News: Six K League players included in South Korea World Cup squad

A six-man K League contingent is heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, as part of Hong Myung-bo's South Korea side. 

Two goalkeepers, Jo Hyeon-woo and Song Bum-keun, two defenders in Daejeon Hana Citizen's Kim Moon-hwan and Gangwon FC's Lee Gi-hyeok, as well as midfielders Lee Dong-gyeong of Ulsan and Kim Jin-gyu of Ulsan make up K League's representation in the Taeguk Warriors' 26-man squad.

However, Kang Sang-yoon and Cho Wi-je, both of Jeonbuk, will head with the squad as training members and will be on standby in case there are injuries.

In addition, goalkeeping coach Yang Young-min is reported to have requested four goalkeepers to run training sessions effectively, so an extra keeper was selected as a training partner. FC Seoul's Yoon Gi-wook has been called up to fulfill that role, chosen ahead of Pohang's Lee Seung-hwan. The idea is to give a younger age-group national team goalkeeper experience at senior level and Yoon is part of the U21 setup, while Lee has been with the U23s.

Yoon Gi-wook will travel to Mexico and stay with the squad until just before the tournament begins. Kang Sang-yoon and Cho Wi-je will remain with the team through the Salt Lake City stage where two friendlies will be played, and could replace players in their positions if injuries occur.

For injuries in other positions, replacements would come from the FIFA preliminary 55-man squad.

The first part of the squad departed for Salt Lake City on Monday 18th May, ahead of two friendly matches - Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday 30th May (local time, Sunday 31st May 10 AM KST) and El Salvador on June 3rd (June 4th, 8 AM KST).

The Europe-based players will arrive in the U.S. from mid-to-late May, depending on their club schedules, ahead of the pre-tournament camp that starts on May 18th.

The squad will then move to their World Cup base in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 5th.

K League representation

Six K League call-ups represent the joint-lowest contingent from South Korea's domestic league, equal with 2014 when, coincidentally, Hong Myung-bo was the head coach.

The highest number K League players called up is 20 in 1998, followed by 18 in 1986 and 1998, then 16 in 2006. In the 2002 World Cup, 14 K League players made the squad.

The total across 11 World Cup squads is 152 K League-based players for an average of 13.8. From 1986 to 1994, Korea typically brought 18 to 20 domestic-based players. From 2002 onward, the number generally settled at around 12 to 16. The clear outliers are 2014 and 2026 with just six. If you include the Sangmu players separately in 1994 and 1998 (pre-K League participation), the adjusted total becomes 156, which raises the average slightly to 14.2 per squad.

Full Squad

Goalkeepers

Kim Seung-gyu, FC Tokyo
Jo Hyeon-woo, Ulsan HD
Song Bum-keun, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

Defenders

Kim Min-jae, Bayern Munich
Kim Moon-hwan, Daejeon Hana Citizen
Seol Young-woo, Red Star Belgrade
Cho Yu-min, Sharjah
Lee Tae-seok, Austria Wien
Park Jin-seop, Zhejiang FC
Kim Tae-hyeon, Kashima Antlers
Jens Castrop, Borussia Mönchengladbach
Lee Gi-hyeok, Gangwon FC

Midfielders

Lee Jae-sung, Mainz 05
Hwang Hee-chann, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Hwang In-beom, Feyenoord
Lee Kang-in, Paris Saint-Germain
Paik Seung-ho, Birmingham City
Kim Jin-gyu, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Lee Dong-gyeong, Ulsan HD
Bae Jun-ho, Stoke City
Eom Ji-sung, Swansea City
Yang Hyun-jun, Celtic

Forwards

Son Heung-min, Los Angeles FC
Cho Gue-sung, Midtjyland
Oh Hyeon-gyu, Besiktas