Bundesliga quartet in South Korea´s World Cup squad

Four of South Korea’s five Germany-based players have made Hong Myung-bo’s FIFA World Cup squad with Park Joo-ho left out through injury.

Park lost a race against time to prove his fitness following foot surgery at the start of April and was, as expected, left out of South Korea’s 23-man squad for Brazil 2014 – a bitter blow for the left-back, who played 27 matches in the Bundesliga for Mainz this season.

But there was good news for Son Heung-min (Bayer Leverkusen), Ji Dong-won (Augsburg), Koo Ja-cheol (Mainz) and Hong Jeong-ho (Augsburg), who were all picked by Hong.

Outside of the local K-League, the Bundesliga provided the most players in Hong’s squad alongside the Japan’s J.League.

Kim Jin-su (Albirex Niigata), Hwang Seok-ho (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Kim Chang-soo and Han Kook-young (Kashiwa Reysol) are the J.League-based contingent, while there are five players from the top-two tiers of English football – Ki Sung-yueng (Sunderland), Kim Bo-kyung (Cardiff), Park

Chu-young (Watford, on loan from Arsenal), Yoon Suk-young (QPR) and Lee Chung-yong (Bolton).

Hong, who led South Korea’s Under 23 team to a bronze medal at the London Olympics two years ago, has shown faith in a large group from that side with his squad having an average age of just 25.

South Korea have been pooled with Belgium, Algeria and Russia in Group H of this year’s World Cup finals and will start their campaign on June 17 in Cuiaba against the Russians.

That game will be followed by a clash with Algeria in Porto Alegre on June 22 before they take on Belgium in Sao Paulo four days later.

Squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Jung Sung-ryong (Suwon Bluewings), Kim Seung-gyu (Ulsan), Lee Bum-young (Busan IPark)

Defenders: Kim Jin-su (Albirex Niigata), Kim Young-gwon (Guangzhou Evergrande), Yoon Suk-young (QPR), Hwang Seok-ho (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Hong Jeong-ho (Augsburg) Kwak Tae-hwi (Al Hilal), Lee Yong (Ulsan), Kim Chang-su (Kashiwa Reysol)

Midfielders: Ki Sung-yueng (Sunderland), Ha Dae-sung (Beijing Guoan), Han Kook-young (Kashiwa Reysol), Park Jong-woo (Guangzhou R&F), Kim Bo-kyung (Cardiff City), Lee Chung-yong (Bolton Wanderers), Ji Dong-won (Augsburg), Son Heung-min (Bayer Leverkusen)

Forwards: Koo Ja-cheol (Mainz), Lee Keun-ho (Sangju Sangmu), Park Chu-young (Watford), Kim Shin-wook (Ulsan)