The two defenders who encouraged each other will compete in good faith in the Korean national soccer team. This is the story of Hwang Mun-ki (28, Gangwon FC) and Hwang Jae-won (22, Daegu FC), the right-back of the Korean national team who departed for the first time in 10 years.
Fullbacks Hwang Moon-ki and Hwang Jae-won, representing the K-League, joined the national soccer team led by head coach Hong Myung-bo. Hong will play the first and second rounds of Group B (Palestine on May 5, Oman on May 10) of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. during the A-match period in September.
Hwang Mun-ki, the main defender of the No. 1 team, was selected for the first time in his late 20s. Hwang Jae-won replaced Kim Moon-hwan (29) of the Daejeon Hana Citizen, who was out of condition, and became the national team member for the second time in his life.
The relationship between the two was entangled in the team K League, which was selected for one game of the Coupang Play series in July. At that time, a separate team K League was selected for a game of the Coupang Play series against Tottenham (England). It was Hwang Jae-won who joined first, but he was finally eliminated due to an ankle injury. Instead, Hwang Moon-ki joined as a substitute, and he was praised by head coach Park Tae-ha for his outstanding performance in the main game. However, at the mixed zone at the time, Hwang Moon-ki said, “When I heard the news of the alternative selection, I had a heavy heart. I hope Hwang Jae-won will come back soon.” Despite no special request, he left a warm message to his junior first.
Before the announcement of the national team’s roster, Hwang Jae-won said in a telephone interview with this newspaper last month, “Since a new national team has been launched, I am interested. But the competitors in my position are so good. In particular, Hwang Moon-ki is really good. He is a must-have player.” However, the two players are competing in good faith by wearing the national flag.
There are many mountains to overcome. Seol Young-woo (26, Tsurvena Zvezda), a European and a student of Hong Myung-bo, is considered the top right-back. In fact, fierce competition is expected for “two options.” Both Hwang and Hwang have the same ability to handle balls and play midfielders. 먹튀검증
“I can’t believe it now that it’s coming true,” Hwang said through the Korea Football Association (KFA). “The given environment, reality, and the present are the most important things. If I think it’s my last training session, I think I’ll be able to get a good position in the future.”