The South Korean team arrived in South Africa last week following two weeks of altitude training in Austria. They are set to face off with Greece on Saturday at Port Elizabeth, then against Argentina on June 17 in Johannesburg and Nigeria on June 22 in Durban.
Since their first trip to the World Cup in 1954 in Switzerland, South Korea made it to the second round only once, in 2002, when they played at home. The team has never made it to the second round of the World Cup finals in away games, although they have played in six consecutive World Cup tournaments, from 1986 in Mexico to 2006 in Germany.
South Korea must finish at least second in the preliminary knock-out round of Group B matches in order to move forward.
"We're in the process of preparing (the players) so that their condition peaks on Saturday when we hold our first match. The players' adjustments and physical conditions are all in fair condition," coach Huh Jung-moo said recently during a team training sessions in Rustenburg, near Johannesburg.
South Korea's 23-man roster is distinctly marked by the large number of players summoned from their pro European and Asian teams compared to past national squads.
The roster includes captain Park Ji-sung of Manchester United, Lee Chung-yong of the Bolton Wanderers, Park Chu-young of AS Monaco and Ki Sung-yueng of Scotland Celtic FC.
Ahn Jung-hwan, a 34-year-old veteran striker of China's Dalian Shide who scored three goals in his two World Cup appearances, will also make his third World Cup appearance.
Striker Lee Dong-gook of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, who is recovering from a hamstring injury inflicted recently during a friendly with Ecuador, appeared confident in making an appearance at the opener with Greece.
Versatile midfielder Yeom Ki-hoon of the Suwon Bluewings is expected to be placed as striker in the Greece opener, along with Park of AS Monaco. Lee Woon-jae, 37-year-old veteran goalie, is set to make his fourth World Cup appearance.
Greece, led by German Otto Rehhagel, are strong in both defense and blitzkrieg counter-offensives, but South Korea needs a win against the Euro 2004 champions in their first match to build up morale before two even tougher games.
South American titans Argentina, led by Diego Maradona, will be an uphill battle, with South Korean players strategizing against star forward Lionel Messi.
The match against two-time African Nations Cup champion Nigeria, led by seasoned Swede Lars Lagerback, will be comparable to going up against European leagues, where many of the Nigerian footballers polished their skills.
South Koreans at home will be drawn to more games for this round of the World Cup, as North Korea are also in the finals for the first time in 44 years. Whether the two Koreas will cross paths remains to be seen.
The North were drawn into Group G, whose other teams -- four-time World Cup champion Brazil, Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast, and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal -- are all top-ranked contenders.
Despite having limited international appearance, the North Korean squad has drawn media attention due to its tight-lipped and darkhorse nature.
Jong Tae-se, North Korea's top striker, recently said that he believed his team can topple Brazil, FIFA's top ranked team and one of the top contenders in the tournament.
"We believe we can win against Brazil. Everybody thinks about that game," said Jong, nicknamed 'the People's Rooney,' who plays for the Kawasaki Frontale of Japan's pro league.
South and North Korea clashed four times during the qualifying round, tying three games with the South winning 1-0 in the last match in April of last year.//Yonhap
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com