Hwang Sun-hong names 23-man South Korea squad for Thailand qualifiers

Ulsan HD striker Joo Min-kyu has received his first-ever call-up to the South Korean national team as one of 11 K League players to be named in Hwang Sun-hong's 23-man squad.

Including Joo Min-kyu, who receives the call-up aged 33 and 333 days, Ulsan have six players in the squad, while Jeonbuk have just two.

Gwangju FC midfielder Jeong Ho-yeon gets a first call-up.

Recent Suwon FC signing Kwon Kyung-won returns to the fold, as too Paik Seung-ho, Kim Moon-hwan, Cho Yu-min who were part of Paulo Bento's 2022 World Cup squad but rarely featured for Jurgen Klinsmann.

There's no place in the squad for experienced right back Kim Tae-hwan or central midfielder Lee Soon-min. 

Injury to first-choice goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu means that Daejeon Hana Citizen's Lee Chang-geun is given a first call-up since November 2020.

South Korea face Thailand in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers on March 21st and 26th.

The Taeguk Warriors won both their first two qualifiers, beating Singapore 5-0 at home and China 3-0 away in November last year.

Following the sacking of Jurgen Klinsmann, former Pohang Steelers, FC Seoul and Daejeon Hana Citizen manager and current South Korea U23 head coach Hwang Sun-hong was placed in temporary charge.

Full Squad

Goalkeepers

Jo Hyeon-woo, Ulsan HD
Lee Chang-geun, Daejeon Hana Citizen
Song Bum-keun, Shonan Bellmare (Japan)

Defenders

Kim Young-gwon, Ulsan HD
Kim Jin-su, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Kim Min-jae, Bayern Munich (Germany)
Kwon Kyung-won, Suwon FC
Kim Moon-hwan, Al-Duhail (Qatar)
Seol Young-woo, Ulsan HD
Cho Yu-min, Sharjah FC (UAE)
Lee Myung-jae, Ulsan HD

Midfielders

Lee Jae-sung, FSV Mainz 05 (Germany)
Hwang In-beom, Crvena zvezda (Serbia)
Lee Kang-in, Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Jeong Woo-yeong, VfB Stuttgart (Germany)
Paik Seung-ho, Birmingham City (England)
Hong Hyun-seok, Gent (Belgium)
Um Won-sang, Ulsan HD 
Park Jin-seob, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 
Jeong Ho-yeon, Gwangju FC

Forwards

Son Heung-min, Tottenham Hotspur (England)
Cho Gue-sung, FC Midtjylland (Denmark)
Joo Min-kyu, Ulsan HD