first victory in almost nine months. However, they suffered a 0–1 loss to Uruguay shortly after. Stielike officially took over the team following the loss to Uruguay. Under his management, the team won its first game against Paraguay 2–0 but were beaten by Costa Rica 3–1 shortly after.

2015 AFC Asian Cup

South Korea automatically qualified for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup due to their third-place finish in the 2011 tournament. They were drawn into Group A with host country Australia, Kuwait and Oman. They began the tournament with a 1–0 win over Oman, with Cho Young-cheol scoring the winning goal. They obtained another narrow 1–0 victory in their second game against Kuwait, the team's first back-to-back victory in over a year. The victory allowed the team to automatically qualify for the quarterfinals, but their shaky performance was criticized. In their final group stage match Korea managed to find its form and defeated host and tournament favorites Australia with the same result in their final group stage match and qualified to the knockout stage as the Group A winner. However, key players Koo Ja-cheol and Lee Chung-yong suffered injuries and had to leave the tournament. South Korea defeated Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals with two goals from Son Heung-min in extra time and advanced to semi-finals for the tenth time, a tournament record. Another 2–0 victory over Iraq in the semi-finals allowed them to advance to the final for the first time since 1988. In the final, South Korea faced Australia in a rematch of their group stage match. Australia took the lead in the first half but South Korea managed to equalize in the final minutes of the game, forcing the match into extra time. However, Australia managed to score again, defeating South Korea 2–1.[11] Despite the loss in the final, the team was praised for its performance as they had managed to reach the final without conceding any goals. Public confidence, which had fallen to an all-time low following the World Cup, was restored and the team was given a hero's welcome upon their return.[12]

2015–2018

For the combined qualification matches for the 2018 World Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, South Korea was drawn with Kuwait, Lebanon, Myanmar, and Laos in Group G. After winning seven matches without conceding a goal, South Korea qualified for the third round of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

Team Image

Supporters

The official supporter group of the national team are the Red Devils, which was founded in 1995. The Red Devils are known for their passionate support of the team and commonly referred to as the 12th member of the team.[5] The most common cheer is shouting "대~한민국 (Dae~han Minguk, Republic of Korea)" followed by five claps.

Rivalries

The traditional rival of South Korea is Japan. The South Korea football team has played 75 matches against the Japanese football team with 40 victories, 22 draws, and 13 losses. The football rivalry is long-seated and is often seen as an extension of an overall rivalry that runs deep between the two nations. Controversies occasionally flare up in matches between the two nations.

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

South Korea has had great success against China, with China failing to defeat them in twenty-eight competitive matches before finally winning a game in 2010.

Recently, a rivalry has also developed with Iran.[13] The two teams have met in five consecutive Asian Cup quarterfinal matches (1996, 2000, 2004, 2007, and 2011), with each team recording two wins, two losses, and a tie. They have played against each other officially since 1958, totalling 28 matches as of January 2015, including seven World Cup qualifiers. These two teams were among the strongest Asian national football teams during the 1960s and 1970s. Since then, the teams have developed one of Asia's greatest rivalries. 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 at the quarterfinals stage since 1996. Iran leads the series with 13 wins, 7 draws and 9 losses.

Kit evolution

Red has been the traditional color of the national team, leading to the nickname "The Reds" by fans as well as leading to the namesake of the supporter group Red Devils. The away colors have varied between white and blue. In 1994, the home kit shifted from red to white, but in 1995, the red returned as home color, paired with black shorts (that returned since the 1970s)

Home Kit

1948–54
0
1954
(1954 WC)
1954–59
0
1960
(1960 AC)
1961–68
0
1970–78
0
1978–79
0
1980–83
0
1984–88
(1986 WC)
1988–89
(1988 OG)
1990
(1990 WC)
1992–93
(1992 OG)
1993
(1994 WCQ)0(1)
1994
(1994 WC)0(2)
1994–95
(1994 AG)
1995–96
(1996 OGQ)(4)
1996–98
(1996 OG)(5)
1998–02
(1998 WC & 2000 AC & 2000 OG)(6)
2002–04
(2002 WC)
2004–06
(2004 AC & 2004 OG & 2006 WCQ)
2006–08
(2006 WC)
Football kit
2008–10
(2008 OG & 2010 WCQ)
Football kit
2010–12
(2010 WC & 2011 AC)
Football kit
2012–14
(2012 OG & 2014 WCQ)
2014–16
(2014 WC & 2015 AC)
2016-2018
(2016 OG & 2018 WCQ)

Away Kit

1954
(1954 WC)
1980–1983
(1980 AC)
1984–88
(1986 WC)
1988–89
(1990 WCQ)
1990
(1990 WC)
1990
(1990 DC)
1992–93
(1992 OG)
1993–94
(1994 WC)
1994–95
(1994 AG)
1995–1996
(1996 OGQ)(4)
1996–98
(1996 OG)(5)
1998–02
(1998 WC & 2000 AC & 2000 OG)(6)
2002–04
(2002 WC)(7)
2004–06
(2004 OG & 2004 AC & 2006 WCQ)
2006–08
(2006 WC)
2008–10
(2008 OG & 2010 WCQ)
Football kit
2010–12
(2010 WC & 2011 AC)
Football kit
2012–14
(2012 OG & 2014 WCQ)
Football kit
2014–16
(2014 WC & 2015 AC)
Football kit
2016–18
(2016 OG & 2018 WCQ)

Other combinations

1994
(1994 WC)0
(3)
2004–06
(2004 OG)(8)

1. September 1993, in sight of the US World Cup qualifiers, South Korea changed its uniform to a new one with a colorful pattern supposedly following the trend at the time.[14]
2. The red uniform was replaced with a white one, because it was said to uplift the morale of the opponent team in a non-scientific basis.
3.In USA '94, during the second leg of the group phase against Bolivia, the Korean team wore a kit combination of the white shirts worn in the match against Spain with the rest of the away blue kit, as a temporary "third kit".
4.At the end of 1995, contract with Rapido ended for the first time, the next contract switching to Nike. The kits were designed and supplied by Rapido and debuted in the match against Saudi Arabia on October 31, 1995. After signing contract with Nike, South Korea still played friendly matches and the qualifiers for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics with the same kit as before, with the only difference being the Rapido's logo being covered by a makeshift patch with the Nike logo.
5.According to the designer Tomoko Bando, who designed the Nike's first kits for South Korea, "Were inspired by the image of the Taegukgi, most intensely remembered among the Koreans" This kit was first worn by the Olympic team at the match against Colombia on July 8, 1996. In the 1996 Asian Cup, the shirt number changed from black to white, as well as being made with a shiny fabric. In Japan, this specific kit was referred to as the "Coca-Cola Kit" (コカコーラ･ユニフォーム Kokakōra Yunifōmu), due to the pattern's similarity with the Coca-Cola Wave.[15] In the 1996–97 season, during the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the South Korean team didn't wear the blue away kit in any of the matches after their defeat against Iran in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup, where the kit was worn.
6.For 4 years there were no changes to the basic design, but the only changes made in 2000–01 season were the number font printed and the goalkeeper kit. 7. These were the first kits to bear the KFA logo in the left chest of the jersey, rather than the Taegukgi. In the 2002 World Cup, almost all of the Nike-sponsored teams had the jerseys in a fluorescent tint, resulting in the Korean kits being made in a shade of red closer to pink. 8. In 2004 Athens Olympic Games and in 2005 U-20 World Cup Netherlands, for the first time in 12 years (first time with Nike), South Korea wore an all-red combination.

Recent results and fixtures

For more details on this topic, see 2016 South Korea national football team season.

  Win   Draw   Loss

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach Germany Uli Stielike
Assistant coach South Korea Shin Tae-yong
Assistant coach South Korea Cha Du-ri
Fitness coach Argentina Carlos Alberto Armua
Goalkeeping coach South Korea Cha Sang-kwang

Players

Current squad

0#0 Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Kim Seung-gyu (1990-09-30) 30 September 1990 22 0 Japan Vissel Kobe
1GK Kim Jin-hyeon (1987-07-06) 6 July 1987 12 0 Japan Cerezo Osaka
1GK Kwoun Sun-tae (1984-09-11) 11 September 1984 3 0 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
2DF Kwak Tae-hwi (1981-07-08) 8 July 1981 56 5 South Korea FC Seoul
2DF Hong Jeong-ho (1989-08-12) 12 August 1989 38 1 China Jiangsu Suning
2DF Jang Hyun-soo (1991-09-28) 28 September 1991 32 3 China Guangzhou R&F
2DF Park Joo-ho (1987-01-16) 16 January 1987 31 0 Germany Borussia Dortmund
2DF Kim Chang-soo (1985-09-12) 12 September 1985 24 0 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
2DF Kim Kee-hee (1989-07-13) 13 July 1989 22 0 China Shanghai Shenhua
2DF Yun Suk-young (1990-02-13) 13 February 1990 12 0 Denmark Brøndby IF
2DF Hong Chul (1990-09-17) 17 September 1990 11 0 South Korea Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2DF Choi Chul-soon (1987-02-18) 18 February 1987 3 0 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
3MF Ki Sung-yueng (1989-01-24) 24 January 1989 89 9 Wales Swansea City
3MF Lee Chung-yong (1988-07-02) 2 July 1988 75 8 England Crystal Palace
3MF Koo Ja-cheol (1989-02-27) 27 February 1989 57 18 Germany FC Augsburg
3MF Son Heung-min (1992-07-08) 8 July 1992 52 17 England Tottenham Hotspur
3MF Ji Dong-won (1991-05-28) 28 May 1991 42 10 Germany FC Augsburg
3MF Han Kook-young (1990-04-19) 19 April 1990 38 0 Qatar Al-Gharafa
3MF Kim Bo-kyung (1989-10-06) 6 October 1989 35 4 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
3MF Nam Tae-hee (1991-07-03) 3 July 1991 32 4 Qatar Lekhwiya SC
3MF Lee Jae-sung (1992-08-10) 10 August 1992 19 4 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
3MF Jung Woo-young (1989-12-14) 14 December 1989 15 0 China Chongqing Lifan
4FW Kim Shin-wook (1988-04-14) 14 April 1988 36 3 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
4FW Lee Jeong-hyeop (1991-06-24) 24 June 1991 16 5 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai
4FW Hwang Hee-chan (1996-01-26) 26 January 1996 3 0 Austria Red Bull Salzburg

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the South Korea squad within last 12 months. Retired players are not listed.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Jung Sung-ryong (1985-01-04) 4 January 1985 67 0 Japan Kawasaki Frontale v.  Syria, 6 September 2016 INJ
DF Jeong Dong-ho (1990-03-07) 7 March 1990 5 0 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai v.  Iran, 11 October 2016
DF Oh Jae-suk (1990-01-04) 4 January 1990 3 0 Japan Gamba Osaka v.  Iran, 11 October 2016
DF Kim Min-hyeok (1992-02-27) 27 February 1992 0 0 Japan Sagan Tosu v.  Iran, 11 October 2016
DF Ko Kwang-min (1988-09-21) 21 September 1988 0 0 South Korea FC Seoul v.  Iran, 11 October 2016
DF Lee Yong (1986-12-24) 24 December 1986 21 0 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai v.  Qatar, 6 October 2016 INJ
DF Kim Young-gwon (1990-02-27) 27 February 1990 45 2 China Guangzhou Evergrande v.  Syria, 6 September 2016 INJ
DF Rim Chang-woo (1992-02-13) 13 February 1992 5 0 United Arab Emirates Al-Wahda v.  Czech Republic, 5 June 2016
DF Kim Jin-su (1992-06-13) 13 June 1992 22 0 Germany 1899 Hoffenheim v.  Thailand, 27 March 2016
MF Kwon Chang-hoon (1994-06-30) 30 June 1994 8 3 South Korea Suwon Samsung Bluewings v.  Syria, 6 September 2016
MF Yoon Bit-garam (1990-05-07) 7 May 1990 15 3 China Yanbian Fude v.  Czech Republic, 5 June 2016
MF Ju Se-jong (1990-10-30) 30 October 1990 5 1 South Korea FC Seoul v.  Czech Republic, 5 June 2016
MF Koh Myong-jin (1988-01-09) 9 January 1988 3 0 Qatar Al-Rayyan SC v.  Spain, 1 June 2016
FW Suk Hyun-jun (1991-06-29) 29 June 1991 11 4 Turkey Trabzonspor v.  Iran, 11 October 2016
FW Hwang Ui-jo (1992-08-28) 28 August 1992 8 1 South Korea Seongnam FC v.  Syria, 6 September 2016

INJ Withdrew from the squad due to an injury.

Records

Statistics below are from matches which the Korea Football Association consider as official.[16]

As of 27 March 2015

World Cup Captains
# Player World Cup Caps
1 Chu Yung-kwang 1954 unknown
2 Park Chang-sun 1986 34
3 Chung Yong-hwan 1990 85
4 Choi In-young 1994 51
5 Choi Young-il 1998 55
6 Hong Myung-bo 2002 136
7 Lee Woon-jae 2006 133
8 Park Ji-sung 2010 100
9 Koo Ja-cheol 2014 47
Most Caps
# Player Career Caps Goals
1 Hong Myung-bo 1990–2002 136 10
2 Cha Bum-kun 1972–1986 135 58
3 Lee Woon-jae 1994–2010 133 0
4 Lee Young-pyo 1999–2011 127 5
5 Yoo Sang-chul 1994–2005 124 18
6 Kim Ho-gon 1971–1979 120 5
7 Cho Young-jeung 1975–1986 109 1
8 Kim Tae-young 1992–2004 105 3
9 Park Sung-hwa 1975–1984 103 26
Hwang Sun-hong 1988–2002 103 50
Lee Dong-gook 1998–2014 103 33
Top Goalscorers
# Player Career Goals Caps
1 Cha Bum-kun 1972–1986 58 135
2 Hwang Sun-hong 1988–2002 50 103
3 Park Lee-chun 1969–1974 36 88
4 Kim Jae-han 1972–1979 33 57
Lee Dong-gook 1998–2014 33 103
6 Huh Jung-moo 1974–1986 30 101
Choi Soon-ho 1980–1991 30 97
Kim Do-hoon 1994–2003 30 72
9 Kim Jin-kook 1972–1977 27 94
Lee Young-moo 1975–1981 27 84
Choi Yong-soo 1995–2003 27 69

Squads

Competitive record

All-time records

As of 11 November 2016
Teams P W D L GF GA GD Winning % Confederation
 Algeria 2 1 0 1 4 4 +0 50.00 CAF
 Angola 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100.000 CAF
 Argentina 3 0 0 3 2 8 −6 00.00 CONMEBOL
 Australia 26 7 10 9 28 30 −2 26.92 AFC
 Bahrain 16 10 4 2 35 12 +23 62.50 AFC
 Belarus 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 00.00 UEFA
 Belgium 4 0 1 3 2 6 −4 00.00 UEFA
 Bolivia 1 0 1 0 0 0 +0 00.00 CONMEBOL
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 100.000 UEFA
 Brazil 5 1 0 4 4 8 −4 20.00 CONMEBOL
 Bulgaria 2 0 1 1 1 2 −1 00.00 UEFA
 Burkina Faso 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100.000 CAF
 Cameroon 4 2 2 0 9 3 +6 50.00 CAF
 Canada 5 2 1 2 5 4 +1 40.00 CONCACAF
 China PR 31 18 12 1 44 23 +21 58.06 AFC
 Chile 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 00.00 CONMEBOL
 Colombia 4 1 2 1 7 5 +2 25.00 CONMEBOL
 Costa Rica 7 3 2 2 8 7 +1 42.86 CONCACAF
 Ivory Coast 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 100.000 CAF
 Croatia 7 2 2 3 7 11 −4 28.57 UEFA
 Cuba 1 0 1 0 0 0 +0 00.00 CONCACAF
 Czech Republic 5 1 3 1 4 8 −4 20.00 UEFA
 Denmark 2 0 1 1 1 3 −2 00.00 UEFA
 Ecuador 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1 50.00 CONMEBOL
 Egypt 15 5 6 4 14 10 +4 33.33 CAF
 England 1 0 1 0 1 1 +0 00.00 UEFA
 Finland 3 3 0 0 5 0 +5 100.000 UEFA
 France 3 0 1 2 3 9 −6 00.00 UEFA
 Germany 3 1 0 2 5 5 +0 33.33 UEFA
 Ghana 6 3 0 3 8 11 −3 50.00 CAF
 Greece 4 3 1 0 6 1 +5 75.00 UEFA
 Guatemala 3 1 1 1 4 3 +1 33.33 CONCACAF
 Haiti 1 1 0 0 4 1 +3 100.000 CONCACAF
 Honduras 2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 100.000 CONCACAF
 Hong Kong 34 26 5 3 81 40 +41 76.47 AFC
 Hungary 2 0 0 2 0 10 −10 00.00 UEFA
 India 18 14 1 3 47 11 +36 77.78 AFC
 Indonesia 39 33 4 2 91 19 +72 84.62 AFC
 Iran 29 9 7 13 32 32 +0 31.03 AFC
 Iraq 19 7 10 2 23 14 +9 36.84 AFC
 Israel 11 5 4 2 17 12 +5 45.45 UEFA
 Italy 2 1 0 1 4 4 +0 50.00 UEFA
 Jamaica 3 2 1 0 5 1 +4 66.67 CONCACAF
 Japan 77 40 23 14 119 69 +50 51.95 AFC
 Jordan 5 3 2 0 5 2 +3 60.00 AFC
 Kazakhstan 2 1 1 0 4 1 +3 50.00 UEFA
 Kenya 1 0 1 0 2 2 +0 00.00 CAF
 North Korea 15 6 8 1 13 6 +7 40.00 AFC
 Kuwait 24 12 4 8 30 20 +10 50.00 AFC
 Laos 3 3 0 0 15 0 +15 100.000 AFC
 Latvia 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100.000 UEFA
 Lebanon 12 9 2 1 24 4 +20 75.00 AFC
 Macedonia 2 1 1 0 4 3 +1 50.00 UEFA
 Malaysia 44 24 12 8 70 39 +31 54.55 AFC
 Mexico 12 4 2 6 15 24 −9 33.33 CONCACAF
 Malta 2 1 1 0 3 2 +1 50.00 UEFA
 Maldives 2 1 1 0 2 0 +2 50.00 AFC
 Morocco 1 0 1 0 2 2 +0 00.00 CAF
 Myanmar 27 15 7 5 42 15 +27 55.56 AFC
 Netherlands 2 0 0 2 0 7 −7 00.00 UEFA
   Nepal 7 7 0 0 53 0 +53 100.000 AFC
 New Zealand 7 6 1 0 10 1 +9 85.71 OFC
 Nigeria 5 3 2 0 9 6 +3 60.00 CAF
 Norway 4 1 1 2 5 6 −1 25.00 UEFA
 Oman 5 4 0 1 10 4 +6 80.00 AFC
 Paraguay 6 2 3 1 6 5 +1 33.33 CONMEBOL
 Peru 2 0 1 1 0 4 −4 00.00 CONMEBOL
 Poland 2 1 1 0 4 2 +2 50.00 UEFA
 Portugal 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100.000 UEFA
 Qatar 8 5 2 1 15 8 +7 62.50 AFC
 Romania 1 0 0 1 1 2 −1 00.00 UEFA
 Russia 2 0 1 1 2 3 −1 00.00 UEFA
 Saudi Arabia 18 6 7 5 17 13 +4 33.33 AFC
 Scotland 1 1 0 0 4 1 +3 100.000 UEFA
 Senegal 3 1 1 1 3 2 +1 33.33 CAF
 Serbia 9 2 3 4 8 14 −6 22.22 UEFA
 Singapore 28 23 3 2 93 21 +72 82.14 AFC
 Slovakia 1 0 1 0 0 0 +0 00.00 UEFA
 Spain 6 0 2 4 5 16 −11 00.00 UEFA
 Sweden 4 0 2 2 3 17 −14 00.00 UEFA
  Switzerland 2 1 0 1 2 3 −1 50.00 UEFA
 Syria 7 3 3 1 7 4 +3 42.86 AFC
 Chinese Taipei 22 15 1 6 53 20 +33 68.18 AFC
 Thailand 47 31 7 9 96 39 +57 65.96 AFC
 Togo 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100.000 CAF
 Trinidad and Tobago 1 0 1 0 1 1 +0 00.00 CONCACAF
 Tunisia 2 0 1 1 0 1 −1 00.00 CAF
 Turkey 7 1 2 4 4 13 −9 14.29 UEFA
 Turkmenistan 3 2 0 1 9 4 +5 66.67 AFC
 Ukraine 2 2 0 0 3 0 +3 100.000 UEFA
 United Arab Emirates 19 12 5 2 37 13 +24 63.16 AFC
 United States 11 5 3 3 10 8 +2 45.45 CONCACAF
 Uruguay 6 0 1 5 4 11 −7 00.00 CONMEBOL
 Uzbekistan 13 9 3 1 28 13 +15 69.23 AFC
 Venezuela 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 100.000 CONMEBOL
 Vietnam 23 15 6 2 58 20 +38 65.22 AFC
 Zambia 4 2 0 2 4 9 −5 50.00 CAF
Total 799 422 206 171 1,366 753 +613 52.82
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
**Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

FIFA World Cup

Main article: South Korea at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup Finals Record
Year Result Position GP W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Did Not Enter
Italy 1934
France 1938
Brazil 1950
Switzerland 1954 Group Stage 16th 2 0 0 2 0 16
Sweden 1958 Entry Denied[17]
Chile 1962 Did Not Qualify
England 1966 Did Not Enter
Mexico 1970 Did Not Qualify
West Germany 1974
Argentina 1978
Spain 1982
Mexico 1986 Group Stage 20th 3 0 1 2 4 7
Italy 1990 22nd 3 0 0 3 1 6
United States 1994 20th 3 0 2 1 4 5
France 1998 30th 3 0 1 2 2 9
South Korea Japan 2002 Fourth Place 4th 7 3 2 2 8 6
Germany 2006 Group Stage 17th 3 1 1 1 3 4
South Africa 2010 Round of 16 15th 4 1 1 2 6 8
Brazil 2014 Group Stage 27th 3 0 1 2 3 6
Russia 2018 To Be Determined
Qatar 2022
Total Fourth Place 9/20 31 5 9 17 31 67

AFC Asian Cup

Main article: South Korea at the AFC Asian Cup
AFC Asian Cup Record
Year Result Position GP W D* L GS GA
Hong Kong 1956Champions1st321096
South Korea 1960Champions1st330091
Israel 1964Third Place3rd310224
Iran 1968Did Not Qualify
Thailand 1972Runners-up2nd512276
Iran 1976Did Not Qualify
Kuwait 1980Runners-up2nd6411126
Singapore 1984Group Stage9th402213
Qatar 1988Runners-up2nd6510113
Japan 1992Did Not Qualify
United Arab Emirates 1996Quarter-Finals7th4112711
Lebanon 2000Third Place3rd631296
China 2004Quarter-Finals6th421194
IndonesiaMalaysiaThailandVietnam 2007Third Place3rd614133
Qatar 2011Third Place3rd6420137
Australia 2015Runners-up2nd650182
United Arab Emirates 2019Qualified
Total2 Titles14/176232161410062

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup Record
Year Result Position GP W D * L GF GA
Saudi Arabia 1992 Did Not Enter
Saudi Arabia 1995 Did Not Qualify
Saudi Arabia 1997
Mexico 1999
South Korea Japan 2001 Group Stage 5th 3 2 0 1 3 6
France 2003 Did Not Qualify
Germany 2005
South Africa 2009
Brazil 2013
Russia 2017
2021 To Be Determined
Total Group Stage 1/9 3 2 0 1 3 6

EAFF East Asian Cup

EAFF East Asian Cup Record
Year Result Position GP W D L GS GA
Japan 2003Champions1st321041
South Korea 2005Fourth Place4th302112
China 2008Champions1st312054
Japan 2010Runners-up2nd320184
South Korea 2013Third Place3rd302112
China 2015Champions1st312031
Total3 Titles6/6186932214

Olympic Games

Football at the Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since 1992.
See also: South Korea national under-23 football team
Summer Olympic Games Record
Year Result Position GP W D* L GS GA
France 1900 Did Not Enter
United States 1904
United Kingdom 1908
Sweden 1912
Belgium 1920
France 1924
Netherlands 1928
Nazi Germany 1936
United Kingdom 1948Quarter-finals8th2101515
Finland 1952Did Not Enter
Australia 1956Did Not Qualify
Italy 1960
Japan 1964Group Stage14th3003120
Mexico 1968Did Not Qualify
West Germany 1972
Canada 1976
Soviet Union 1980Did Not Enter
United States 1984Did Not Qualify
South Korea 1988Group Stage11th302112
Spain 1992Group Stage11th303022
United States 1996Group Stage11th311122
Australia 2000Group Stage9th320123
Greece 2004Quarter-finals6th412188
China 2008Group Stage10th311124
United Kingdom 2012Third Place3rd623155
Brazil 2016Quarter-finals5th4211124
TotalBronze Medal10/26341013114065

Asian Games

Football at the Asian Games has been an under-23 tournament since 2002.
See also: South Korea national under-23 football team
Asian Games Record
Year Result Position GP W D* L GS GA
India 1951Did Not Enter
Philippines 1954Runners-up2nd41211512
Japan 19585401156
Indonesia 1962540195
Thailand 1966Did Not Qualify
Thailand 1970Champions1st632153
1974Did Not Qualify
Thailand 1978Champions1st7610153
India 1982Did Not Qualify
South Korea 1986Champions1st6420143
China 1990Third Place3rd6501181
Japan 1994Fourth Place4th6303177
Thailand 1998Quarter-finals6th6402126
South Korea 2002Third Place3rd6510172
Qatar 2006Fourth Place4th640292
China 2010Third Place3rd7502185
South Korea 2014Champions1st7700130
Total4 Titles13/17775581417755

Honours

Regional competitions

Winners (3): 2003, 2008, 2015
Runners-up (1): 2010
3rd, bronze medalist(s) Third Place (1): 2013
Fourth Place (1): 2005
Winners (1): 1990
Runners-up (2): 1992, 1995
3rd, bronze medalist(s) Third Place (1): 1998

Continental competitions

Winners (2): 1956, 1960
Runners-up (4): 1972, 1980, 1988, 2015
3rd, bronze medalist(s) Third Place (4): 1964, 2000, 2007, 2011
Fourth Place (1): 2002

Worldwide competitions

Fourth Place (1): 2002

Olympics team

3rd, bronze medalist(s) Bronze Medal (1): 2012
1st, gold medalist(s) Gold Medal (4): 1970, 1978, 1986, 2014
2nd, silver medalist(s) Silver Medal (3): 1954, 1958, 1962
3rd, bronze medalist(s) Bronze Medal (3): 1990, 2002, 2010
Fourth Place (2): 1994, 2006

Other awards

Winners (1): 2002

National team record

Sponsorship

Sponsors

Nike, KT, Hana Bank, Naver, Hyundai Motor Company, Kyobo Life Insurance Company, Asiana Airlines, Hite, Caffe Bene, Coca-Cola, Seoul Milk

Kit manufacturers

Period Sponsors Notes
1977–1984 Adidas, Asics, Kolon Activ, Prospecs, Weekend[18] Adidas was South Korea's first official kit sponsor
1984–1987 Weekend[19] Sports Fashion Brand of Samsung C&T Corporation
1988–1995 Rapido[20] Weekend was renamed Rapido in 1988
1996–present Nike Sponsorship Contract Date : End of 1995[21]
Contract Start Date : 1 January 1996

See also

References

  1. ↑ "첫 A 매치 골 주인공은 故정남식·정국진씨" (in Korean). Kukmin Ilbo. 5 August 2007.
  2. ↑ "Football in South Korea, Major Sports in South Korea, Sports in South Korea, South Korea Sports, South Korea's sports, Sports of South Korea". Asiarooms.com. 2011-02-21. Retrieved 2012-09-06.
  3. ↑ "Korea Football Association::::". KFA. Retrieved 2012-09-06.
  4. ↑ "All Joseon Football Tournament – eNotes.com Reference". Enotes.com. Retrieved 2012-09-06.
  5. 1 2 (Korean) History of the Red Devils, Inews, 2006-05-21. Retrieved 2010-06-18
  6. ↑ "The Story Of The World Cup: South Korea/Japan 2002". firsttouchonline.com. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  7. ↑ "Spain rage at referee". theguardian.com. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  8. ↑ "Biggest World Cup controversies". www.worldcup.com.au. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "South Korea ban Boro's Dong-Gook". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2 November 2007. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  10. ↑ "World Cup 2014: South Korea pelted with toffees on return home". The Guardian. 30 June 2014.
  11. ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-31/asian-cup-final3a-australia-v-south-korea-live-blog/6059790
  12. ↑ https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/sports/2015/02/136_172828.html
  13. ↑ "Asia's finale sees three spots up for grabs". FIFA.com. 17 June 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  14. ↑ "축구대표 선수복 노랑, 흰색 가미" (in Korean). The Hankyoreh. 28 September 1993.
  15. ↑ http://football-uniform.seesaa.net/article/19399150.html
  16. ↑ http://www.kfa.or.kr/record/playeramatch.asp
  17. ↑ "History of the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition (by year)" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 2011-11-17.
  18. ↑ 대표선수도 국제경기서 버젓이 서독 아디다스, 일본 미즈노등 외제 스포츠용품 국내시장 석권 (in Korean). Kyunghyang Sinmun. 1981-02-27.
  19. ↑ 필승!위크엔드스포츠-멕시코월드컵에서 대표팀과 함께 뜁니다 (in Korean). Kyunghyang Newspaper. 1986-05-30.
  20. ↑ 월드컵 상혼 장외서 뜨거운 "광고전쟁" (in Korean). Kyunghyang Newspaper. 1990-06-20.
  21. ↑ 축구협회 월드컵유니폼 교체 '후원금 최소 100억' (in Korean). Kyunghyang Newspaper. 1997-12-11.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Korea national football team.
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) 		Succeeded by
2017
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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