SEOUL: South Korea's men's national football team has initiated a domestic training camp in Seoul as part of their preparation for the upcoming Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. The team, under the leadership of head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, has called up 16 players for this indoor camp, which is scheduled to run until New Year's Eve. According to the Korea Football Association (KFA), the camp, held at a fitness center inside a Seoul hotel, includes weight training and conditioning drills. The 26-man squad for the Asian Cup will be announced by Klinsmann on Thursday in Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea, aiming to claim their first Asian Cup title since 1960, has assembled a team comprising 11 players from the domestic K League and five from foreign leagues. Notable international players include Cho Gue-sung, Lee Jae-sung, and Hwang In-beom, who were absent on the first day of training but are expected to join later. The camp will be a closed event, away from media coverage, allowing the team to focus on their preparation. The team is set to depart for Abu Dhabi next Tuesday for a pre-Asian Cup camp, where Europe-based stars like Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in, and Hwang Hee-chan will join. Their final tuneup match before the Asian Cup will be against Iraq in Abu Dhabi on January 6. In the tournament, South Korea is placed in Group E and will face Bahrain, Jordan, and Malaysia.