South Korea national football team

The Korea Republic national football team (Korean: 대한민국 축구 국가대표팀) represents Korea Republic in men's international football and is governed by the Korea Football Association. Since the 1950s, Korea Republic has emerged as a major football power in Asia and is historically the most successful Asian football team, having participated in nine consecutive and ten overall FIFA World Cup tournaments, the most for any Asian country. Despite initially going through five World Cup tournaments without winning a match, Korea Republic became the only Asian team to reach the semi-final stages when they co-hosted the 2002 tournament with Japan. Korea Republic also recorded five titles and seven-time runners-up in the AFC Asian Cup and the senior Asian Games.[4] 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.[5]

Korea Republic
Nickname(s)태극전사 (Taegeuk Warriors)
아시아의 호랑이 (Tigers of Asia)
AssociationKorea Football Association (KFA)
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationEAFF (East Asia)
Head coachPaulo Bento
CaptainSon Heung-min
Most capsCha Bum-kun
Hong Myung-bo
(136 each)
Top scorerCha Bum-kun (58)
Home stadiumSeoul World Cup Stadium
FIFA codeKOR
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 40 (9 April 2020)[1]
Highest17 (December 1998)
Lowest69 (November 2014 – January 2015)
Elo ranking
Current 27 3 (2 April 2020)[2]
Highest15 (September 1980, June 2002)
Lowest80 (August 1967)
First international
Non-FIFA international
 South Korea 5–1 Hong Kong 
(Hong Kong; 6 July 1948)[3]
FIFA international
 South Korea 5–3 Mexico 
(London, England; 2 August 1948)
Biggest win
 South Korea 16–0 Nepal   
(Incheon, South Korea; 29 September 2003)
Biggest defeat
 South Korea 0–12 Sweden 
(London, England; 5 August 1948)
World Cup
Appearances10 (first in 1954)
Best resultFourth place (2002)
Asian Cup
Appearances14 (first in 1956)
Best resultChampions (1956, 1960)
EAFF Championship
Appearances8 (first in 2003)
Best resultChampions (2003, 2008, 2015, 2017, 2019)
Confederations Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2001)
Best resultGroup stage (2001)
South Korea national football team
Hangul
대한민국 축구 국가대표팀
Hanja
大韓民國 蹴球 國家代表팀
Revised RomanizationDaehan Min'guk Chukgu Gukga Daepyo Tim
McCune–ReischauerTaehan Min'guk Ch'ukku Kukka Taep'yo T'im

History

Early history

Korea (Joseon) was not introduced to the sport of association football until the late 19th century; it is often said that soccer in Korea dates to 1882, when British sailors from HMS Flying Fish played a game while their vessel was visiting the Incheon Port.[6] 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.[7] 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.[6] Koreans also played on the Japanese national team, most notably Kim Yong-sik who played for Japan at the 1936 Summer Olympics.[8]

The Joseon FA was reorganized in 1945 as Japanese occupation ended with the close of World War II.[6][9] 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.[6]

The first World Cup team (1954)

In 1954, South Korea first entered the FIFA World Cup qualification, and qualified to participate at the 1954 FIFA World Cup by defeating Japan 7–3 on aggregate with Choi Chung-min's three goals.[10] South Korea became the second Asian team ever to compete at the FIFA World Cup after the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). 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.[11] It would take thirty-two years before South Korea was able to participate at the World Cup finals again. South Korea succeeded in rally by winning the 1956 AFC Asian Cup.[12]

In 1960, South Korea won the second AFC Asian Cup by defeating South Vietnam, Israel and Republic of China.[13] However, South Korean players received fake medals, which are not made of gold, and returned them to the KFA.[14] The KFA promised them to give real medal, but it wasn't achieved for over 50 years. South Korea didn't won the Asian Cup after the 1960 AFC Asian Cup and the incident was called the "Curse of the fake medal" in South Korea.[15] On 4 January 2019, the KFA had an event to give gold medals to members and bereaved families.[15]

Foundation of Yangzee (1967)

In 1965, the South Korean government had lack confidence about a football match against North Korea and withdrew the 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification to avoid them. Kim Yong-sik, the KFA vice-president at that time, had evaluated North Korea as a world class team,[16] and actually they advanced to the quarter-finals at the 1966 FIFA World Cup. In 1967, the South Korean Central Intelligence Agency founded Yangzee FC and collected footballers, famous in South Korea including Lee Hoe-taik, Kim Ho and Kim Jung-nam,[17] to train them intensively.[18] The club also participated in the 1967 Merdeka Tournament and the 1969 Asian Club Championship.[19] At the 1968 Summer Olympics qualification, South Korea was eliminated by goal difference although their points were tied with Japan, the group winners. South Korea also failed to qualify for the 1970 FIFA World Cup, but achieved a good result by winning the 1970 Asian Games.[20]

Golden generation (1986)

In 1986, South Korea won the East Asian tournament of the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification with two wins against Japan in the final round, and was able to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1954. The South Korean squad, joined Cha Bum-kun, one of the greatest forward of German Bundesliga at that time,[21][22] in the existing team which included Park Chang-sun, Huh Jung-moo, Cho Kwang-rae, Choi Soon-ho, Kim Joo-sung, etc,[23][24] was evaluated as the golden generation in their country before the 1986 FIFA World Cup.[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 in the outside of 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 due to his alleged poor officiating.[25][26] South Korea redeemed failure of World Cup 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 early four qualifiers against Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Japan and United Arab Emirates, and quickly solidified their position as first place of the group. At the 1998 FIFA World Cup, they lost their first match against Mexico 3–1. Ha Seok-ju turned a free kick into the opening goal, but three minutes after scoring, he was sent off after receiving a red card.[28] They then faced the Netherlands, managed by Guus Hiddink, and lost 5–0 in Marseille. Cha Bum-kun was sacked after the loss to the Netherlands although the tournament was ongoing. However, the South Korean goalkeeper Kim Byung-ji struggled in the Netherlands' 17 shots on target,[29] and became the only player who received acclaim,[30] although conceded five goals. The team then managed a 1–1 draw against Belgium.

Hiddink's magic (2002)

On 18 December 2000, the KFA named Dutch coach Guus Hiddink as the manager of the team for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted in South Korea.[31] The KFA promised him to ensure long-term training camps and authority about management of coaching staff.[32] At the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, they lost 5–0 against France, the eventual champions, and failed to advance to the semi-finals although defeating Australia and Mexico. South Korean journalists criticized Hiddnk and gave him a nickname "Oh-dae-ppang", meaning five to nothing, when South Korea lost 5–0 again at the friendly match against Czech Republic after the Confederations Cup.[33] At the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup, South Korea finished in fourth place with two draws and three losses without a win. However, their results improved at three friendly matches prior to the World Cup against Scotland,[34] England and France.[35][36]

Seoul Plaza during the 2002 World Cup

South Korea co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament with Japan. They had never won a game in the World Cup previously but the South Korean team achieved their first ever victory in a World Cup with a 2–0 victory against Poland when the tournament began. Their next game was against the United States and earned a 1–1 draw, with striker Ahn Jung-hwan scoring a late game equalizer. Their last game was against the favored Portuguese side. Portugal earned two red cards in the match, reducing them to nine men and Park Ji-sung scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory, allowing the South Korean team to qualify for the second round for the first time in their history. The team's success led to widespread euphoria from the South Korean public, with many people joining the Red Devils, which gained widespread attention with their passionate support of the team.[37]

South Korea's second round opponents were Italy, who they defeated 2–1. The South Korean team was awarded an early penalty but Ahn Jung-hwan's effort was saved by Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon. Christian Vieri then scored to put Italy ahead but Seol Ki-hyeon scored an equalizer in the 88th minute, allowing the game to go through to extra time. Francesco Totti was controversially sent off for an alleged dive and Ahn redeemed his missed penalty by scoring the winner with a headed golden goal, allowing them to advance to the quarter-final. South Korea faced Spain in the quarter-finals. Spain managed to score twice in this match, but both goals were cancelled by the referees.[38][39] The game then went to the penalty shoot-out where South Korea won 5–3, thus becoming the first Asian team to reach the final four.[40] The South Korean team's run was halted by a 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.

Captain Park era (2008)
South Korea playing against Argentina at the FIFA World Cup, in June 2010.

In 2008, South Korea chose Huh Jung-moo as their manager again and Park Ji-sung as the next captain. Under Huh Jung-moo's management, the South Korean team managed to win the 2008 EAFF Championship, go undefeated for 27 consecutive games in 2009.[41] At the fourth round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, they recorded four wins and four draws without a loss against North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran and United Arab Emirates.

At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, they won their first game against Greece 2–0, with goals from Lee Jung-soo and Park Ji-sung. They then faced Argentina and suffered a large loss 4–1, including an own goal by forward Park Chu-young. They then obtained a 2–2 draw in a match against Nigeria, with Lee Jung-Soo scoring in the tournament once more and Park Chu-young redeeming his own goal from the previous game by scoring from a free kick. This allowed them to make it to the second round for the first time on foreign soil. In the knockout stage they met Uruguay, who took an early lead with a goal from Luis Suárez. South Korea equalized in the second half after Lee Chung-yong scored his second goal of the tournament but South Korea conceded another goal by Suárez in the 80th minute. Despite maintaining the majority of the possession in the second half, South Korea was unable to equalize again and were eliminated from the tournament.

Miracle of Kazan (2018)

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

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

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

Team image

Kits and crest

Red is the traditional shirt color of the South Korean national team, who are consequently nicknamed the "Reds", while the fans are called the "Red Devils". The away shirt has varied between white and blue. In 1994, the home shirt shifted from red to white, but in October 1995, red returned as home color, paired with black shorts.

South Korea used to wear the South Korean flag as their shirt badge until 2001, when their tiger crest was unveiled.[48] On 5 February 2020, the KFA announced a new, more simplistic logo.[49] The emblem retained the tiger, albeit in a more minimalist design, enclosed in a rectangular frame.[49] Red, blue and white, South Korea's traditional colors, have been maintained in the new logo.[49]

Kit suppliers
Kit supplier Period Notes
Adidas, Asics, Kolon Sports,
Prospecs, Weekend		 1977–1985 Adidas was South Korea's first official kit sponsor.[50]
Weekend
 1985–1988 Sportswear brand of the Samsung C&T Corporation.[51]
Rapido
 1988–1995 Weekend was renamed Rapido in January 1988.[52]
Nike
 1996–present [53]

Kit deals
Kit supplier Period Contract
announcement		 Contract
duration		 Value
Nike
 1996–present
1995–12–??
 1996–1997 (2 years) Total $3.0 million[54]
($1.5 million per year)
1997–12–16
 1998–2002 (5 years) Total $38 million[55][56][57]
($7.6 million per year)
2003–01–09
 2003–2007 (5 years) Total $50 million[58]
($10 million per year)
2007–12–23
 2008–2011 (4 years) Total $49 million[59]
($12.25 million per year)
2012–01–13
 2012–2019 (8 years) Total $120 million[60]
($15 million per year)
2020–01–20
 2020–2031 (12 years) Total $204 million[61]
($17 million per year)

Supporters

The official supporter group of the national team, the Red Devils, were founded in 1995. Known for their passionate support, they are commonly referred to as the 12th man.[37] Their most common chant is "대~한민국 (Dae~han Minguk, meaning "Mighty Republic of Korea)" followed by five claps. The FIFA Fan Fest was introduced at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea. .

Rivalries

The traditional rival of South Korea is Japan. 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 leads the all-time series with 42 wins, 23 draws and 14 losses.[62]

A rivalry has also developed with Iran.[63] They have played against each other officially since 1958, totalling 31 matches as of June 2019, including nine World Cup qualifiers. These two teams were among the strongest Asian national football teams during the 1960s and 1970s. Although the teams only had one chance to play against each other in the final match of the AFC Asian Cup, in 1972, they have faced each other five consecutive times in the quarter-finals between 1996 and 2011, with each team recording two wins, two losses, and a draw. Iran leads the all-time series with 13 wins, 9 draws and 9 losses.[62]

South Korea has had great success against China, with China failing to defeat them in 28 competitive matches before finally winning a game in 2010. They also possesses a strong rivalry with North Korea, though matches are infrequent due to diplomatic and security reasons.

Competitive record

     Champions       Runners-up       Third place        Fourth place  

FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position GP W D L GF GA Squad GP W D L GF GA
1950 Did not enter
1954 Group stage 16th 2 0 0 2 0 16 Squad 211073
1958 Preliminary competition entry denied[64]
1962 Did not qualify 420269
1966 Did not enter
1970 Did not qualify 412165
1974 8341104
1978 12561169
1982 320174
1986 Group stage 20th 3 0 1 2 4 7 Squad 8701173
1990 Group stage 22nd 3 0 0 3 1 6 Squad 11920301
1994 Group stage 20th 3 0 2 1 4 5 Squad 13931325
1998 Group stage 30th 3 0 1 2 2 9 Squad 12921288
2002 Fourth place 4th 7 3 2 2 8 6 Squad Qualified as hosts
2006 Group stage 17th 3 1 1 1 3 4 Squad 12732187
2010 Round of 16 15th 4 1 1 2 6 8 Squad 14770227
2014 Group stage 27th 3 0 1 2 3 6 Squad 148332711
2018 Group stage 19th 3 1 0 2 3 3 Squad 1812333810
2022 To be determined 4220100
2026 To be determined
Total Fourth place 10/18[lower-alpha 1] 34 6 9 19 34 70 139 84 38 17 274 86
  1. Statistics since 1948, when South Korea became a member of FIFA.

Olympic Games
Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since 1992.
Summer Olympic Games record Qualification record
Year Result Position GP W D L GF GA Squad GP W D L GF GA
1948Quarter-finals8th2101515 Squad Directly qualified
1952Did not enter
1956Did not qualify 210122
1960 420244
1964Group stage14th3003120 Squad 421174
1968Did not qualify 5410175
1972 4301162
1976 6321105
1980 6402166
1984 115331911
1988Group stage11th302112 Squad Qualified as hosts
1992–present See South Korea national under-23 football team
TotalQuarter-finals3/11[lower-alpha 1]812573742247119139
  1. Statistics since 1948, when South Korea became a member of FIFA.

AFC Asian Cup
AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position GP W D L GF GA Squad GP W D L GF GA
1956Champions1st321096 Squad 440091
1960Champions1st330091 Squad Qualified as hosts
1964Third place3rd310224 Squad 000000
1968Did not qualify 411294
1972Runners-up2nd512276 Squad 000000
1976Did not qualify 420233
1980Runners-up2nd6411126 Squad 3300101
1984Group stage9th402213 Squad 4310130
1988Runners-up2nd6510113 Squad 311153
1992Did not qualify 210172
1996Quarter-finals7th4112711 Squad 3300170
2000Third place3rd631296 Squad 3300190
2004Quarter-finals6th421194 Squad 6402304
2007Third place3rd614133 Squad 6321155
2011Third Place3rd6420137 Squad Directly qualified
2015Runners-up2nd650182 Squad Directly qualified
2019Quarter-finals5th540162 Squad 8800270
2023To be determined 000000
Total2 titles14/17673616151066450365916423

Asian Games
Football at the Asian Games has been an under-23 tournament since 2002.
Asian Games record
Year Result Position GP W D L GF GA Squad
1951Did not enter
1954Silver medal2nd41211512 Squad
1958Silver medal2nd5401156 Squad
1962Silver medal2nd540195 Squad
1966Round 111th200204 Squad
1970Gold medal1st632153 Squad
1974Round 28th5113410 Squad
1978Gold medal1st7610153 Squad
1982Group stage9th310243 Squad
1986Gold medal1st6420143 Squad
1990Bronze medal3rd6501181 Squad
1994Fourth place4th6303177 Squad
1998Quarter-finals6th6402126 Squad
2002–present See South Korea national under-23 football team
Total3 titles12/13613681712863

EAFF Championship
EAFF Championship record
Year Result Position GP W D L GF GA Squad
2003Champions1st321041 Squad
2005Fourth place4th302112 Squad
2008Champions1st312054 Squad
2010Runners-up2nd320184 Squad
2013Third place3rd302112 Squad
2015Champions1st312031 Squad
2017Champions1st321073 Squad
2019Champions1st330040 Squad
Total5 titles8/824111033317

Other competitions
Year Competition Result Position GP W D L GF GA Squad
2000CONCACAF Gold Cup Group stage9th202022 Squad
2001FIFA Confederations Cup Group stage5th320136 Squad
2002CONCACAF Gold Cup Fourth place4th502337 Squad

Head-to-head records

As of 18 December 2019, after the match against Japan.[62]

Total GP W D L GF GA GD Win %
933 500 231 202 1,666 858 +808 053.59

Results and fixtures

All-time matches

Recent results and fixtures

The following matches were played or are scheduled to be played by the national team in the past or in the upcoming twelve months.

  Win   Draw   Loss

Coaching staff
Paulo Bento became the team's head coach in 2018

As of 24 March 2020[65]

Position Name
Head coach Paulo Bento
Assistant coach(es)
Choi Tae-uk
Filipe Coelho
Michael Kim
Sérgio Costa
Fitness coach Pedro Pereira
Goalkeeping coach Vítor Silvestre

Players

Current squad

The following players were called-up for the 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship, held in December 2019.[66]
Caps and goals updated as of 18 December 2019, after the match against Japan.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Kim Seung-gyu (1990-09-30) 30 September 1990 48 0 Kashiwa Reysol
21 1GK Jo Hyeon-woo (1991-09-25) 25 September 1991 16 0 Ulsan Hyundai
12 1GK Gu Sung-yun (1994-06-27) 27 June 1994 2 0 Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
19 2DF Kim Young-gwon (captain) (1990-02-27) 27 February 1990 78 3 Gamba Osaka
3 2DF Kim Jin-su (1992-06-13) 13 June 1992 46 1 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
6 2DF Park Joo-ho (1987-01-16) 16 January 1987 40 1 Ulsan Hyundai
4 2DF Kim Min-jae (1996-11-15) 15 November 1996 30 3 Beijing Guoan
20 2DF Kwon Kyung-won (1992-01-31) 31 January 1992 14 1 Sangju Sangmu
15 2DF Kim Moon-hwan (1995-08-01) 1 August 1995 11 0 Busan IPark
2 2DF Kim Tae-hwan (1989-07-24) 24 July 1989 8 0 Ulsan Hyundai
23 2DF Park Ji-soo (1994-06-13) 13 June 1994 3 0 Guangzhou Evergrande
10 3MF Kim Bo-kyung (1989-10-06) 6 October 1989 38 4 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
8 3MF Ju Se-jong (1990-10-30) 30 October 1990 26 1 FC Seoul
16 3MF Hwang In-beom (1996-09-20) 20 September 1996 23 3 Vancouver Whitecaps FC
11 3MF Moon Seon-min (1992-06-09) 9 June 1992 14 2 Sangju Sangmu
17 3MF Na Sang-ho (1996-08-12) 12 August 1996 13 2 FC Tokyo
22 3MF Yun Il-lok (1992-03-07) 7 March 1992 10 1 Montpellier
5 3MF Son Jun-ho (1992-05-12) 12 May 1992 6 0 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
7 3MF Kim In-sung (1989-09-09) 9 September 1989 2 0 Ulsan Hyundai
14 3MF Lee Yeong-jae (1994-09-13) 13 September 1994 2 0 Gangwon FC
13 3MF Han Seung-gyu (1996-09-28) 28 September 1996 0 0 FC Seoul
18 4FW Lee Jeong-hyeop (1991-06-24) 24 June 1991 24 5 Busan IPark
9 4FW Kim Seung-dae (1991-04-01) 1 April 1991 6 1 Gangwon FC

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the South Korea squad within the last twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
DF Lee Yong (1986-12-24) 24 December 1986 45 0 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors v.  Brazil, 19 November 2019
DF Jung Seung-hyun (1994-04-03) 3 April 1994 8 0 Ulsan Hyundai v.  Brazil, 19 November 2019
DF Hong Chul (1990-09-17) 17 September 1990 30 0 Suwon Samsung Bluewings v.  Lebanon, 14 November 2019
DF Lee Jae-ik (1999-05-21) 21 May 1999 0 0 Al-Rayyan v.  North Korea, 15 October 2019
MF Son Heung-min (1992-07-08) 8 July 1992 87 26 Tottenham Hotspur v.  Brazil, 19 November 2019
MF Lee Jae-sung (1992-08-10) 10 August 1992 49 8 Holstein Kiel v.  Brazil, 19 November 2019
MF Jung Woo-young (1989-12-14) 14 December 1989 49 3 Al-Sadd v.  Brazil, 19 November 2019
MF Nam Tae-hee (1991-07-03) 3 July 1991 46 6 Al-Sadd v.  Brazil, 19 November 2019
MF Hwang Hee-chan (1996-01-26) 26 January 1996 32 4 Red Bull Salzburg v.  Brazil, 19 November 2019
MF Kwon Chang-hoon (1994-06-30) 30 June 1994 23 5 SC Freiburg v.  Brazil, 19 November 2019
MF Lee Kang-in (2001-02-19) 19 February 2001 3 0 Valencia v.  Brazil, 19 November 2019
MF Paik Seung-ho (1997-03-17) 17 March 1997 3 0 Darmstadt 98 v.  North Korea, 15 October 2019
MF Lee Dong-gyeong (1997-09-20) 20 September 1997 2 0 Ulsan Hyundai v.  North Korea, 15 October 2019
MF Lee Chung-yong (1988-07-02) 2 July 1988 89 9 Ulsan Hyundai v.  Georgia, 5 September 2019
MF Lee Seung-woo (1998-01-06) 6 January 1998 11 0 Sint-Truiden v.  Iran, 11 June 2019
MF Lee Jin-hyun (1997-08-26) 26 August 1997 3 0 Daegu FC v.  Iran, 11 June 2019
FW Kim Shin-wook (1988-04-14) 14 April 1988 55 14 Shanghai Shenhua v.  Brazil, 19 November 2019
FW Hwang Ui-jo (1992-08-28) 28 August 1992 32 10 Bordeaux v.  Brazil, 19 November 2019

Player records
As of 7 January 2019

Statistics below are from matches which the KFA consider as official.[67]

Notable players

The following players were inducted into the Korean Football Hall of Fame or were selected as one of the Korean Football All-time Best XI.[17][23][68]

    Honours
    Fourth place: 2002
    Winners: 1956, 1960
    Runners-up: 1972, 1980, 1988, 2015
    Third place: 1964, 2000, 2007, 2011
    • Asian Games
    Gold medal: 1970, 1978, 1986
    Silver medal: 1954, 1958, 1962
    Bronze medal: 1990
    Fourth place: 1994
    Fourth place: 2002
    • Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
    Winners: 1987
    • EAFF Championship
    Winners: 2003, 2008, 2015, 2017, 2019
    Runners-up: 2010
    Third place: 2013
    Fourth place: 2005
    • Dynasty Cup
    Winners: 1990
    Runners-up: 1992, 1995
    Third place: 1998
    • Other awards
    FIFA World Cup Most Entertaining Team: 2002
    AFC National Team of the Year: 2002, 2009
    EAFF Championship Fair Play Award: 2008
    AFC Asian Cup Fair Play Award: 2011

    See also
    • Football in South Korea
    • Korea Football Association
    • South Korea national football B team
    • South Korea national under-23 football team
    • South Korea national under-20 football team
    • South Korea national under-17 football team
    • South Korea women's national football team
    • South Korea women's national under-20 football team
    • South Korea women's national under-17 football team

    References
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    2. Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
    3. 첫 A 매치 골 주인공은 故정남식·정국진씨. Naver.com (in Korean). Kukmin Ilbo. 5 August 2007. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
    4. Wright, Rob (6 June 2018). "World Cup 2018: Why you should follow South Korea". RTE.ie. RTÉ.
    5. 붉은악마 [Red Devils]. Naver.com (in Korean). Encyclopedia of Korean Culture. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
    6. Hong, Fan (2016). Sport and Nationalism in Asia: Power, Politics and Identity. Routledge. pp. 93–97. ISBN 9781317574019.
    7. "History". KFA.or.kr. KFA. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
    8. "KIM Yong Sik". JFootball-DB.com. Japan National Football Team Database. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
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    Preceded by
    Inaugural Champion    		 Asian Champions
    1956 (First title)
    1960 (Second title)    		 Succeeded by
    1964 Israel 
    Preceded by
    1964 Myanmar     		 Asian Games Champions
    1970 (First title)    		 Succeeded by
    1974 Iran 
    Preceded by
    1974 Iran     		 Asian Games Champions
    1978 (Second title)    		 Succeeded by
    1982 Iraq 
    Preceded by
    1982 Iraq     		 Asian Games Champions
    1986 (Third title)    		 Succeeded by
    1990 Iran 
    Preceded by
    1985 Cameroon     		 Afro-Asian Cup Champions
    1988 (First title)    		 Succeeded by
    1991 Algeria 
    Preceded by
    Inaugural Champion    		 EAFF Champions
    2003 (First title)    		 Succeeded by
    2005 China PR 
    Preceded by
    2005 China PR     		 EAFF Champions
    2008 (Second title)    		 Succeeded by
    2010 China PR 
    Preceded by
    2013 Japan     		 EAFF Champions
    2015 (Third title)
    2017 (Fourth title)
    2019 (Fifth title)    		 Succeeded by
    Incumbent
    Preceded by
    2001 China PR     		 AFC Men's Team of the Year
    2002    		 Succeeded by
    2003 Iraq 
    Preceded by
    2008 Japan     		 AFC Men's Team of the Year
    2009    		 Succeeded by
    2010 Japan 
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