Yang Hyun-Jun, football player at Celtic, celebrates after scoring his sides fifth goal in a Scottish Premiership football match between St Mirren and Glaswo Celtic, at the SMISA Stadium in Paisley, Scotland, U.K., March 1. AP-Yonhap
In the midst of a hot streak, Celtic FC winger Yang Hyun-jun was named to the Korean squad Monday ahead of two upcoming World Cup qualifying matches at home.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo unveiled his 28-man team at the Korea Football Association (KFA) House, with Korea set to host Oman on March 20 at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, about 20 kilometers northwest of Seoul, and Jordan on March 25 at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, some 30 kilometers south of the capital city.
They will be the seventh and eighth matches for Korea in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Korea are leading Group B with 14 points from four wins and two draws. The top two countries from each of the three groups will punch their tickets to the World Cup, and Korea, with a five-point lead over Jordan with four matches to go, could secure their World Cup berth during the upcoming home stand.
Yang, 22, has been the hottest Korean player in Europe for the past month, with four goals and five assists in seven matches in all competitions.
He has earned three caps so far, and his last international appearance came during the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in February 2024.
Tottenham Hotspur's Yang Min-hyeok warms up before the match with the Leicester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain, Jan. 26. Reuters-Yonhap
Yang Min-hyeok, the 18-year-old attacker for Queens Park Rangers (QPR), also earned the call-up Monday. He was on the squad for World Cup qualifiers last September but did not make an appearance then. Yang signed for Tottenham Hotspur last summer but was loaned to QPR in the second-tier English league in January before playing in any match for Spurs.
Hong, who spent about a month in Europe earlier this year to meet with Korean players there, noted that Yang Hyun-jun has been making the most of his limited opportunities.
"He has not been playing big minutes, and I don't think his playing time will increase significantly going forward," the coach said. "But he has been making a huge impact in a short amount of time. That's a great thing for both the player himself and for the national team."
Hong said he was not able to arrange a meeting with Yang Min-hyeok in January, who was training with Tottenham and was on the verge of being loaned to QPR. After Hong returned home, however, the teenager has been playing well.
"When it comes to his burst of speed, he has been pretty solid," Hong added. "He is going to be a pillar of Korean football in the future, and someone like that can raise his stock by coming to the national team. It'd also be a good thing for him to learn more about the direction of the national team."
The two Yangs — unrelated — are joined by some of the team's usual mainstays, including longtime captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham), midfielder Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) and defender Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich).
Another veteran, Feyenoord midfielder Hwang In-beom, made the team despite having missed about a month of action for his Dutch club with an unspecified injury.
Hong said he believes Hwang should be able to return by this weekend.
"We have a lot of young and inexperienced players in our midfielder, and Hwang can be the stabilizing force thanks to his experience," the coach said of the player with 66 caps.
Kim Dong-heon and Cho Hyun-taek, the respective goalkeeper and defender for the K League 1 side Gimcheon Sangmu FC, both earned their first national team call-ups.
Daejeon Hana Citizen FC striker Joo Min-kyu, currently leading the K League 1 with four goals after four matches, is one of three forwards on the team.
The squad features nine players born in the 2000s, including five midfielders.
Hong said he would like to see his youngsters come in without fear.
"I want to see them take control and be aggressive," the coach added. "They can make mistakes, and they may not be as talented as some older guys. But I hope they stay relentless and keep at it. I'd like to see them play with confidence because they're all very capable."
The Taegeuk Warriors have played at every World Cup since 1986. They can book their ticket to the 2026 tournament this month, but Hong said he doesn't want to put too much pressure on his players.
"Clinching early at home is obviously the ideal scenario, but I also think not everything goes according to plan," he said. "We will do the best we can, but I also want to create an environment where our players will feel comfortable. These matches will bring a lot of pressure, but I will try to put the players at ease." (Yonhap)
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