South Korea opened their training camp Monday ahead of two World Cup qualifying matches coming up this month, as head coach Hong Myung-bo began his second tour of duty with the men's national team.
South Korea will host Palestine at 8 p.m. Thursday at Seoul World Cup Stadium to begin Group B play in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. South Korea will then visit Muscat to play Oman on Sept. 10.
These will be Hong's first two matches in his second term as South Korea's bench boss. He first coached the Taegeuk Warriors for 19 matches from 2013 to 2014, and he resigned after South Korea managed one draw and two losses in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
"As I left home today, a lot of thoughts passed through my mind. It's been 10 years since I last stood at a stadium as head coach of the national team," Hong told reporters before Monday's training session at Goyang Stadium, just northwest of Seoul. "I am excited but I also have fears that I didn't have 10 years ago, because I've experienced failure. But again, I think I've been able to make it back here because I learned from the mistakes I made back then. I am grateful for this opportunity."
Hong was hired for the second time in July, albeit under controversial circumstances. The Korea Football Association (KFA) spent months reviewing candidacies of foreign-born tacticians and even interviewed a few of them, but made an abrupt turn to bring back Hong, who had publicly rejected the KFA's offers. Critics of the decision have charged that the KFA and Hong have yet to offer clear explanations on the process leading to Hong's appointment. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism even launched an audit into the KFA's operations in July.
Against this backdrop, Hong called up 26 players for the September matches last week, though two defenders, Kwon Kyung-won and Kim Moon-hwan, were replaced last Friday due to injuries.
For the first day of camp, 19 of the 26 players were on hand, with Lee Jae-sung of Mainz 05 and Eom Ji-sung of Swansea City being the only two Europe-based players available from Day 1.
Three of South Korea's biggest stars in Europe -- Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur, Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain and Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich -- are scheduled to arrive in South Korea on Tuesday after playing in their latest club matches over the weekend.
Hong said he was concerned about the trio's fatigue level, considering their long flights home and subsequent jetlag. They will only have one full day of training with the rest of the team, on Wednesday, before playing Palestine.
"I've known all along we'd have a situation like this and it's been this way for quite some time," Hong said. "I will be talking to those players and see where they're at physically, and then decide the best course of action for the team."
Once every player is at camp, Hong said he will try to emphasize the importance of playing as a team.
"I think a lot of people would say our players have really good skills individually, but we are playing a team sport here," Hong said. "The key is to be able to come together as a team. If we are cohesive as a team, then it will make our players' individual talent shine that much more."
Asked whether he considered his first match back to be extra important, given the circumstances, Hong replied, "I think the match is important for the national team, not for me personally. This is the World Cup qualification."
During his first tenure, Hong famously instituted a strict dress code for players and mandated a suit and tie for training camps. Once a charismatic captain for the national team, Hong brought the same reputation to the bench.
Hong, 55, said he has mellowed over the years and he doesn't like putting rules in place just for show.
When told that players may be scared of him, Hong smiled and said, "I don't think so. But I do understand why some guys may feel that way."
"I want to be friendly and approachable with the players," Hong said. "I won't be going around and telling everyone I am really not that scary. I hope that players who've played for me before would tell their teammates."
Still, perception can go a long way. Lee, the Mainz player, admitted Monday he had been "a bit scared" of Hong because of what he'd heard about him from teammates. Lee has never played for Hong.
"I know he has been a disciplinarian, and I personally think rules are important, too," Lee said. "From a player's perspective, I found him a little intimidating. But I think he has a soft side, too."
Days after being appointed, Hong traveled to Europe to meet with Korean players plying their trade there. Lee said Hong took him out to dinner in Germany and they had a good conversation over their meal.
Lee said he got the sense that Hong maybe isn't the stickler for rules that he once was.
"I think he respects players' opinions when it comes to rules," Lee said. "He has softened quite a bit, and I think it's up to us players to keep creating a good culture." (Yonhap)
