Wins for Korea amid frowns and empty seats
Korea’s Lee Tae-seok celebrates after scoring a goal against Ghana during a friendly match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap
Another busy year draws to a close for South Korea’s national team, and once again, there are as many questions as answers. Few fans would have been surprised back in January to hear that the Taeguk Warriors would qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Equally few eyebrows would have been raised if told that serious doubts would linger about the team’s true level.
It sounds odd to say after two wins in five days in mid-November, including a 2-0 victory over Bolivia in Daejeon on Friday, followed by a 1-0 win over Ghana in Seoul on Tuesday. Wins are always welcome, especially when no goals are conceded, but it still feels like something is missing.
Supporters seem to sense it. Seoul World Cup Stadium was half-empty for the game against Ghana, and attendance at their match against Paraguay last month was even lower. The team lacks spark and direction.
Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain is the creative heartbeat, and rightly so; the 24-year-old is a rare talent. Son Heung-min remains the leading attacker, as he has been for years at the highest level. But outside of these two, there is little to inspire confidence.
Ghanaian media reinforced that lack of conviction in Korea’s performance. Ghana was missing several key players and far from home on a chilly November evening. Having beaten Korea 3-2 at the 2022 World Cup, there's plenty of reason to believe that the Black Stars could win again if the sides meet next summer.
The draw for the 2026 tournament takes place in the United States early next month, making the journey to the World Cup feel very real. The next set of friendlies, likely in March when all players are available, will partly depend on June’s grouping.
Improvements are clearly needed in the months ahead. Coach Hong Myung-bo was once seen as Korea’s great managerial hope, leading the team to early success before his ill-fated tenure at the 2014 World Cup derailed his reputation. His return last year was controversial, and recent games have done little to vindicate him.
Hong will lead the team at the World Cup, but the empty seats in Seoul tell their own story of dissatisfaction. His remarks after the Ghana match sounded more like those of a defeated coach. “Overall, the match did not go the way we wanted, especially in the first half. I think we had some problems with our play in midfield,” he said.
There is still time to fix those issues — but not much.