SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - South Korea's new head coach Robert Moreno on Monday unveiled a 30-man roster for a series of football friendlies scheduled for later this month and early October.
The Spanish coach, who arrived in South Korea the previous day, began his stint as interim head coach of the national football team with a press conference in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, where he unveiled the roster.
The roster included most of key players playing for overseas clubs including captain Son Heung-min of Los Angeles FC, Lee Kang-in of Spanish La Liga club Atlético Madrid, Kim Min-jae of Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, and Hwang Hee-chan of Bundesliga club Schalke 04.
It also included Oh Hyeon-gyu of Turkish Süper Lig club Beşiktaş, Cho Gue-sung of Danish Superliga club Midtjylland, and Song Min-kyu of Portugal's Nacional.
But the highlight of the roster was the strong presence of domestic players, with 12 of the 30 making up the list. They included FC Seoul's midfielder Jeong Seung-won, goalkeeper Gu Sung-yun and defender Choi Jun.
Three newcomers such as midfielder Kim Min-su of Rangers FC, midfielder Park Tae-jun of Gimcheon Sangmu and defender Kim Gun-hee of Incheon United joined the roster for the first time.
Some young players were unavailable to make the roster due to other commitments including Yang Hyun-jun of Scottish club Celtic and Bae Jun-ho of England's Stoke City, as they are participating in this year's Asian Games, which kick off later this week in Nagoya, Japan.
Moreno's contract for his interim tenure included an option to remain in charge through the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia next January, with his fate hinging on the outcomes of six upcoming friendlies, starting with matches against Ecuador in Suwon on Sept. 24 and Uruguay in Seoul on Sept. 28.
South Korea will then face Venezuela at a match in Ulsan on Oct. 2 and another one against Uzbekistan in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province on Oct. 6, ahead of two additional friendlies scheduled for November.
AJP Takeaways
- Robert Moreno unveiled a 30-man South Korea roster on September 14, 2026, featuring overseas stars including Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, Kim Min-jae and Hwang Hee-chan.
- Twelve domestic-based players were selected, including first-time call-ups Kim Min-su, Park Tae-jun and Kim Gun-hee. Yang Hyun-jun and Bae Jun-ho were unavailable due to Asian Games commitments.
- Moreno's future depends on six upcoming friendlies, beginning with Ecuador on Sept. 24, 2026, and Uruguay on Sept. 28, 2026. His contract includes an option to stay through the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
The Spanish coach, who arrived in South Korea the previous day, began his stint as interim head coach of the national football team with a press conference in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, where he unveiled the roster.
The roster included most of key players playing for overseas clubs including captain Son Heung-min of Los Angeles FC, Lee Kang-in of Spanish La Liga club Atlético Madrid, Kim Min-jae of Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, and Hwang Hee-chan of Bundesliga club Schalke 04.
It also included Oh Hyeon-gyu of Turkish Süper Lig club Beşiktaş, Cho Gue-sung of Danish Superliga club Midtjylland, and Song Min-kyu of Portugal's Nacional.
But the highlight of the roster was the strong presence of domestic players, with 12 of the 30 making up the list. They included FC Seoul's midfielder Jeong Seung-won, goalkeeper Gu Sung-yun and defender Choi Jun.
Three newcomers such as midfielder Kim Min-su of Rangers FC, midfielder Park Tae-jun of Gimcheon Sangmu and defender Kim Gun-hee of Incheon United joined the roster for the first time.
Some young players were unavailable to make the roster due to other commitments including Yang Hyun-jun of Scottish club Celtic and Bae Jun-ho of England's Stoke City, as they are participating in this year's Asian Games, which kick off later this week in Nagoya, Japan.
Moreno's contract for his interim tenure included an option to remain in charge through the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia next January, with his fate hinging on the outcomes of six upcoming friendlies, starting with matches against Ecuador in Suwon on Sept. 24 and Uruguay in Seoul on Sept. 28.
South Korea will then face Venezuela at a match in Ulsan on Oct. 2 and another one against Uzbekistan in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province on Oct. 6, ahead of two additional friendlies scheduled for November.
AJP Takeaways
- Robert Moreno unveiled a 30-man South Korea roster on September 14, 2026, featuring overseas stars including Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, Kim Min-jae and Hwang Hee-chan.
- Twelve domestic-based players were selected, including first-time call-ups Kim Min-su, Park Tae-jun and Kim Gun-hee. Yang Hyun-jun and Bae Jun-ho were unavailable due to Asian Games commitments.
- Moreno's future depends on six upcoming friendlies, beginning with Ecuador on Sept. 24, 2026, and Uruguay on Sept. 28, 2026. His contract includes an option to stay through the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
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