South Korea national football team
The South Korea national football team represents South Korea in men's international football and is governed by the Korea Football Association, a member of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation.
South Korea has emerged as a major football power in Asia since the 1980s, having participated in ten consecutive and eleven overall FIFA World Cup tournaments, the most for any Asian country. Despite initially going through five World Cup tournaments without winning a match, South Korea became the first Asian team to reach the semi-finals when they co-hosted the 2002 tournament with Japan. South Korea also has won two AFC Asian Cup titles, and finished as runners-up on four occasions. Furthermore, the team won three gold medals and three silver medals at the senior Asian Games.
The team is commonly nicknamed the "Reds" by both fans and the media due to the color of their primary kit. The national team's supporting group is officially referred to as the Red Devils.
Team image
Nicknames
The South Korea national football team has been known or nicknamed as the Taegeuk Warriors and the Tigers of Asia.Kits and crest
Red is the traditional shirt color of the South Korean national team, who are consequently nicknamed the "Reds", while the fans are called the "Red Devils". The away shirt has varied between white and blue. In 1994, the home shirt shifted from red to white, but in October 1995, red returned as the home color, paired with black shorts.South Korea used to wear the country's flag as their shirt badge until 2001, when their tiger crest was unveiled. On 5 February 2020, the KFA announced a new, more simplistic logo. The emblem retained the tiger, albeit in a more minimalist design, enclosed in a rectangular frame. Red, blue and white, South Korea's traditional colors, have been maintained in the new logo.
Home stadium
The South Korea national team played their first home match at the Dongdaemun Stadium on 21 April 1956. The match was a qualifier for the 1956 AFC Asian Cup against the Philippines. They currently play their home matches at several stadiums, which are also used by K League clubs.Rivalries
South Korea's biggest rival is Japan. The rivalry is an extension of a competitive rivalry between the two nations that goes beyond football, and some matches in the past have been tainted with controversy. South Korea leads the all-time series with 42 wins, 23 draws and 17 losses.A rivalry has also developed with Iran. The two nations have played against each other officially since 1958, totalling 33 matches as of March 2022, including eleven World Cup qualifiers. Although the teams played against each other only once in the final match of the Asian Cup, in 1972, they have faced each other five consecutive times in the quarter-finals between 1996 and 2011, with each team recording two wins, two losses, and a draw. Iran leads the all-time series with 13 wins, 10 draws and 10 losses.
Another major rival is Australia. In head-to-head matches, each team achieved 9 wins in 29 encounters, and 11 matches ended in a draw. The two countries have also met in four matches at the Asian Cup, including the 2015 final, where Australia won 2–1 after extra time for their first ever Asian championship.
South Korea has had great success against China, as China failed to beat them in competitive matches for 32 years before finally winning in 2010. They also possess a strong rivalry with North Korea, though matches are infrequent due to diplomatic and security reasons.
Supporters
The official supporter group of the national team, the Red Devils, were founded in 1995. Known for their passionate support, they are commonly referred to as the 12th man. Their most common chant is, followed by five claps.The FIFA Fan Fest was introduced at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea.
Recent results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.All-time results
| Year | Matches | |||||
| 1948–1959 | Matches | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1960–1969 | Matches | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1970–1979 | Matches | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1980–1989 | Matches | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1990–1999 | Matches | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2000–2009 | Matches | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2010–2019 | Matches | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2020–present | Matches | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | — | - | - | - | - | - |
Coaching staff
| Position | Name | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager |  PlayersCurrent squadThe following players were called up for the friendly matches against Bolivia and Ghana on 14 and 18 November 2025, respectively.''Caps and goals updated as of 18 November 2025, after the match against Ghana.'' Recent call-upsThe following players have also been called up to the South Korea squad within the last twelve months.;Notes
Notable playersThe following players were inducted into the official Hall of Fame, or were selected for an all-time XI in a survey.Individual recordsPlayers in bold are still active with South Korea. Most appearances
Top goalscorers
Competitive recordChampionsRunners-up Third place Tournament played on home soil Head-to-head recordThe following table shows South Korea's head-to-head record, correct as of 18 November 2025.
HonoursIntercontinentalContinentalAFC Asian Cup
Regional
Friendly competitions
Awards
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