A large number of new recruits have been named in the third period of the Hong Myung-bo. Yang Min-hyuk (Gangwon), who drew attention to whether to re-attach, is not there, but Lee Hyun-joo (Hanover) is the first to board.
Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the South Korean national soccer team, announced the list of national teams (26) to play two consecutive games in the Middle East against Kuwait and Palestine in Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the '2026 FIFA North-China World Cup' at the soccer center in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 4th.
While captain Son Heung-min, who has just recovered from a hamstring injury, was the biggest concern, the side of the new players attracted attention. K Leaguers Lee Tae-seok (Pohang), Kim Bong-soo (Kim Cheon), and Kim Kyung-min (Gwangju) were selected for the first A national team in their lives, and Lee Hyun-joo was the only newcomer from Europe. Yang Min-hyuk, who has recently been active in the K-League, was not selected again this time following the A-match list in October.
When asked why he picked Lee Hyun-joo, Hong said, "I checked him thoroughly. He is displaying very good performance by extending his playing time (from his team)," adding, "He is a type that is not included in the national team, so it could be a good option."
"There are players who need space to improve their performance, but Lee Hyun-joo is a player who exerts influence even in limited space. I think this opponent will defend in a low position, so I think it's a more suitable resource. The play is good when the opponent is concentrated," he said.
Lee Hyun-joo is a third-year striker in Europe. He left Pohang in January 2022 and moved to the Bayern Munich 2nd team, where he started his career in Germany. He played with numbers 8 including the 2022-2023 season, and appeared in a total of 20 games, scoring nine goals and two assists.
He left for Wiesbaden in the second division last season, and also displayed good performance in his first year as a pro. Although his team was demoted to the third division, he scored four goals in 31 official matches. 안전놀이터
Some expected him to transfer to a lower-ranked team in the Bundesliga ahead of this season, but Lee chose to gain more experience in the second division. Munich, which still believes in Lee's potential, also extended its contract and displayed trust. Lee has scored one goal in eight matches while playing as the main striker for Hanover this season.
An all-weather offensive player, Lee can play as both an attacking midfielder and a winger. His agile and fast sprint are the pinnacle. He mainly served as an offensive midfielder during his time in Pohang, but after moving to Munich, he demonstrated his multi-player ability by alternating between offensive, central and defensive midfielders under coach Martin Demichelis.
Attention is focusing on what position head coach Hong Myung-bo will use Lee Hyun-joo for. If given the opportunity to play, he is likely to be used as a left winger like in Hanover. This is a position where he has to compete with Bae Jun-ho, who is the same age as senior Son Heung-min. As Coach Hong Myung-bo mentioned, when Kuwait and Palestine, which are inferior to Korea, lower their lines to defend and rarely score goals, the agile and good ball-keeping Lee Hyun-joo card may shine.