The 2002 FIFA World Cup,also branded as Korea Japan 2002,was the 17th FIFA World Cup,the quadrennial football world championship for men's national teams organized by FIFA. It was held from 31 May to 30 June 2002 at sites in South Korea and Japan,with its final match hosted by Japan at International Stadium in Yokohama. During the opening ceremony,the championship was declared opened by President of South Korea Kim Dae-jung.
Incheon,formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910,officially the Incheon Metropolitan City,is a city located in northwestern South Korea,bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic,Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. Today,about 3 million people live in the city,making it South Korea's third-most-populous city after Seoul and Busan.
The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC),determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second oldest continental football championship in the world after Copa América. The winning team becomes the champion of Asia and until 2015 qualified for the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Park Ji-sung is a South Korean former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in the South Korean capital Seoul,Park is one of the most successful Asian players in football history,having won 19 trophies in his career. He is the first Asian footballer to have won the UEFA Champions League,to play in a UEFA Champions League final,as well as the first Asian to have won the FIFA Club World Cup. Park was able to play anywhere across the midfield and was noted for his exceptional fitness level,discipline,work ethic and off-the-ball movement. His remarkable endurance levels earned him the nickname "Three-Lung" Park.
The South Korea national football team represents South Korea in men's international football and is governed by the Korea Football Association. 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 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 North Korea national football team represents North Korea in men's international football and it is controlled by the DPR Korea Football Association,the governing body for Football in North Korea. The team represents both FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The Korea Football Association is the governing body of football and futsal within South Korea. It sanctions professional,semi-professional and amateur football in South Korea. Founded in 1933,the governing body became affiliated with FIFA twenty years later in 1948,and the Asian Football Confederation in 1954.
The Pohang Steelers are a South Korean professional football club based in Pohang,North Gyeongsang Province that compete in the K League 1,the top flight of South Korean football. The Steelers were founded on 1 April 1973 as POSCO FC,named after the steel company POSCO,which still owns the club today. They are one of South Korea's most successful teams,having won the K League five times and the AFC Champions League three times.
Ulsan HD FC,formerly Ulsan Hyundai FC,is a South Korean professional football club based in Ulsan that competes in the K League 1,the top tier of South Korean football. Founded in 1983 as Hyundai Horang-i,they joined the K League in 1984. Their home ground is Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium. The club is owned by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The Jeonnam Dragons are a South Korean professional football club based in the city of Gwangyang,South Jeolla Province that competes in the K League 2,the second tier of South Korean football. The Dragons play their home matches at the Gwangyang Football Stadium,one of the first football-specific stadiums in South Korea. They have won the Korean FA Cup four times and were the runners-up of K League in 1997. They also reached the final of the 1998–99 Asian Cup Winners' Cup,where they lost to Al Ittihad.
Cha Bum-kun is a South Korean former football manager and player. A forward,he was nicknamed Tscha Bum or "Cha Boom" in Germany because of his name and thunderous ball striking ability. He showed explosive pace and powerful shots with his thick thighs. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Asian footballers of all time.
Choi is a Korean family surname. As of the South Korean census of 2015,there were around 2.3 million people by this name in South Korea or roughly 4.7% of the population. In English-speaking countries,it is most often anglicized Choi,and sometimes also Chey,Choe or Chwe. Ethnic Koreans in the former USSR prefer the form Tsoi (Tsoy) especially as a transcription of the Cyrillic Цой.
Yu or Yoo,or sometimes Ryu or Ryoo,is the English transcription of several Korean surnames written as 유or 류in hangul. As of 2000,roughly a million people are surnamed Yoo in South Korea,making up approximately 2% of the population. Of those,the most common is Ryu,with more than six hundred thousand holders,whereas Yoo accounts for about one hundred thousand.
The South Korea women's national football team represents South Korea in international women's football competitions. The South Korean women's team has qualified for four FIFA World Cups in 2003,2015,2019 and 2023.
The South Korea national under-17 football team represents South Korea in international under-17 football competitions,and also can be managed as under-15 or under-16 team if necessary.
The South Korea national under-23 football team represents South Korea at football in the Olympic Games and Asian Games. It was founded when the Olympic football was changed to an under-23 competition. It also can be managed as under-21 or under-22 team if necessary.
Korea Republic women's national under-20 football team represents Republic of Korea in international youth football competitions.
Son Heung-min is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the South Korea national team. Often regarded as the greatest Asian footballer of all time,he is known for his speed,finishing,two-footedness,and ability to link play.
K League (Korean: K리그) is South Korea's professional football league. It includes the first division K League 1 and the second division K League 2.
Lee Kang-in is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the South Korea national team.
