Translation result.
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| Hwang In-beom / Photo: Korea Football Association |
[Sports Today reporter Lee Sang-pil] Players have been arriving in waves as Hong Myung-bo’s squad assembles for a pre-tournament camp ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
The South Korea national team has been based in Salt Lake City, Utah, since May 18 for the pre-camp.
Drawn into Group A for the 2026 World Cup, South Korea will face the Czech Republic, Mexico and South Africa. Two of those matches — against the Czech Republic and Mexico — are scheduled in Guadalajara, Mexico, at roughly 1,570 meters (5,151 ft) above sea level.
With altitude adaptation seen as a potential deciding factor, Hong and his staff opted to prepare in Salt Lake City, which sits at about 1,460 meters (4,790 ft).
After the close of the 2025–26 season, a core group traveled to Salt Lake City on May 18 to join Hong and his coaching staff. That group included Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City), Eom Ji-seong (Swansea City), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Lee Dong-gyeong and Jo Hyun-woo (both Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Jin-kyu and Song Beom-geun (both Jeonbuk Hyundai), Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon Hana Citizen), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC), training partner Kang Sang-yoon, Jo Wi-jae (Jeonbuk Hyundai) and Yoon Gi-uk (FC Seoul).
Jens Castrop (Mönchengladbach) later joined the camp. On May 25, several more players arrived in Salt Lake City: Oh Hyun-kyu (Beşiktaş), Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien), Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Kim Tae-hyun (Kashima Antlers), Cho Yu-min (Sharjah) and Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland).
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| Lee Jae-sung / Photo: Korea Football Association |
Veteran midfielders Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) and Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic) have also linked up with the squad, helping Hong put together a more complete group. Captain Son Heung-min (LAFC) is expected to join on May 26, while defensive stalwart Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) is due on May 27.
The final arrival will be Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain). After featuring in the UEFA Champions League final on May 31, he is slated to join the team on June 1.
During the camp, South Korea will play friendlies against Trinidad and Tobago on May 31 and El Salvador on June 4. The team will then move on June 5 to its base in Guadalajara, where its first two group matches will be played.
[Sports Today reporter Lee Sang-pil sports@stoo.com]
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