S. Korea coach plans to empower players in buildup to World Cup

By Yoo Jee-ho SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- With his team gearing up for multiple weeks of training before their first match at this year's FIFA World Cup, South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo said Saturday he will try to empower his players and help them take ownership of their performances. Hong revealed such plans for South Korea's training camp as he unveiled his 26-man squad for the World Cup. South Korea will play all three Group A matches in Mexico, one of three co-host countries alongside Canada and the United States. And two of those matches will be played in the high altitude of Guadalajara, prompting the Korea Football Association (KFA) to settle on Salt Lake City, Utah, another city with high altitude, as the site of pre-World Cup camp. Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, speaks at a press conference announcing his squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at KT Gwanghwamun West Building in Seoul on May 16, 2026. (Yonhap) Hong and his staff will take six players chosen from the domestic K League and depart for Salt Lake City on Monday while the rest of the team -- most of them coming from Europe -- will join the squad the following week. South Korea will play Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador during their camp there. An opportunity to train as a full team for weeks is a luxury not afforded to national teams before friendly matches. And Hong said it can be a double-edged sword for his team. "We're lucky to have so much time to prepare for our matches, but on the other hand, some of our new players may experience some difficulties," Hong said. "We've been talking with the KFA about taking care of our players throughout training camp. And more so than in the past, we as a coaching staff will be leaning on players' ideas and suggestions to run the team. "If we let these players make their own decisions and hold themselves accountable, rather than passively follow instructions, then I think we will have a team that runs proactively," Hong added. "We plan to embrace our players' opinions as we prepare for the tournament and we want to create a fun and comfortable environment for them. Obviously, we can't predict results but at least we want our players to enjoy the process." South Korea will take on Mexico, Czechia and South Africa in what many pundits see as a wide-open group. With the tournament having expanded from 32 nations to 48 nations, the knockout phase will begin with a round of 32. The top two nations from each of the 12 groups will be joined by eight best third-place teams there. Hong said his primary goal is to get to the round of 32, at which point anything can happen. "We want to be in our best possible position entering the round of 32," he said. "That's going to be great for our team morale. And once you get there, you don't know what's going to happen. I think we can even get to a place that none of us can imagine. So reaching the round of 32 is only our primary goal, not the ultimate objective." Hong Myung-bo (4th from L), head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, poses for photos with his staff after a press conference announcing his squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at KT Gwanghwamun West Building in Seoul on May 16, 2026. (Yonhap) Hong's 26-man squad features 13 players headed to their first World Cup, and no one was a bigger surprise than Gangwon FC defender Lee Gi-hyuk. The 25-year-old has just one cap under his belt but played his way onto the World Cup squad with his strong showing for the stingiest defense in the K League 1 this season. "We considered versatility to be one of the important elements in selecting players, and Lee Gi-hyuk can play as center back, midfielder and even left fullback," Hong said. "We've been tracking Gangwon FC closely from the start of the season. They've been playing really well and Lee has been at the center of it. He's in great form and seems to be playing with a ton of confidence." While Lee is listed as a defender, he may be asked to play as defensive midfielder in the absence of other viable options. South Korea's most reliable man in that role, Hwang In-beom of Feyenoord Rotterdam, is still making his way back from an ankle injury he'd picked up in March. Hong said Hwang, who has been rehabbing with the national team medical staff, has responded well to high-intensity training and should be ready for the big tournament. "His conditioning is fine. He may even be in better shape than some other players. It's just that he hasn't played much lately and he doesn't have that match sharpness," Hong said. "He will have a chance to regain his match fitness in our two matches in the U.S. He has handled some difficult training programs really well and we're pretty relieved with that." Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, listens to a question at a press conference announcing his squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at KT Gwanghwamun West Building in Seoul on May 16, 2026. (Yonhap) Hong said he and his coaches "went back and forth" a great deal on some names on defense and in midfield. But he probably didn't have to spend too much time in picking longtime captain and Los Angeles Football Club star Son Heung-min for his fourth World Cup. Son is the country's all-time leader with 142 caps and ranks second in goals with 54, four behind Cha Bum-kun. The fourth World Cup appearance will tie Son with Hong and two others for the most by a South Korean player. Son, though, has been held to just two goals in 19 matches in all competitions this season, and none in Major League Soccer (MLS). He does have 15 assists, including his MLS-leading eight helpers, and Hong said he wasn't concerned about Son's drought. "I watched him play in LA in person and I could see that his positioning there is a little different from what he's accustomed to playing for the national team," the coach said. "He plays a little bit below the front line of attack there and that's why he hasn't been getting as many scoring chances. I will talk to him about what his best position will be for us and we'll go from there." jeeho@yna.co.kr(END)