The South Korea national football team has often been considered Asia's most successful national team since they made their debut at the 1948 Summer Olympics. It has participated in more World Cup finals than any other Asian team and became the first Asian nation to reach the final four in 2002.
Since the 1950s, South Korea has emerged as a major football power in Asia, winning several prestigious Asian football championships, including the first two Asian Cup tournaments[1]. The South Korean national team has also played in five consecutive World Cup finals from 1986, for a total of six World Cups.
The 2002 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly with Japan, was a sign of the rapid progress made in South Korean football. Led by Dutch coach Guus Hiddink and assistant coach Pim Verbeek, South Korea defeated Italy and Spain[2], and advancing to the semi-finals, a first for Asian football. The enthusiasm of the red-clad supporters, known as the "red devils", also made a big impression on viewers world-wide.
On June 8, 2005, South Korea qualified for its seventh World Cup by beating Kuwait 4-0 in Kuwait City. The South Korean side has ten returning veterans from the 2002 World Cup squad and has the most World Cup goalscorers than any other nation heading into Germany: Ahn Jung-Hwan, Seol Ki-Hyeon, Lee Eul-Yong, Song Chong-Gug, and Park Ji-Sung
