Coach Hong Myung-bo of the national soccer team answers questions from reporters at a press conference on the national soccer team's September A match call-up list held at the soccer center in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 26th.

Coach Hong Myung-bo of the Korean national soccer team answers questions from reporters during a press conference on the call-up list for the national soccer team's September A match at the Korea Football Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul on Wednesday.
Team Hong Myung-bo has officially started. Four new faces, including Yang Min-hyuk (Gangwon FC), who is a sensation in the K-League, have put on the national flag for the first time in their careers.

Coach Hong Myung-bo of the Korean national soccer team announced the list of players who will play in the first and second rounds of the third qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. at the soccer center in central Seoul on Tuesday. The two games are important matches. Team Hong will play its first match against Palestine at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on March 5 and then have an away match against Oman on March 10. It is a full-fledged start to the World Cup in North Korea and China that will take place two years later.

The Korean soccer team suffered from the end of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Former coach Jurgen Klinsmann was sacked after a flurry of controversies, and Hong also took the helm amid criticism. The team should turn around the mood at the upcoming "A" match in September.

Coach Hong Myung-bo of the national soccer team answers questions from reporters at a press conference on the national soccer team's September A match call-up list held at the soccer center in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 26th. 

MINHYUK's syndrome continued to the national team

Yang joined the national team for the first time this year. Born in 2006 and a high school student, Yang took over as a starting player for Gangwon in the early days of this season as a semi-professional. In recognition of his stellar performance, he signed a contract with Tottenham Hotspur (England). Recognizing his talent, he joined the team in January after spending time in Gangwon Province until this year. He has posted spectacular records, too. He has scored eight goals and five assists in all 28 games that Gangwon has played. He swept the Young Player Award from April to July and even acquired the Player of the Month award in July. He broke various records as the youngest player in the K-League.

Coach Hong also did not overlook Yang's talent. "He showed good performances that enabled him to make the national team. Of course, he has shown a good performance since July when he was in full swing, but he is fully qualified to make the national team thanks to his performances so far," he said. "I think now is the time to give young players a chance. It is up to Yang. Everyone has high expectations. I expect him to do well in the national team as well."

Yang Min-hyuk, who joined the national team along with Son Heung-min, his senior player at Tottenham, has a golden opportunity to collaborate in advance. Yang, who joined the national team at the age of 18 years and 123 days, narrowly beat Son Heung-min (18 years and 152 days). He is displaying as much potential as Son.

Coach Hong Myung-bo of the Korean national soccer team answers questions from reporters during a press conference on the call-up list for the national soccer team's September A match at the Korea Football Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul on Wednesday.  안전놀이터
We're here, too

In addition to Yang Min-hyuk, three new faces have joined the national team. The main characters are Lee Han-bum (Mit Willan), Choi Woo-jin (Incheon), and Hwang Mun-ki (Gangwon). Notably, Hwang, who was born in 1996, changed his position to right fullback instead of his original midfielder position. He changed his position at the suggestion of Gangwon coach Yoon Jeong-hwan, and continued his activities, making it to the national team. Notably, right fullback is a long-standing concern for the national team. "Kangwon is leading the team and has good performance. Hwang plays many roles within the team. When observing the three games, his overall performance and performance have been consistent."

Choi Woo-jin, who is in charge of Incheon's side defense, and Lee Han-beom, who has been given a chance since advancing to Europe last year, were also invited. It should also be noted that the new faces are mostly in the defense lineup. "The team must continue to make progress. In that sense, we have considered the World Cup two years from now as well. We will continue to take the team's management into account in the future," Hong said.