Cho Wi-je Joins South Korea's World Cup Squad After Injury Replacement

HERRIMAN, United States, June 1 (Yonhap) -- This time a year ago, defender Cho Wi-je was playing for Busan IPark in the second-tier K League 2.

Now at the start of June 2026, Cho finds himself on South Korea's final FIFA World Cup squad.

"If someone told me last year that I would be going to the World Cup in 2026, I would never have believed that," Cho told reporters Monday before a training session at Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, Utah. "This feels like a dream."

An untimely injury for someone else opened up a spot for Cho, who was initially picked as a training partner after a long stretch of strong play for the defending K League 1 champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Starting center back Cho Yu-min suffered a foot injury during South Korea's 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday. He was ruled out of the World Cup on Sunday, and head coach Hong Myung-bo conveniently replaced him with Cho Wi-je without having to call up someone else from South Korea or an overseas league.

"Yu-min played such an important role in helping us qualify for the World Cup, and it was really tough to see him leave," Cho Wi-je said. "To fill his void, I just have to perform as well as I can. I know no words will make him feel better, but playing well in his spot may help."

With the national team enjoying a day off Sunday, Wi-je said he found out about making the World Cup squad in the media. He wasn't even aware of the exact severity of Yu-min's injury at the time.

"I received so many messages from my family and friends, and I don't even know how to describe my feeling," Cho said.

The 24-year-old logged 106 matches in four seasons in the K League 2 before joining Jeonbuk for this year. He turned heads this year with his steady performance for one of the stingiest defenses in the top South Korean league.

"When I play in the center back position, I can cover a lot of ground on either side with my speed," Cho said, when asked about his strengths as a player. "Then if I play on the right side of defense, I can also help on the offensive end. I think I can hang with top attacking players speed-wise, and I am also confident in my ability to win aerial duels."

He said he has much the same qualities as Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae, who will be the rock for South Korea's backline.

"He has so much experience battling top European players, and I want to pick his brain about that," Cho said. "Min-jae is so much quicker than most players, and I have to be quicker on my feet to get to that level."

Cho said he was also inspired by the performance of fellow K League 1 defender Lee Gi-hyuk, who impressed in the win over Trinidad and Tobago in just his second international appearance.

"The World Cup is not a tournament where you simply gain experience," Cho said. "I want to prove my abilities and go in with confidence."