(LEAD) Dozen K Leaguers named to Moreno's 1st S. Korean squad

Cheonan, South Korea, September 14 (Yonhap) -- A dozen players from the K League soccer circuit were among the 30 names Moreno, the interim head coach of South Korea's men's national football team, announced on Monday. Moreno took on the role on September 1 and unveiled his squad for the next four Taegeuk Warriors matches during a press conference at the Korea Football Park in Cheonan, roughly 80 kilometers south of Seoul.

South Korea will host matches against Ecuador on September 24, Uruguay on September 28, Venezuela on October 2, and Uzbekistan on October 6. The large representation of K League players, 12 out of 30, is more common than seen during the FIFA World Cup, where only seven of the 26 players were from the K League. Notable K League players in Moreno's team include captain Son Heung-min (Los Angeles Football Club), defender Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), midfielders Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid) and Hwang In-beom (FC Porto), as well as three first-time players: Incheon United defender Kim Geon-hui, Gimcheon Sangmu midfielder Park Tae-jun, and Rangers midfielder Kim Min-su.

The team features four goalkeepers, one more than usual, as Gu Sung-yu from the FC Seoul leading K League 1 joins a trio of veteran goalkeepers: Jo Hyeon-woo, Kim Seung-gyu, and Song Bum-keun. Following these four matches, the Korea Football Association (KFA) is also attempting to schedule two additional games in November. Moreno's contract runs until November 27, and the KFA plans to hire a full-time assistant coach before the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in January.

A clause in Moreno's contract permits him to remain involved with the team for the Asian Cup, contingent on South Korea's performance in the first six matches under his leadership. South Korean football is seeking a fresh start after being eliminated in the group stage at this year's FIFA World Cup. Previous head coach Hong Myung-bo and KFA leader Chung Mong-gyu both resigned following the tournament, and both faced police investigations regarding the KFA's controversial hiring of Hong in July 2024.