Coach Hong to test for young talent

[Anchor]

The national football team, which has secured its spot in the North and Central America FIFA World Cup, is now entering World Cup mode.

Coach Hong Myung-bo has announced plans for a significant generational change over the next year leading up to the tournament.

Reporter Lee Jun-hee has the details.

[Report]

Jeon Jin-woo and Oh Hyun-kyu, who collaborated on an additional goal against Iraq, have rapidly emerged as new joker cards for the national team.

The 26-year-old Jeon Jin-woo and 24-year-old Oh Hyun-kyu were substituted in the second half and played a vital role in revitalizing the fatigued team.

With just one year left until the tournament, Coach Hong plans to elevate these young talents to starting positions.

[Hong Myung-bo: "I think there should be many opportunities to test young players who can participate in next year's World Cup, as such chances are not often available."]

In modern football, which emphasizes high-intensity pressure and physical activity, the aging of the national team has long been pointed out as a concern.

The International Centre for Sports Studies, a FIFA-affiliated organization, surveyed the average age of national teams from 144 countries last year, and South Korea ranked seventh oldest with an average age of 29.05 years.

The proportion of players over 30 was the sixth highest, indicating a lack of youthful energy.

Coach Hong has urgently called up Bae Jun-ho, who was selected for the U-22 national team, to experiment as a substitute for Son Heung-min in the match against Kuwait.

[Bae Jun-ho: "I believe that many players will engage in healthy competition and come together as one, making us a much better team."]

Young players in their early 20s, such as Yang Hyun-jun and Lee Han-beom, did not participate in the match against Iraq, but are also expected to receive opportunities in both offense and defense.

The selection process for the young talents of Coach Hong's team will continue next month at the East Asian Cup and in the U.S. friendly match in September.

KBS News, Lee Jun-hee.