(Nagoya = Yonhap News) Reporter Oh Myung-eon = As the U-23 men's soccer team achieved its fourth consecutive Asian Games victory, the next generation of Korean soccer aces also gained wings to soar.
With the confidence of winning the Asian Games gold medal and the military service benefits that come with it, the future is wide open for the ‘young blood’ who will lead Korean soccer in the future.
Korea, led by coach Lee Min-seong, won the gold medal by defeating its archrival Japan 1-0 in the men's soccer final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan at 7:30 pm on the 3rd.
Starting with the 2014 Incheon Games, it is a record of 4 consecutive Asian Games wins, following the 2018 Jakarta and Palembang Games and the 2022 Hangzhou Games.
The reason why winning this tournament is even more special is because of the military service issue, which is directly related to the players’ careers.
By resolving military service obligations, which had been a major obstacle to advancing to the European big leagues and stable performance, players were able to fully concentrate on playing overseas.
This is the same reason why Korean soccer has aimed to win the championship by recruiting the best members at each Asian Games.
This year's U-23 national team included 9 overseas players, the most ever.
Except for goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong (Suwon Samsung), midfielder Seung-won Lee (Gangwon), who has already resolved his military problem, and Lee Young-jun (Grashofer), who plays in Switzerland, all 20 players will receive military service benefits through this win.
Beyond simple prospects, there are many resources who already have a significant presence in the adult national team.
A total of four players, including three wild cards, are players who have stepped onto the big stage by being named to the final World Cup roster.
Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), who played full-time in all World Cup games, demonstrated a strong presence as a ‘captain’ in this tournament, raising expectations for the future.
Uhm Uhm-seong (Swansea City), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), and Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), who played on the World Cup stage, are also next-generation strikers who are solidifying their positions in their teams, and are expected to continue their European careers in a more stable manner through this benefit.
Kim Ji-soo (Brentford), who is evaluated as a next-generation central defender, is also gaining momentum as a major prospect who set the record as the youngest Korean to debut in the English Premier League (EPL) in December 2024.
Yang Min-hyuk, who has been living on loan since joining Tottenham Hotspur, but is still promising as a 'next-generation striker' who will be responsible for the future of Korean soccer, also opened a solid path to leap forward on the European stage starting from this tournament.
The stable growth of ‘European young guns’ is directly related to the generational change in Korean soccer.
The key players, including Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Lee Jae-seong (Mainz), born in 1992, who are currently in charge of the national team, as well as Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke 04), and Hwang In-beom (Porto), born in 1996, will be in their mid to late 30s by the time of the next World Cup, so preparing for a generational change is essential.
For the next-generation aces who will carry the future of Korean soccer, the gold medal at this Asian Games is expected to be a strong stepping stone to a bigger stage.
