South Korea coach Hong Myung-Bo was one of the first to announce an official 23-man squad for the upcoming 2014 World Cup in Brazil on Thursday.
A high-profile inclusion was Swansea City’s Ki Sung-Yueng, who spent his Premier League season on loan at Sunderland and had been considered an injury doubt for the tournament.
Other names that will be more familiar to European audiences include Kim Bo-Kyung (Cardiff City), Lee Chung-Yong (Bolton Wanderers), Son Heung-Min (Bayer Leverkusen), Koo Ja-Cheol (Mainz 05), Hong Jeong-Ho and Ji Dong-Won (both Augsburg).
Park Joo-Ho, left-back for Bundesliga club Mainz 05, misses out due to injury, while veteran right-back Cha Du-Ri has also failed to make the cut. With an average age of just 25, and 15 out of the 23-man squad aged 25 or under, South Korea will be taking one of the youngest squads to Brazil this summer.
South Korea became the first Asian team to reach a World Cup semi-final in their exciting run during the 2002 tournament, of which they were co-hosts. The Taeguk Warriors are considered to one of Asia’s strongest teams and will look to make a splash at this summer’s tournament.
Read on for Bleacher Report’s World Cup squad guide for South Korea.
Goalkeepers
Name: Jung Sung-Ryong
Date of Birth: January 4, 1985 (age 29)
Position: Goalkeeper
Caps/Goals: 59/0
Club: Suwon Bluewings (K-League)
Name: Kim Seung-Gyu
Date of Birth: September 30, 1990 (age 23)
Position: Goalkeeper
Caps/Goals: 5/0
Club: Ulsan Hyundai (K-League)
Name: Lee Bum-Young
Date of Birth: April 2, 1989 (age 25)
Position: Goalkeeper
Caps/Goals: 0/0
Club: Busan IPark (K-League)
Defenders
Name: Kim Young-Gwon
Date of Birth: February 27, 1990 (age 24)
Position: Centre-back
Caps/Goals: 19/1
Club: Guangzhou Evergrande (Chinese Super League)
Name: Hong Jeong-Ho
Date of Birth: August 12, 1989 (age 24)
Position: Centre-back
Caps/Goals: 23/1
Club: FC Augsburg (Bundesliga)
Name: Yun Suk-Young
Date of Birth: February 13, 1990 (age 24)
Position: Left-back
Caps/Goals: 2/0
Club: Queens Park Rangers (Football League Championship)
Name: Kim Jin-Su
Date of Birth: June 13, 1992 (age 21)
Position: Left-back
Caps/Goals: 9/0
Club: Albirex Niigata (J-League)
Name: Hwang Seok-Ho
Date of Birth: June 27, 1989 (age 24)
Position: Centre-back/Full-back
Caps/Goals: 3/0
Club: Sanfrecce Hiroshima (J-League)
Name: Kwak Tae-Hwi
Date of Birth: July 8, 1981 (age 32)
Position: Centre-back
Caps/Goals: 33/5
Club: Al-Hilal (Saudi Premier League)
Name: Lee Yong
Date of Birth: December 24, 1986 (age 27)
Position: Full-back
Caps/Goals: 10/0
Club: Ulsan Hyundai (K-League)
Name: Kim Chang-Soo
Date of Birth: September 12, 1985 (age 28)
Position: Full-back
Caps/Goals: 8/0
Club: Kashiwa Reysol (J-League)
Midfielders
Name: Ki Sung-Yueng
Date of Birth: January 24, 1989 (age 25)
Position: Central midfielder
Caps/Goals: 56/5
Club: Sunderland, on loan from Swansea City (Premier League)
Name: Lee Chung-Yong
Date of Birth: July 2, 1988 (age 25)
Position: Winger
Caps/Goals: 53/6
Club: Bolton Wanderers (Football League Championship)
Name: Koo Ja-Cheol
Date of Birth: February 27, 1989 (age 25)
Position: Midfielder
Caps/Goals: 35/12
Club: Mainz 05 (Bundesliga)
Name: Kim Bo-Kyung
Date of Birth: October 6, 1989 (age 24)
Position: Attacking midfielder
Caps/Goals: 26/3
Club: Cardiff City (Premier League)
Name: Han Kook-Young
Date of Birth: April 19, 1990 (age 24)
Position: Defensive midfielder
Caps/Goals: 8/0
Club: Kashiwa Reysol (J-League)
Name: Ha Dae-Sung
Date of Birth: March 2, 1985 (age 29)
Position: Central Midfielder
Caps/Goals: 12/0
Club: Beijing Guoan (Chinese Super League)
Name: Park Jong-Woo
Date of Birth: March 10, 1989 (age 25)
Position: Central midfielder
Caps/Goals: 10/0
Club: Guangzhou R&F (Chinese Super League)
Forwards
Name: Ji Dong-Won
Date of Birth: May 28, 1991 (age 22)
Position: Winger/Striker
Caps/Goals: 26/8
Club: FC Augsburg (Bundesliga)
Name: Son Heung-Min
Date of Birth: July 8, 1992 (age 21)
Position: Winger/Forward
Caps/Goals: 23/6
Club: Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga)
Name: Park Chu-Young
Date of Birth: July 10, 1985 (age 28)
Position: Forward
Caps/Goals: 91/25
Club: Watford, on loan from Arsenal (Premier League)
Name: Lee Keun-Ho
Date of Birth: April 11, 1985 (age 29)
Position: Winger/Striker
Caps/Goals: 58/18
Club: Sangju Sangmu Phoenix, on loan from Ulsan Hyundai (K-League)
Name: Kim Shin-Wook
Date of Birth: April 14, 1988 (age 26)
Position: Striker
Caps/Goals: 26/3
Club: Ulsan Hyundai (K-League)
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