Son Heung-min Was Called, Lee Seung-woo Was Not

The Short Version

On May 16, 2026, at 16:00 KST, manager Hong Myung-bo unveiled South Korea’s 26-man World Cup squad. Key points: (1) Son Heung-min (LA FC) named captain and selected for his fourth World Cup — 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 consecutive, making him the fourth Korean ever to appear in four World Cup tournaments; (2) Lee Seung-woo (Jeonbuk) cut from the final list — the previous night’s biggest narrative speculation point; (3) Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan HD) returns — last season’s K League MVP (13 goals, 12 assists), having been dropped in March; (4) Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC) surprise pick — as a multi-role center-back; (5) Composition: 3 GK / 10 DF / 10 MF / 3 FW; (6) Salt Lake City pre-camp departs May 18 — for altitude acclimatization ahead of Guadalajara (1,500m); (7) Group A: June 12 vs Czechia, June 19 vs Mexico, June 25 vs South Africa. The announcement event featured a K-pop celebration and a fan zone at Gwanghwamun Square, with KBS 1TV providing exclusive terrestrial broadcast.

The 26 by Position

Three goalkeepers: Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan HD), Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Hyundai). No change from the March A-match squad.

Ten defenders:

Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Cho Yu-min (Sharjah), Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland), Kim Tae-hyeon (Kashima Antlers), Park Jin-seob (Zhejiang), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien), Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda), Jens Castrop (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon).

The axis is Kim Min-jae. The 29-year-old center-back, a Bundesliga champion with Bayern Munich, is the whole of Korea’s defense. Flanking him: Seol Young-woo, Serbia-domestic-league champion with Crvena Zvezda; and Lee Han-beom, the Midtjylland anchor. Kim Tae-hyeon, the 25-year-old at Kashima Antlers, provides J League-based consistency.

Naturalized player Jens Castrop (Borussia Mönchengladbach) also made the final list. Castrop, who acquired Korean eligibility through his maternal roots, has been a notable Hong Myung-bo option since his 2024 debut.

And one surprise: Lee Ki-hyuk of Gangwon FC. The 24-year-old multi-role defender at a K League mid-table club slipped into the final 26.

Ten midfielders:

Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan HD), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Lee Kang-in (PSG).

Two stories live here.

The first is Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) — the midfield conductor whose late-season injury made the previous night’s selection genuinely doubtful. Hong Myung-bo took him anyway. The judgment criterion: “Can the player be 100% by the tournament?” The opposite call from what Hajime Moriyasu made about Mitoma in Japan the day before.

The second is Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan HD) — the player who, in the March A-match window, was dropped from what was supposed to be the last cut before the final squad, only to be brought back at the final moment. K League MVP last season with 13 goals and 12 assists. The 4-year wait since the Qatar setback ended at this announcement.

Three forwards: Oh Hyun-gyu (Beşiktaş), Son Heung-min (LA FC), Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland).

No change from the March A-match squad.

Son Heung-min’s Fourth, and Final —

The selection of captain Son Heung-min was never in doubt. The 33-year-old MLS captain at LA FC will represent Korea at his fourth consecutive World Cup, after Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022. He becomes the fourth Korean ever to appear in four World Cup tournaments — joining Hong Myung-bo himself, Hwang Sun-hong, and Lee Woon-jae.

The number “four” carries a second meaning. Final.

Son became captain in 2018. For the eight years since, he has been the face of Korean football. At Qatar 2022, he played wearing a face mask after a Champions League facial fracture, and contributed to Korea’s round-of-16 progression. Neither Son nor Hong have stated whether 2026 will be his last World Cup as an active player. But the number — 33 — speaks for itself.

The Korea Herald’s May 16 report put it this way: “Once Son takes the field next month, the 33-year-old will become only the fourth South Korean to appear in four World Cup tournaments.”

In factual terms, that is a record story. In narrative terms, it is a different story entirely.

Lee Seung-woo’s Name Was Not Called

The previous night’s biggest speculation in Korean media was Lee Seung-woo (Jeonbuk Hyundai). The 29-year-old forward had not been recalled to the national team under Hong Myung-bo since one A-match appearance in October 2024 — a 5-year-4-month gap broken only briefly.

Star News Korea wrote, on the night of May 15: “If a surprise pick comes — Lee Seung-woo’s inclusion would be the year’s biggest news.”

The pick did not come.

Lee Seung-woo was not called. That was all. In his place, Hong selected Oh Hyun-gyu (Beşiktaş) and Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland), 24- and 28-year-old proven match-pitch front-line attackers. The front three — Son, Oh, Cho — has not changed since the March A-match window.

Not taking a risk. The same structural decision Moriyasu made when he excluded Mitoma — “Can the player be 100% by tournament time? No, then out.” Squad selection is, again and again, the choice between gamble and stability, and the latter wins.

Group A — Korea Announced Today, Mexico on June 1

Korea sits in Group A with host nation Mexico, Czechia, and South Africa. The three matches are set:

Two of three matches are in Guadalajara — elevation 1,500 meters. This altitude adaptation is precisely why Korea departs for Salt Lake City on May 18.

Salt Lake City, Utah sits at 1,288 meters. The squad will play two friendlies (vs Trinidad & Tobago, vs El Salvador) while acclimating, then move to Mexico on June 5. The pre-camp choice itself is a tactical decision.

The other Group A teams have not yet announced their final 26-man rosters:

• Mexico (host): Final squad scheduled for June 1
• Czechia: To be announced by June 1
• South Africa: To be announced by June 1

Korea alone, within Group A, announced 16 days earlier. The reason is not tactical. It is marketing timing. A Saturday-afternoon announcement is Saturday-night top news in Asia, Sunday-morning feature in Europe. The Gwanghwamun Square fan zone, the KT square mediawall live broadcast, the KBS 1TV terrestrial exclusive, the post-announcement K-pop ceremony — the Korea Football Association (KFA) made the 26-man reveal a festival.

May 18, Departing for Salt Lake City

The squad departs from Incheon International Airport for Salt Lake City on May 18. The American pre-camp lasts 15 days. They arrive in Mexico on June 5 and base their tournament camp around Guadalajara.

Hong Myung-bo has, for two years, made the no-risk choice. The contrast with Japan — where Moriyasu the day before declared “winning” as the ultimate goal — is structural. Korea’s goal remains unspoken. But through the selection process, Hong’s answer is visible: certain manpower, into the knockout rounds. That was the 26 he read out.

Son Heung-min was called. Lee Seung-woo was not called. Lee Dong-gyeong returned. Lee Ki-hyuk surprised. Hwang In-beom was selected with an injury.

Two years of decisions ended at 16:00 on May 16, at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun.

Son Heung-min, and Hong Myung-bo’s 2002

The fact that Hong Myung-bo himself stands as manager carries one more record.

At the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup — Korea’s run to the semifinals, the most successful moment in Asian football history — Hong was the captain. In the quarterfinal against Spain, he himself scored the decisive penalty in the shootout. That was 24 years ago.

Now, May 16, 2026. Hong has selected the last 4-consecutive-World-Cup players from his own 2002 generational lineage — Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in. The man who ended one World Cup as the captain in 2002 begins another, in 2026, as the manager.

“Called” and “not called.” Both verbs were in Hong’s hand.

FAQ

When did Korea announce the 2026 World Cup squad? Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 16:00 KST. Hong Myung-bo unveiled the list at a press conference at KT Gwanghwamun West Building Onmadang in Seoul’s Jongno district. KBS 1TV provided exclusive terrestrial broadcast; a K-pop ceremony and Gwanghwamun Square fan zone accompanied the announcement.

What is the composition of Korea’s 26? 3 GK, 10 DF, 10 MF, 3 FW. Limited change from the March A-match squad: the three forwards are unchanged, Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan HD) returned in midfield, Lee Seung-woo (Jeonbuk) was cut, and Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC) was the surprise defender pick.

How many World Cups has Son Heung-min played in? Four (Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022, North America 2026). He becomes only the fourth Korean ever to appear in four consecutive World Cup tournaments, joining Hong Myung-bo, Hwang Sun-hong, and Lee Woon-jae. The 33-year-old is currently captain at MLS LA FC.

Was Lee Seung-woo selected? No. The 29-year-old Jeonbuk forward had not been recalled to the national team since one October 2024 A-match appearance. His potential surprise inclusion was the previous night’s biggest narrative point but did not materialize. The three forwards — Son, Oh Hyun-gyu, Cho Gue-sung — are unchanged from the March A-match window.

Who was the biggest surprise? Lee Ki-hyuk of Gangwon FC — the 24-year-old multi-role defender from a K League mid-table club slipped into the final 26. Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan HD) is another notable inclusion: the K League MVP last season (13 goals, 12 assists) had been dropped from the March A-match squad but returned at the final moment.

Was Hwang In-beom selected despite his injury? Yes. The Feyenoord midfield conductor suffered a late-season injury, but Hong Myung-bo judged he could be at 100% by the tournament. This contrasts with Moriyasu’s decision to exclude Mitoma from Japan’s squad the previous day.

When does Korea depart for Mexico? On May 18, the squad flies from Incheon International Airport to Salt Lake City, Utah, for a 15-day pre-camp. They arrive in Mexico on June 5. The Salt Lake City altitude (1,288m) is selected for adaptation to Guadalajara (1,500m), where two of three group-stage matches are played.

When are Korea’s Group A matches? June 12 (Fri) vs Czechia, 11:00 AM KST, Estadio Akron (Guadalajara). June 19 (Fri) vs Mexico, 10:00 AM KST, Estadio Akron (Guadalajara). June 25 (Thu) vs South Africa, 10:00 AM KST, Estadio BBVA (Monterrey).

What is Hong Myung-bo’s connection to 2002? At the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup, Hong was Korea’s captain. He scored the decisive penalty in the quarterfinal shootout against Spain, sending Korea to the semifinals — the most successful moment in Asian football history. Twenty-four years later, in 2026, he selects his own generational heirs — Son, Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in — as their manager.

When do the other Group A teams announce their squads? Mexico, Czechia, and South Africa all have squad announcements scheduled by June 1. Korea announced 16 days earlier — a marketing-timing decision rather than a tactical one. The KFA built a festival format around the reveal with the Gwanghwamun fan zone, KT mediawall broadcast, and K-pop ceremony.

Will Son Heung-min retire after this? Neither Son nor Hong have confirmed whether 2026 will be his last World Cup as an active player. But at 33, the probability that his fourth World Cup is his final one is high. He currently plays for MLS Los Angeles FC.

How much has Korea changed since Qatar 2022? The core 80% remains. Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Jae-sung, Lee Kang-in, Hwang In-beom, Jo Hyeon-woo, Kim Seung-gyu — all were on the Qatar 2022 squad. New faces: naturalized Jens Castrop, surprise pick Lee Ki-hyuk, and 24-year-old Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), among others. The mix of experience and youth is Hong Myung-bo’s selection philosophy itself.