South Korea’s U-23 manager Min-sung Lee has announced his final 23-man squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The roster includes nine Europe-based stars-Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Kim Ji-soo (Brentford) and Yang Min-hyuk (Tottenham)-plus three over-age wildcards: Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City) and Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC). World Cup standing: 3rd with 3 pts from 3 games (1W-0D-2L, recent form LLW).
Who made the cut
Nine of the 23 players ply their trade in Europe, while 14 come from the K League. The over-age trio was chosen for tactical value and tournament experience. Park Seung-su (Newcastle), the youngest at 2007-born, headlines a youthful group that also features Shin Min-ha (Gangwon) and Bae Hyun-seo (Gyeongnam). Son Jeong-beom (FC Seoul) and Seo Jae-min (Incheon United) narrowly missed out.
Why it matters
Lee said the side has been preparing since last year, logging games at the U-23 Asian Cup and friendlies to sharpen tactics. Ki-hyuk, a defender at the World Cup, will line up in midfield here. “The three wildcards give us tactical flexibility and cover weak spots,” Lee added.
What’s next
Both the men’s and women’s teams will convene in early September for final preparations ahead of the September kickoff. The draw is set for July 23. Lee vowed, “We’ll give everything to win gold.” Last result: South Korea 1-0 Ghana (Nov 18, 2025).
Women’s squad also revealed
Women’s boss Shin Sang-woo named 23 players, 20 from the WK League and three abroad-Chu Hyo-ju and Jeong Min-young (both Ottawa Fury) plus Norway-based striker Jeong Da-bin (Stabæk). Shin stressed, “We want to show our strength ahead of next year’s Women’s World Cup.”
