Son Heung-min leads Taeguk Warriors into new season of transfers and competition

Before the excitement of the 2026 World Cup has even subsided, Korea's national team players are back with their clubs, facing new challenges over transfers and starting spots.

Captain Son Heung-min draws the most attention. After the World Cup, he returned to Los Angeles FC in the MLS and immediately scored in four consecutive league matches, proving his form remains unchanged. Including the MLS All-Star Game, he has scored six goals across five matches — a sharp turnaround from the scoring drought he endured for much of the year leading up to the World Cup.

Lee Kang-in reached a turning point in his career, leaving Paris Saint-Germain to join Atletico Madrid in Spain's La Liga. Expected to be a key midfielder under coach Diego Simeone, Lee is set to make his Atletico debut in a friendly against Manchester City in Seoul on Saturday. 

Kim Min-jae will not be able to avoid fierce competition again this season. Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany used Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano as his starting center-back pairing last season, and Kim enters this season as the No. 3 center-back once again. Speaking ahead of a friendly against Jeju United on Tuesday, Kim dismissed transfer rumors, saying, "Just being a player at Bayern Munich makes me happy. I think I played in plenty of matches last season, in my own way." He showed his determination, adding, "Since I'm competing for the third spot, I need to give everything on the pitch and work even harder."

Other national team players in Europe must also adapt to new environments. Rising center-back Lee Han-beom left Danish club Midtjylland for Belgian powerhouse Club Brugge, stepping up to a higher level. Hwang In-beom, a key midfield asset for the national team, also left Dutch club Feyenoord for Portuguese giant FC Porto, an opportunity to take his game to the next level. Both clubs won their respective league titles last season and will compete in this season's UEFA Champions League.

Some players face even tougher fights for survival. Oh Hyeon-gyu established himself successfully at Besiktas last season, recording eight goals and four assists in 16 matches, but with manager Sergen Yalcin — who brought him to the club — departing and Vincenzo Italiano taking over, Oh must prove his worth all over again. The club is pursuing top-tier attacking reinforcements, including Uruguay's Darwin Núñez and Belgium's Romelu Lukaku, which is set to make competition for a starting spot even tougher.

Hwang Hee-chan also faces a challenging season ahead. His club Wolverhampton was relegated from the Premier League last season and will start the new campaign in the Championship. Though expected to be a key striker in the team's push for promotion, Hwang's first priority is securing a firm starting role. Germany's Bundesliga also holds no shortage of competition for Jens Castrop — Borussia Monchengladbach's signing of Japanese international Daiki Hashioka could set up a fierce battle for the right wing-back spot.

In the K League, Ulsan HD's Lee Dong-gyeong stands out. Though named to the World Cup final roster, Lee never appeared in a match during the tournament — but he has been a different player since returning to his club. Since a league match on July 18, he has recorded a goal or assist in four consecutive matches, showing career-best form, while Ulsan has surged to second place in the league on the back of his performances. Lee has been selected for Team K League and will play in a friendly against Manchester City as part of the fifth annual Coupang Play Series at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Wednesday. Kim Moon-hwan of Daejeon Hana Citizen, Lee Gi-hyuk of Gangwon FC and Song Bum-keun of Jeonbuk Hyundai were also selected for Team K League.

BY LEE HAY-JUNE [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]