Stoke City midfielder Bae Jun-ho received his first call-up to the senior national team on Monday, joining six other newcomers under interim manager Kim Do-hoon for two 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June. At 20, Bae is the only new midfielder in the 23-member roster, having earned his spot after an impressive 2023-24 Championship season with two goals and five assists in 38 matches. FC Machida Zelvia forward Oh Se-hoon, 25, also received his first senior team call-up, boasting six goals in 16 J1 League matches as of Monday.
Ulsan HD forward Joo Min-kyu, who became the oldest player to receive a national team call-up for the first time in March at 33 years and 333 days old, is back on the roster to complete the forward lineup. FC Midtjylland forward Cho Gue-sung will miss the squad due to scheduled knee surgery during the FIFA international break in June.
The defense sees four new additions: Ha Chang-rae from Nagoya Grampus, Park Seung-wook from Gimcheon Sangmu, Hwang Jae-won from Daegu FC, and Choi Jun from FC Seoul. They join returning defenders Kwon Kyung-won of Suwon FC, Cho Yu-min of Sharjah FC, Kim Jin-su of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, and Lee Myung-jae of Ulsan. Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae is absent due to a left ankle injury, and regular fullback Seol Young-woo of Ulsan is also missing as he rehabilitates a shoulder injury.
In goal, Steelers goalkeeper Hwang In-jae joins the senior team for the first time, alongside regulars Jo Hyeon-woo of Ulsan and Song Bum-keun of Shonan Bellmare. Former No. 1 goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu has not been called up since his ACL injury during the Asian Cup group stage in January.
The midfield includes captain Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur, Bae, and other Europe-based players such as Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain, Lee Jae-sung of Mainz, Hwang In-beom of Red Star Belgrade, and Hong Hyun-seok of KAA Gent. Ulsan midfielder Um Won-sang, Park Young-woo of Al Ain, and Jung Woo-young of Khaleej FC, who returns to the team after over a year, are also in the squad.
The upcoming qualifier against Singapore will be interim boss Kim’s first game, following his appointment on May 20 after the Korea Football Association (KFA) failed to appoint a permanent manager by mid-May. The permanent position has been vacant since Jurgen Klinsmann was sacked in February following a tumultuous year marked by criticism of his tactics and failure to win the Asian Cup.
Kim’s squad will travel to Singapore on June 2, play their qualifier on June 6, and then face China in Seoul on June 11. These matches will determine Korea’s progression to the third round of qualifiers. Korea currently leads Group C in the second round, with both group winners and runners-up advancing to the next stage.