South Korea U18

Every year in Shizuoka, the SBS Cup, held since 1977, turns into a meeting with Japan U18, and for South Korea's under-18s it is the fixture that carries the most feeling. Japan had beaten them five games in a row before the 2023 edition, when South Korea won 1-0 and broke the run.

This is a squad the Korea Football Association (KFA) assembles for a tournament and then reshapes as the age group moves on. It has no ground of its own. Players gather at the national training centre in Paju, where the main stadium, Hwarang, seats 750, and then travel to wherever the competition is. Lee Kang-in made his debut for the age group in 2017.

The continental tournament for this age group is the AFC U-19 Championship, and South Korea have reached the final and lost it nine times, most recently in 2023. In the 2015 Suwon JS Cup they finished third.

China U18 is the other regional rival, and the 2019 Panda Cup in Chengdu is the reason it matters. South Korea beat Thailand 2-1 and New Zealand 4-0, then beat the hosts 3-0 in the final, with Hwang Jae-hwan scoring a hat-trick. After the match, players stood on the trophy and mimicked urination. The Chengdu Football Association stripped them of the title. The team issued a public apology and returned the trophy to the organisers.