| Korea Republic | |
| Badge: | Flag of South Korea.svg |
| Badge Size: | 160px |
| Nickname: | Taegeuk Warriors (태극전사) Tigers of Asia (아시아의 호랑이) |
| Association: | Korea Football Association (KFA) |
| Fifa Trigramme: | KOR |
| Fifa Max: | 17 |
| Fifa Max Date: | December 1998 |
| Fifa Min: | 69 |
| Fifa Min Date: | November 2014 – January 2015 |
| Sub-Confederation: | EAFF (East Asia) |
| Confederation: | AFC (Asia) |
| Coach: | Hong Myung-bo |
| Captain: | Son Heung-min |
| Most Caps: | Cha Bum-kun Hong Myung-bo (136) |
| Top Scorer: | Cha Bum-kun (58) |
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| First Game: | 5–3 (London, England; 2 August 1948) |
| 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: | 9 |
| 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) |
| Hangul: | 대한민국 축구 국가대표팀 |
| Hanja: | 大韓民國 蹴球 國家代表팀 |
| Rr: | Daehan Min'guk Chukgu Gukga Daepyo Tim |
| Mr: | Taehan Min'guk Ch'ukku Kukka Taep'yo T'im |
The South Korea national football team (; recognized as Korea Republic by FIFA[1]) represents South Korea in men's international football and is governed by the Korea Football Association. 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 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.[2]
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.[3]
See main article: History of the South Korea national football team.
The South Korea national football team has been known or nicknamed as the Taegeuk Warriors and the Tigers of Asia .[4] [5]
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.[6] On 5 February 2020, the KFA announced a new, more simplistic logo.[7] The emblem retained the tiger, albeit in a more minimalist design, enclosed in a rectangular frame.[7] Red, blue and white, South Korea's traditional colors, have been maintained in the new logo.[7]
| Kit supplier | Period | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adidas, Asics, Kolon Sports, Prospecs, | 1977–1985 | South Korea didn't have an exclusive kit sponsor at that time, though they contracted with Adidas as their first official kit sponsor.[8] | |
| 1985–1988 | Sportswear brand of Samsung C&T Corporation[9] | ||
| 1988–1995 | Weekend was renamed "Rapido" in January 1988.[10] | ||
| Nike | 1996–present | Contracted at the end of 1995,[11] and sponsored since 1 January 1996. |
| 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 | [12] | ||
| 9 January 2003 | 2003–2007 | $50 million | $10.0 million | [13] | ||
| 23 October 2007 | 2008–2011 | $49 million | $12.3 million | [14] | ||
| 13 January 2012 | 2012–2019 | $120 million | $15.0 million | [15] | ||
| 2020–2031 | $204 million | $17.0 million | [16] |
See 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.[17] They currently play their home matches at several stadiums, which are also used by K League clubs.
See main article: Football rivalries between Japan–South Korea, between Australia–South Korea, between China–South Korea and between North Korea–South Korea. 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.[18] [19] South Korea leads the all-time series with 42 wins, 23 draws and 16 losses.[20]
A rivalry has also developed with Iran.[21] The two nations have played against each other officially since 1958, totalling 33 matches as of March 2022, including eleven World Cup qualifiers. South Korea and Iran were among the strongest Asian national 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, 10 draws and 10 losses.[20]
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.[20] The two countries have also met in four matches at the Asian Cup,[22] including the 2015 final, where Australia won 2–1 after extra time for their first ever Asian championship.[23]
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.[24] They also possess a strong rivalry with North Korea, though matches are infrequent due to diplomatic and security reasons.
See 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 "Dae~ Han-Min-Guk" (Republic of Korea or Great Korea), followed by five claps.[25] The FIFA Fan Fest was introduced at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea.
See 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.[26] [27] [28] [29]
See main article: South Korea national football team results.
| Year | GP | W | D | L | Win % | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948–1959 | Matches | |||||
| 1960–1969 | Matches | |||||
| 1970–1979 | Matches | |||||
| 1980–1989 | Matches | |||||
| 1990–1999 | Matches | |||||
| 2000–2009 | Matches | |||||
| 2010–2019 | Matches | |||||
| 2020–present | Matches | |||||
| Total | — |
See main article: article and List of South Korea national football team managers.
| Position | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Manager |  Hong Myung-bo | |
| Assistant manager | Vacant | |
| Coach | Vacant | |
| Goalkeeping coach | Vacant | |
| Fitness coach | Vacant |
The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Singapore and China on 6 and 11 June 2024, respectively.[30] [31]
Caps and goals updated as of 11 June 2024, after the match against China.
The following players have also been called up to the South Korea squad within the last twelve months.
The following players were inducted into the KFA Hall of Fame,[32] or were selected for the Korean Best XI of All Time in one or more surveys.[33] [34]
See main article: South Korea national football team records and statistics. [35] Players in bold are still active with South Korea.
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha Bum-kun | 136 | 58 | |
| Hong Myung-bo | 136 | 10 | 1990–2002 | |
| 3 | Lee Woon-jae | 133 | 0 | 1994–2010 |
| 4 | Lee Young-pyo | 127 | 5 | 1999–2011 |
| Son Heung-min | 127 | 48 | 2010–present | |
| 6 | Kim Ho-kon | 124 | 5 | 1971–1979 |
| 7 | Yoo Sang-chul | 122 | 18 | 1994–2005 |
| 8 | Cho Young-jeung | 113 | 1 | 1975–1986 |
| 9 | Kim Young-gwon | 111 | 7 | 2010–present |
| 10 | Ki Sung-yueng | 110 | 10 | 2008–2019 |
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha Bum-kun | 58 | 136 | ||
| 2 | Hwang Sun-hong | 50 | 103 | 1988–2002 | |
| 3 | Son Heung-min | 48 | 127 | 2010–present | |
| 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 |
Champions Runners-up Third placeTournament played on home soil
See main article: South Korea at the FIFA World Cup.
Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since 1992.
| Summer Olympics record | Qualification record[36] | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Squad | |||||||||||||
| 1900 to 1908 | Part of the Korean Empire | Part of the Korean Empire | |||||||||||||
| 1912 to 1936 | Part of Japan | Part of Japan | |||||||||||||
 1948 | Quarter-finals | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 15 | Squad | Directly qualified | ||||||
 1952 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
 1956 | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
 1960 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||
 1964 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 20 | Squad | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | |
 1968 | Did not qualify | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 5 | ||||||||
| 1972 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 2 | |||||||||
 1976 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 5 | |||||||||
| 1980 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 6 | |||||||||
 1984 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 11 | |||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||
| Total | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 37 | 42 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 91 | 39 | |||
See main article: South Korea at the AFC Asian Cup.
Football at the Asian Games has been an under-23 tournament since 2002.
| Asian Games record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Squad | |||||||
 1951 | Did not enter | ||||||||
 1954 | bgcolor=silver | Silver medalists | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 12 | Squad |
| 1958 | bgcolor=silver | Silver medalists | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 6 | Squad |
 1962 | bgcolor=silver | Silver medalists | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | Squad |
| 1966 | First round | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | Squad | |
| 1970 | bgcolor=gold | Gold medalists | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | Squad |
| 1974 | Second round | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | Squad | |
| 1978 | bgcolor=gold | Gold medalists | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 3 | Squad |
| 1982 | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | Squad | |
| 1986 | bgcolor=gold | Gold medalists | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 3 | Squad |
 1990 | Bronze medalists | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 1 | Squad | |
| 1994 | Fourth place | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 7 | Squad | |
| 1998 | Quarter-finals | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 6 | Squad | |
| 2002 to present | Entered with the under-23 team | ||||||||
| Total | 61 | 36 | 8 | 17 | 128 | 63 | |||
| EAFF Championship record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Squad | |||||||
| 2003 | Champions | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | Squad | |
| 2005 | Fourth place | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Squad | |
| 2008 | Champions | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | Squad | |
| 2010 | Runners-up | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | Squad | |
| 2013 | Third place | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Squad | |
| 2015 | Champions | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | Squad | |
| 2017 | Champions | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | Squad | |
| 2019 | Champions | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | Squad | |
| 2022 | Runners-up | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Squad | |
| Total | 27 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 39 | 20 | |||
| Competition | Round | Squad | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup | Group stage | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | Squad | |
| 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup | Group stage | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | Squad | |
| 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup | Fourth place | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | Squad |
The following table shows South Korea's head-to-head record, correct as of 11 June 2024.[37]
| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (list) | ||||||||
| (list) | ||||||||
| (list) | ||||||||
| (list) | ||||||||
| [38] | ||||||||
| Total |
Champions: 1987
Runners-up: 1972, 1980, 1988, 2015
Third place: 1964, 2000, 2007, 2011
Gold medalists: 1970, 1978, 1986
Silver medalists: 1954, 1958, 1962
Bronze medalists: 1990
Champions: 2003, 2008, 2015, 2017, 2019
Third place: 2013