'They were struggling before the tournament, but when it came down to it, they delivered'

'We'll be well prepared for South Africa's technique and pace'

Kim Min-jae of the South Korean national football team speaks at an official press conference at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on Wednesday ahead of the team's Group A finale against South Africa at the 2026 North America World Cup. [Yonhap]
Kim Min-jae of the South Korean national football team speaks at an official press conference at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on Wednesday ahead of the team's Group A finale against South Africa at the 2026 North America World Cup. [Yonhap]

Kim Min-jae, the defensive cornerstone of Hong Myung-bo's squad, praised his younger teammates for adapting and growing as they prepare for their final group-stage match at the 2026 World Cup.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on Wednesday ahead of South Korea's Group A finale against South Africa, the Bayern Munich center back said his teammates were already full of confidence. "I don't give the players a lot of feedback," he said. "They already have a great deal of personal confidence."

When asked whether he had been leading the defensive line, Kim deflected the praise. "I'm not sure why people rate me so highly," he said. "I think of myself less as someone who pulls the team forward and more as someone who pushes from behind."

Kim has started alongside Lee Gi-hyeok of Gangwon FC — a surprise call-up — and Lee Han-beom of Midtjylland in a three-back system in both of South Korea's previous matches.

"The players in the back three lacked confidence and looked lost before the World Cup, but once the tournament started, they have been playing really well," Kim said. "They are all more than capable."

He added that his role as sweeper was to give his partners the freedom to press higher up the pitch. "As the sweeper, I try to help the other players go forward and defend aggressively," he said. "People say they've been helped by that, but I'm just doing my job — and the two of them are doing theirs well. Their confidence has grown a lot, and I think that's showing in their performances."

On the match against South Africa, Kim said the team had been focusing its preparations on the opposition's technical quality and pace. "South Africa's players are technically gifted and quick, so we've been working with the defenders on those areas," he said. "If we play as a team the way we did in the last two games, I think we can win."

South Korea, coached by Hong Myung-bo, faces South Africa in their Group A third match at the same stadium on Thursday at 10 a.m.


yjc@heraldcorp.com