National soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann on Dec. 28 announces his 26-member team roster for the Asian Cup that starts next month in Qatar at a news conference held at the movie multiplex CGV Yongsan in Seoul.

By Jung Joo-ri
Photos = Korea Football Association

The roster of the national soccer team to play in the Asian Cup, which opens on Jan. 12, has been released.

The Korea Football Association on Dec. 28 held a news conference at the movie multiplex CGV Yongsan in Seoul to announce the 26-member roster for the tournament in Qatar.

The squad is led by players based in Europe like captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur of England), defender Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich of Germany), midfielder Lee Kang-in (PSG of France) and striker Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton of England). Cho Gue-sung (FC Midtjylland of Denmark) and Oh Hyeon-gyu (Celtic FC of Scotland) were also chosen as frontline forwards.

Also selected were center back Kim Ji-soo, 19, of Brentford of England and winger Yang Hyun-jun, 22, of Celtic FC.

At a news conference right after the announcement, national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann pledged to return to Korea with the country's first Asian Cup trophy in 64 years.

Calling the "team's skeleton" the most important thing, he said the team must put together a puzzle with the leading players, mentioning Kim Min-jae, Hwang, Lee and Son. 

On which player he thought showed the most improvement this year, the coach picked Lee, calling the winger a "flower that has started to bloom" while continuously getting playing time with PSG in France after leaving Mallorca of Spain.

Klinsmann said certain teams in the competition like Australia, Uzbekistan, Iran and Qatar need to be carefully analyzed and prepared for. On the tournament favorite Japan, he added that he wants to play Samurai Blue in the final.

The Asian Cup will run in Qatar from Jan. 12 to Feb. 10. The Taegeuk Warriors are in Group E and faces Bahrain on Jan. 15, Jordan on Jan. 20 and Malaysia on Jan. 25. 

Korea won the tournament's first two editions: the inaugural 1956 event in Hong Kong and the one four years later that the country hosted.

National soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann (center) on Dec. 28 poses for photos with winger Lee Jae-sung (left) and striker Cho Gue-sung at a news conference held at the movie multiplex CGV Yongsan in Seoul.