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South Korea national football team
Men's association football team
Men's association football team
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Korea Republic |
| Badge | Flag of South Korea.svg |
| Badge_size | 160px |
| Nickname | Taegeuk Warriors |
| Tigers of Asia | |
| Association | Korea Football Association (KFA) |
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) |
| Sub-confederation | EAFF (East Asia) |
| FIFA Trigramme | KOR |
| FIFA Rank | |
| FIFA max | 17 |
| FIFA max date | December 1998 |
| FIFA min | 69 |
| FIFA min date | November 2014 – January 2015 |
| website | |
| Coach | Hong Myung-bo |
| Captain | Son Heung-min |
| Most caps | Son Heung-min (140) |
| Top scorer | Cha Bum-kun (58) |
| pattern_la1 | _kor24h |
| pattern_b1 | _kor24h |
| pattern_ra1 | _kor24h |
| pattern_sh1 | _kor24h |
| pattern_so1 | _kor24h |
| leftarm1 | FF354F |
| body1 | FF354F |
| rightarm1 | FF354F |
| shorts1 | FF354F |
| socks1 | FF354F |
| pattern_la2 | _kor24A |
| pattern_b2 | _kor24A |
| pattern_ra2 | _kor24A |
| leftarm2 | 000000 |
| body2 | 000000 |
| rightarm2 | 000000 |
| shorts2 | 000000 |
| socks2 | 000000 |
| First game | 5–3 |
| (London, England; 2 August 1948) | |
| Largest win | 16–0 |
| (Incheon, South Korea; 29 September 2003) | |
| Largest loss | 0–12 |
| (London, England; 5 August 1948) | |
| World cup apps | 11 |
| World cup first | 1954 |
| World cup best | Fourth place (2002) |
| Regional name | Asian Cup |
| Regional cup apps | 15 |
| Regional cup first | 1956 |
| Regional cup best | Champions (1956, 1960) |
| 2ndRegional name | EAFF Championship |
| 2ndRegional cup apps | 10 |
| 2ndRegional cup first | 2003 |
| 2ndRegional cup best | Champions (2003, 2008, 2015, 2017, 2019) |
| Confederations cup apps | 1 |
| Confederations cup first | 2001 |
| Confederations cup best | Group stage (2001) |
the men's team
Tigers of Asia | Sub-confederation = EAFF (East Asia) (London, England; 2 August 1948) (Incheon, South Korea; 29 September 2003) (London, England; 5 August 1948) The South Korea national football team (; recognized as Korea Republic by FIFA) represents South Korea in men's international football and is governed by the Korea Football Association, a member of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
South Korea has emerged as a major football power in Asia since the 1980s, having participated in ten consecutive and eleven 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 so far only) Asian team to reach the semi-finals when they co-hosted the 2002 tournament with Japan. South Korea also has won two AFC Asian Cup titles, and finished as runners-up on four occasions. Furthermore, the team won three gold medals and three silver medals at the senior 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
Main article: History of the South Korea national football team
Team image
Nicknames
The South Korea national football team has been known or nicknamed as the Taegeuk Warriors () and the Tigers of Asia ().
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 the home color, paired with black shorts.
South Korea used to wear the country's flag as their shirt badge until 2001, when their tiger crest was unveiled. On 5 February 2020, the KFA announced a new, more simplistic logo. The emblem retained the tiger, albeit in a more minimalist design, enclosed in a rectangular frame. Red, blue and white, South Korea's traditional colors, have been maintained in the new logo.
Kit suppliers
| Kit supplier | Period | Notes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adidas, Asics, Kolon Sports, Pro-Specs, Weekend | 1977–1986 | South Korea contracted with Adidas as their first official kit sponsor, but they did not have an exclusive kit sponsor at that time. | |||||||||
| (Weekend) | 1987–1995 | url=https://newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.nhn?editNo=3&printCount=1&publishDate=1990-06-20&officeId=00032&pageNo=20&printNo=13764&publishType=00020&articleId=1990062000329220001 | script-title=ko:월드컵 상혼 장외서 뜨거운 "광고전쟁" | publisher=Kyunghyang Newspaper | newspaper=Naver | date=June 20, 1990 | language=ko | access-date=April 11, 2021 | archive-date=April 11, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411092723/https://newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.nhn?editNo=3&printCount=1&publishDate=1990-06-20&officeId=00032&pageNo=20&printNo=13764&publishType=00020&articleId=1990062000329220001 | url-status=live }} |
| Nike | 1996–present | Contracted at the end of 1995, and sponsored since 1 January 1996. |
Kit deals
| Kit supplier | Period | Contract date | Contract duration | Total | Annual | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nike | 1996–present | 1996–1997 | $3 million | $1.5 million | ||
| 16 December 1997 | 1998–2002 | $38 million | $7.6 million | |||
| 9 January 2003 | 2003–2007 | $50 million | $10.0 million | |||
| 23 October 2007 | 2008–2011 | $49 million | $12.3 million | |||
| 13 January 2012 | 2012–2019 | $120 million | $15.0 million | |||
| 2020–2031 | $204 million | $17.0 million |
Home stadium
Main article: List of football stadiums in South Korea
The South Korea national team played their first home match at the Dongdaemun Stadium on 21 April 1956. The match was a qualifier for the 1956 AFC Asian Cup against the Philippines. They currently play their home matches at several stadiums, which are also used by K League clubs.
Rivalries
Main article: Japan–South Korea football rivalry, Australia–South Korea football rivalry, China–South Korea football rivalry, North Korea–South Korea football rivalry
South Korea's biggest rival is Japan. The rivalry is an extension of a competitive rivalry between the two nations that goes beyond football, and some matches in the past have been tainted with controversy. South Korea leads the all-time series with 42 wins, 23 draws and 17 losses.
A rivalry has also developed with Iran. The two nations have played against each other officially since 1958, totalling 33 matches as of March 2022, including eleven World Cup qualifiers. Although the teams played against each other only once in the final match of the 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, 10 draws and 10 losses.
Another major rival is Australia. In head-to-head matches, each team achieved 9 wins in 29 encounters, and 11 matches ended in a draw. The two countries have also met in four matches at the Asian Cup, including the 2015 final, where Australia won 2–1 after extra time for their first ever Asian championship.
South Korea has had great success against China, as China failed to beat them in competitive matches for 32 years before finally winning in 2010. They also possess a strong rivalry with North Korea, though matches are infrequent due to diplomatic and security reasons.
Supporters
Main article: Red Devils (supporters club)
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. Their most common chant is (), followed by five claps.
The FIFA Fan Fest was introduced at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea.
Recent results and fixtures
Main article: South Korea national football team results (2020–present)
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
2025
- Hwang Hee-chan
- Al-Busaidi
- Lee Jae-sung
- Kwon Kyung-won
- Kim Jin-gyu
- Oh Hyeon-gyu
- Al Hajeri
- Lee Kang-in
- Oh Hyeon-gyu
- Lee Jae-sung
- Lee Dong-gyeong
- Joo Min-kyu
- Kim Ju-sung
- Kang Sang-yoon
- Lee Ho-jae
- Germain
- Son Heung-min
- Lee Dong-gyeong
- Jiménez
- Giménez
- Son Heung-min
- Oh Hyeon-gyu
- Estêvão
- Rodrygo
- Vinícius
- Eom Ji-sung
- Oh Hyeon-gyu
- Son Heung-min
- Cho Gue-sung
- Lee Tae-seok
2026
All-time results
Main article: South Korea national football team results
| Year | Pld | W | D | L | Win % | Matches | Total | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948–1959 | Matches | |||||||
| 1960–1969 | Matches | |||||||
| 1970–1979 | Matches | |||||||
| 1980–1989 | Matches | |||||||
| 1990–1999 | Matches | |||||||
| 2000–2009 | Matches | |||||||
| 2010–2019 | Matches | |||||||
| 2020–present | Matches |
Coaching staff
Main article: List of South Korea national football team managers
Players
Current squad
The following players were called up for the friendly matches against Bolivia and Ghana on 14 and 18 November 2025, respectively.
Caps and goals updated as of 18 November 2025, after the match against Ghana.
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the South Korea squad within the last twelve months.
;Notes
- INJ = Withdrew due to injury
Notable players
The following players were inducted into the official Hall of Fame, or were selected for an all-time XI in a survey.
Individual records
|- |136 |10
| 1990–2002 |
|---|
| 4 |
| 133 |
| 0 |
| 1994–2010 |
| - |
| 5 |
| 127 |
| 5 |
| 1999–2011 |
| - |
| 6 |
| 124 |
| 5 |
| 1971–1979 |
| - |
| 7 |
| 122 |
| 18 |
| 1994–2005 |
| - |
| 8 |
| 113 |
| 1 |
| 1975–1986 |
| - |
| 9 |
| 112 |
| 7 |
| 2010–present |
| - |
| 10 |
| 110 |
| 10 |
| 2008–2019 |
| - |
| } |
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha Bum-kun | 58 | 136 | 1972–1986 | |
| 2 | Son Heung-min | 54 | 140 | 2010–present | |
| 3 | Hwang Sun-hong | 50 | 103 | 1988–2002 | |
| 4 | Park Lee-chun | 36 | 89 | 1969–1974 | |
| 5 | Kim Jae-han | 33 | 57 | 1972–1979 | |
| Lee Dong-gook | 33 | 105 | 1998–2017 | ||
| 7 | Choi Soon-ho | 30 | 103 | 1980–1991 | |
| 8 | Kim Do-hoon | 29 | 72 | 1994–2003 | |
| Huh Jung-moo | 29 | 84 | 1974–1986 | ||
| 10 | Choi Yong-soo | 27 | 67 | 1995–2003 | |
| Lee Tae-ho | 27 | 72 | 1980–1991 | ||
| Kim Jin-kook | 27 | 94 | 1972–1978 |
Competitive record
Champions Runners-up Third place Tournament played on home soil
FIFA World Cup
Main article: South Korea at the FIFA World Cup
Summer Olympics
:Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since 1992.
| Summer Olympics record | Qualification record | Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Total | Quarter-finals | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 37 | 3/11 | 42 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 91 | 39 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 to 1908 | Part of the Korean Empire | Part of the Korean Empire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1912 to 1936 | Part of Japan | Part of Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom 1948 | Quarter-finals | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 15 | Squad | Directly qualified | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIN 1952 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australia 1956 | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ITA 1960 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| JPN 1964 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 20 | Squad | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mexico 1968 | Did not qualify | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Germany 1972 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canada 1976 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| URS 1980 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US 1984 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| KOR 1988 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992 to present | Entered with the under-23 team | Entered with the under-23 team |
AFC Asian Cup
Main article: South Korea at the AFC Asian Cup
Asian Games
:Football at the Asian Games has been an under-23 tournament since 2002.
| Asian Games record | Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Total | Gold medalists | 61 | 36 | 8 | 17 | 128 | 63 | 12/13 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India 1951 | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Philippines 1954 | Silver medalists | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 12 | Squad | |||||||||||||
| JPN 1958 | Silver medalists | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 6 | Squad | |||||||||||||
| Indonesia 1962 | Silver medalists | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | Squad | |||||||||||||
| [[File:Flag of Thailand (TIS 982 draft standard).svg | 23px | border | link=Thailand]] 1966 | First round | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | Squad | ||||||||||
| [[File:Flag of Thailand (TIS 982 draft standard).svg | 23px | border | link=Thailand]] 1970 | Gold medalists | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | Squad | ||||||||||
| Iran 1974 | Second round | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | Squad | |||||||||||||
| [[File:Flag of Thailand (TIS 982 draft standard).svg | 23px | border | link=Thailand]] 1978 | Gold medalists | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 3 | Squad | ||||||||||
| India 1982 | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | Squad | |||||||||||||
| KOR 1986 | Gold medalists | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 3 | Squad | |||||||||||||
| CHN 1990 | Bronze medalists | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 1 | Squad | |||||||||||||
| JPN 1994 | Fourth place | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 7 | Squad | |||||||||||||
| [[File:Flag of Thailand (TIS 982 draft standard).svg | 23px | border | link=Thailand]] 1998 | Quarter-finals | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 6 | Squad | ||||||||||
| 2002 to present | Entered with the under-23 team |
EAFF Championship
| EAFF Championship record | Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Total | Champions | 30 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 44 | 21 | 10/10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan 2003 | Champions | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | Squad | ||||||||||
| KOR 2005 | Fourth place | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Squad | ||||||||||
| China 2008 | Champions | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | Squad | ||||||||||
| Japan 2010 | Runners-up | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | Squad | ||||||||||
| South Korea 2013 | Third place | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Squad | ||||||||||
| China 2015 | Champions | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | Squad | ||||||||||
| Japan 2017 | Champions | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | Squad | ||||||||||
| South Korea 2019 | Champions | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | Squad | ||||||||||
| Japan 2022 | Runners-up | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Squad | ||||||||||
| South Korea 2025 | Runners-up | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | Squad |
Other competitions
| Competition | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup | Group stage | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | Squad |
| KOR JPN 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup | Group stage | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | Squad |
| United States 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup | Fourth place | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | Squad |
Head-to-head record
The following table shows South Korea's head-to-head record, correct as of 18 November 2025.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (list) | |||||||||
| (list) | |||||||||
| (list) | |||||||||
| (list) |
Honours
Intercontinental
- Afro-Asian Cup of Nations : [[File:Med 1.png]] Champions: 1987
Continental
-
AFC Asian Cup : [[File:Med 1.png]] Champions: 1956, 1960 : [[File:Med 2.png]] Runners-up: 1972, 1980, 1988, 2015 : [[File:Med 3.png]] Third place: 1964, 2000, 2007, 2011
-
Asian Games : [[File:Med 1.png]] Gold medalists: 1970, 1978, 1986 : [[File:Med 2.png]] Silver medalists: 1954, 1958, 1962 : [[File:Med 3.png]] Bronze medalists: 1990
Regional
- EAFF Championship : [[File:Med 1.png]] Champions: 2003, 2008, 2015, 2017, 2019 : [[File:Med 2.png]] Runners-up: 2010, 2022, 2025 : [[File:Med 3.png]] Third place: 2013
Friendly competitions
- Korea Cup: 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1991, 1997
- Merdeka Tournament: 1960, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1978
- King's Cup: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1998
- Jakarta Anniversary Tournament: 1981
- Dynasty Cup: 1990
- LG Cup: 2000 (Iran), 2001 (Egypt), 2006 (Saudi Arabia)
Awards
References
References
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- Wright, Rob. (June 6, 2018). "World Cup 2018: Why you should follow South Korea". RTÉ.
- link. [[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]]
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- link. (March 26, 2021)
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- link. [[Yonhap News Agency]]. (2010-02-26)
- link. [[Kyunghyang Sinmun. Kyunghyang Newspaper]]. (June 20, 1990)
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- McCurry, Justin. (January 28, 2011). "South Korean footballer's monkey impression angers Japan".
- (June 17, 2013). "Asia's finale sees three spots up for grabs". FIFA.
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- Greco, John. (August 21, 2018). "A long standing rivalry: Caltex Socceroos' history against Korea Republic". Football Federation Australia.
- (February 10, 2010). "China beats South Korea 3–0 at East Asian Champs".
- (June 17, 2014). "Korea's World Cup chant owned by Shin Hae-chul, singer's agency claims".
- "Korea Republic – Korea Republic – Results and fixtures – Soccerway". Soccerway.
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- "Korea Republic Results". [[Sky Sports]].
- "South Korea – Results/Matches".
- link. (May 29, 2018)
- (June 3, 2022). "Guus Hiddink to S. Korean football: Don't change".
- link. KFA. (August 21, 2024)
- link. KFA. (August 16, 2024)
- link. KFA. (July 24, 2025)
- link. [[Korea Football Association]]
- link. [[Korea Football Association]]
- link. [[Korea Football Association]]. (November 23, 2006)
- link. [[JoongAng Ilbo]]. (April 24, 2002)
- link. [[Yonhap News Agency]]. (March 24, 2010)
- "South Korea – Record International Players".
- (February 12, 2020). "Football Tournament of the Olympic Games – Overview".
- "All-time record per countries". [[Korea Football Association]].
- "Match results – 2005". [[Korea Football Association]].
- "President's Cup (South Korea)".
- "Merdeka Tournament (Malaysia)".
- "King's Cup (Bangkok, Thailand)".
- "Jakarta Anniversary Tournament (Indonesia)".
- "Dynasty Cup".
- "LG Cup Four Nations Tournaments".
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