World Cup Record: Semi-Final 2002, Group Stages 5 occasions
Manager: Huh Jung-Moo
Key Player: Park Ji-Sung
Qualified: 1st Group 2 Europe
Odds: 200/1

South Korea’s best result at a World Cup tournament was their run to the semi-finals on home soil in 2002, their luck running out with a 1-0 reverse at the hands of Germany. Guus Hiddink led them to that triumphant fourth place with another Dutchman, Dick Advocaat managing the Republic from 2005-2006. Current coach, Huh Jung-Moo, played for the national side on 84 occasions and took over the managerial reins in 2007. A series of tussles with neighbours, North Korea, in the Asian qualifying stages eventually saw them through to what will be their sixth appearance at the Finals – a record for an Asian team.

Park Ji-Sung

Age: 28
Position: Midfielder
Club: Manchester United (England – Premier League)
Caps: 84 (11 goals)

Korea’s captain and midfield driving force followed former National coach, Guus Hiddink, to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven after the 2002 World Cup and by the 2003-04 season had established himself on the left side of midfield. A year later he moved to Manchester United and was a key member of the United side which won the Premier League and Champions League double in 2008 – although bizarrely, after a man-of the-match performance in the semi-final, Sir Alex Ferguson left the Korean out of the squad to play Chelsea in the Champions League final. Park began his international career aged 19 in a qualifier for the 2000 Olympics but it was Hiddink’s vision which saw him move from defensive midfielder to goal-scoring winger transforming him into the iconic star of Korean football.