South Korea select captain Son Heung-min for his fourth World Cup
Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min has been named in the South Korea squad for his fourth World Cup by head coach Hong Myung-bo.
The 33-year-old departed Spurs last year and currently represents Major League Soccer franchise Los Angeles FC.
The experienced attacker will lead his nation into a challenging Group A campaign this summer.
They begin their global tournament against the Czech Republic in Guadalajara on 12 June.
Dual-heritage history made
Manager Hong Myung-bo has blended seasoned veterans with ground-breaking new additions.
Borussia Monchengladbach defender Jens Castrop becomes the first player with dual heritage to make a South Korean World Cup squad.
The German-born prospect switched his international allegiance last year and has since earned five caps for the Asian nation.
He is joined by a strong European-based contingent, including Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae and Paris St-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in.
British-based stars feature heavily
Despite the LAFC talisman’s departure from London, British football remains well-represented in the setup.
Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan offers Premier League pedigree to the attacking line.
A raft of EFL and Scottish Premiership talent has also been selected for the showpiece event.
This includes Stoke City’s Bae Jun-ho, Birmingham City’s Paik Seung-ho, Celtic’s Yang Hyun-jun, and Swansea City’s Eom Ji-sung.
South Korea will face co-hosts Mexico on 19 June before concluding their group schedule against South Africa in Monterrey six days later.
Full South Korea World Cup squad
- Goalkeepers: Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan), Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk)
- Defenders: Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Kim Tae-hyon (Kashima Antlers), Park Jin-seob (Zhejiang), Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade), Jens Castrop (Borussia Monchengladbach), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien), Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland), Cho Yu-min (Sharjah)
- Midfielders: Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea), Lee Kang-in (Paris St-Germain), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolves)
- Forwards: Son Heung-min (LAFC), Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas), Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland)