SEOUL, – Hong Hyun-seok, a midfielder for Belgium’s KAA Gent, has been removed from the South Korean men’s national football team due to a left shin injury. This development came just hours before the team’s World Cup qualification match against Singapore.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Hong was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left shin on Wednesday, following complaints of discomfort before a training session. Medical tests revealed the extent of the injury, prompting the decision to cut him from the team. The KFA’s statement emphasized the importance of early management of his condition to prevent further damage and allow time for healing.
In Hong’s stead, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors defender Park Jin-seop has been called up to the national team. Park, who has not yet earned any caps for the senior team, previously played in six matches for South Korea’s under-24 national team at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, earlier this year. At 27, he was one of the three overaged players on the team.
Park’s inclusion increases the number of center backs in the national team to four, joining the likes of Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich, and Kim Young-gwon and Jung Seung-hyun from Ulsan Hyundai FC.
Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann explained the challenges of assembling the World Cup qualification roster, noting the limitation of 23 players compared to 24 for friendlies. This constraint led him to take only three center backs, as he did not want to reduce the number of strikers in the squad, which includes Oh Hyeon-gyu of Celtic FC, Hwang Ui-jo of Norwich City, and Cho Gue-sung FC Midtjylland.
South Korea’s match against Singapore marks the beginning of the second round of the Asian World Cup qualifying tournament. The team will then face China in Shenzhen, with further matches scheduled for March 2024 against Thailand.
In the second round of qualification, 36 nations are divided into nine groups of four. The top two teams from each group will advance to the third round, which will consist of three groups of six teams. The top two teams from each group in the third round will qualify for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Teams placing third and fourth will have an additional opportunity to qualify in the fourth round.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition to feature 48 nations, expanding from the current 32. South Korea has been a consistent participant in the World Cup since 1986.