Will Hong Myung-bo’s front-line strikers, who announced their departure, be able to clean up their disappointment in their team.
The national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, began its first convocation training at Goyang Stadium on the 2nd. Ahead of the third qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup in North Korea and the U.S., the team announced full-fledged tempering.
The national team will play the first game against the Palestinians at the Sangam World Cup Stadium in Seoul on the 5th and then go on the road to play the second game against Oman at the Muscat Sultan Qaboos Stadium on the 10th.
Joo Min-kyu (Ulsan HD) and Oh Se-hoon (Machida Zelvia) have been selected as front-line strikers of the Korean national team. Cho Kyu-sung (Mit Willan), who previously served as front-line team, has suffered from prolonged injury, while Oh Hyun-kyu (KRC Genk) has lost his position due to competition to be selected as a starting member for his former team Celtic.
Coach Hong Myung-bo, who formed the squad with “stable choices and future-oriented choices,” tried to continue his sense of stability by choosing two players selected in the A match in June.
However, it is regrettable that the two players have recently performed in their teams. Joo Min-kyu has not been able to play due to his recent suspension due to poor scoring, and Oh Se-hoon has also been silent about scoring.
Currently, Joo Min-gyu is not stubborn in his position. While Yago, who joined the summer transfer market, has continued to score goals, he has scored only one goal in the recent 11 games (including the Korea Cup). Moreover, he was directly sent off by swinging his elbow at an opponent team in the match against Suwon FC on June 18, sparking controversy.
Oh Se-hoon was also silent for a long time. He was silent for nine games after scoring against Cerezo Osaka in May. He was also selected under interim coach Kim Do-hoon of the A-match in June, as he was in full swing after moving to Machida Zelvia on loan this season, but he has not scored since then.
Then, on the 31st of last month, he warmed up before the A-match by opening a scoring shot against the Urawa Reds.
Coach Hong Myung-bo is highly likely to start with Joo Min-kyu. He has appointed Joo Min-kyu since his days as coach of Ulsan, and his ability to link up is needed to increase the influence of brilliant second-tier midfielders such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain).
Joo Min-kyu’s ability stood out in the A-match (second qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup between North Korea and China) in June. He scored his A-match debut goal against Singapore and assisted (three assists), contributing to his team’s 7-0 victory, and in the match against China, he failed to score an offensive point by replacing him in the second half, but showed good performance. 먹튀검증
Palestine and Oman, the opponents of this nine-A match, are both below their strength. Chances are high that they will stage a dense defense. Considering the possibility of the national team maintaining a high market share and attacking, it is time for Joo to have excellent skills to create space for second-tier midfielders by competing with opposing defense at the front line.
On top of that, Oh Se-hoon, who is equipped with a observed speed and a large height of 190cm, is expected to add to the height of the attack by substituting it.