"Training partners" — three individuals will move with the 26-man World Cup squad for the time being.
Hong Myung-bo held a press conference on the final roster for the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) North and Central America World Cup on the 16th at the KT Gwanghwamun Building Onmadang in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
With existing core players such as Son Heung-min (LAFC), Lee Kang-in (PSG), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) all named, the unfamiliar entry labeled "training partners" stood out.
Kang Sang-yoon, Cho Wi-je (both Jeonbuk Hyundai), and Yoon Ki-wook (FC Seoul) will accompany the national team as training partners.
It was not a selection made solely for experience. Hong Myung-bo said the decision reflected that the national team is at a time when results and competitiveness are important, and that he also thought the next cycle should be prepared at the same time.
He added that he wanted young players to directly experience how the national team trains in terms of standards and attitude through this World Cup, and that learning the pressure and burden of preparing for international tournaments from a young age helps growth.
It means giving young players direct experience of the internal atmosphere, training intensity, and the World Cup preparation process itself. It is different in nature from call-ups made simply to fill training numbers.
Hong Myung-bo repeatedly emphasized "multi-role ability," "understanding of the organization," and "ability to respond to international competition" during the team selection process. It suggests an intention to sustain the overall flow of the national team over the long term rather than focusing solely on short-term results.
In fact, the national team must immediately begin a generational transition and prepare for the next cycle after the World Cup. Competition for the 2030 World Cup effectively begins with this tournament. That is why young players are being given early exposure to the national team environment.
In particular, Kang Sang-yoon and Cho Wi-je have consistently shown potential for growth at Jeonbuk.
Kang Sang-yoon is a midfielder whose strengths are front-line pressing and work rate. He is praised for his football intelligence and off-the-ball movement and is evaluated as having strong ability to use the half-spaces. He is the type who combines fundamentals, sense and activity, and under coach Poët at Jeonbuk he plays a key role in attacking development.
His build-up ability under pressing situations is considered among the top in K League 1. However, his small frame at 170 cm exposes weaknesses in physical duels and injury management. He has also been criticized for lacking speed in dribbling breakthroughs.
A product of Jeonbuk youth Yeongseng High School, Kang Sang-yoon grew through loans to Busan I Park and Suwon FC, and recently ranked at the top in K League 1 prospect evaluations by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES). CIES valued him at up to 3.5 million euros (about 3.5 billion won). He is currently regarded as a core asset of Jeonbuk Hyundai.
Center back Cho Wi-je is a defender with excellent physical attributes and speed, showing strengths in aerial duels and contests. He is a player with the ability to read the flow of the ball, provide stable defending, and participate in build-up play.
The most unfamiliar name is Yoon Ki-wook, a goalkeeper born in 2006 who shows good feet skills and excellent shot-stopping ability in one-on-one situations.
This selection of training partners shows Hong Myung-bo's direction of preparing for both the present and the future. It indicates an intent to create a flow that connects beyond just the World Cup to the next national team.
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