Seoul: Former Suwon FC head coach Kim Eun-jung was named as the new bench boss for the South Korean men's under-21 national football team on Wednesday. The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced Kim's hiring following a board of directors meeting earlier in the day.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim, 47, will try to lead South Korea to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The 2028 Asian Football Confederation U-23 Asian Cup will serve as the regional Olympic qualifying event. The men's Olympic football competitions are open to players at 23 years old or younger, with each team permitted to name up to three over-age players. The KFA will have Kim work with a current crop of U-21 players who will form the core of the U-23 squad in time for the qualifying tournament and possibly the Olympics. South Korea failed to qualify for the 2024 Olympics after being upset by the underdogs Indonesia in the quarterfinals of the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, where the two finalists and the winner of the third-place match booked their Olympic berths.
Kim was an assistant coach for South Korea when they won the 2018 Asian Games, also a U-23 competition, and later the 2020 AFC U-23 Asian Cup. As head coach, Kim led South Korea to the semifinals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He parlayed his national team success to his first K League 1 coaching gig with Suwon FC. He coached them to fifth place in his first season in 2024, tied for the highest placement in club history, but they were relegated to the second-tier K League 2 following the 2025 season after finishing in 10th place and losing in a playoff. Suwon FC terminated their deal with Kim in December 2025, citing mutual consent.
Also Wednesday, the KFA named Kim Tae-min as the top assistant for the U-21 team. He worked on Kim Eun-jung's staff at the 2023 U-20 World Cup and the two also worked together at Suwon FC. "Both coaches bring a wealth of international experience and an intimate understanding of players in this age group," the KFA said. "We felt they were the right coaches to lead the team for the upcoming Olympic cycle."