Chelsea’s Ji So-yun is the star of the South Korea side which travels to France in the hope of reaching the knockout stages

This article is part of the Guardian’s 2019 Women’s World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 24 countries who have qualified for France. theguardian.com is running previews from two countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 7 June.

Overview

Women’s football in South Korea has made huge progress in recent years and the team goes to France with the aim of reaching the knockout stage. In 2010 South Korea won the Under-17 World Cup and also reached the semi-finals of the Under-20 World Cup. With many of those players now involved with the senior team, this can justifiably be called Korea’s Golden Generation.

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The coach, Yoon Deok-yeo, prefers to use a 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1 formation but also likes to tinker. The most important player is, of course, Ji So-yun who has been playing for Chelsea since 2014. Her quality and experience is a huge help on and off the pitch. South Korea have another outstanding creative attacking midfielder among their ranks, Lee Min-a, although it might be tricky for the coach to have both on the pitch at the same time.

Lee’s stamina and creativity can be very useful for the team but her inclusion could mean that Ji has to play more defensively as Lee prefers a more attack-minded position.

The midfield anchor is Cho So-hyun, who can do pretty much everything. The West Ham United player has over 100 caps and is the captain of the team (she also captained them in Canada in 2015). If the 30-year-old is on top form, Korea have a chance of qualifying for the knockout stage.

If there is one main weakness with this team it is the defence. Yoon has had his two first-choice goalkeepers out injured for long spells recently and there seems to be at least one high-profile mistake per game from the defenders. Moreover, they always look uncomfortable when they play against physically strong teams.

Coach

Yoon Deok-yeo was a defender for the national team and played more than 100 matches in the K League. He played at the 1990 World Cup in Italy where he was sent off in the final group game against Uruguay, which South Korea lost 1-0 after a late goal from Daniel Fonseca. After retiring, he started coaching in the men’s game and had several jobs before taking over as the women’s national team coach in 2013. A father figure for the players, the calm 58-year-old is aiming to go one better than in 2015, when South Korea reached the last 16 before losing 3-0 to France.

Star player

Ji So-yun. Chelsea’s Ji has been picked for the the PFA Team of the Year for the last four years and was voted PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year in 2015. She is the attacking fulcrum of this team, operating from just behind the striker in the 4-2-3-1 formation. She can shoot, pass and conduct the tempo for this side. She is also good at set-pieces, as she showed against Lyon in the Champions League semi-finals.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ji So-yun: very much the leading light for South Korea and deadly from set pieces. Photograph: Albert Perez/Getty Images

Did you know?

Jang Seul-gi is, rather unusually, nicknamed “the Welsh corgi” for her body shape. Not the most flattering moniker, perhaps, but she has said on several occasions that she really likes it. She is a huge favourite among the South Korea fans – and her teammates – mainly because of her qualities as a footballer but also because she always seems to have a smile on her face.

Brief history of women’s football in South Korea

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Records show that a women’s football match took place in Seoul in 1949 but it was not until 1990 when the first international women’s football was played. Korea lost that one 13-1 against Japan. The KFA had decided to form a women’s team for the 1990 Asian Games but, remarkably, was forced to use athletes from other sports as there were no female players back then. Despite this they won one of their five games in the 1990 Asian Games, losing the other four.

Internationally the highlight came in 2010 with the aforementioned victory in the Under-17 World Cup and the third place at the Under-20 World Cup. A lot of people in South Korea expected success for the senior side after that but it has never materialised. This summer, Korea will take part in their third World Cup. In 2003, they lost all three games in the United States while they reached the last 16 in Canada four years ago.

The eight-team domestic league is called the WK League. Last year, one of the most prominent women’s team, Daegyo, ceased to exist, but the competition was never in danger. Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels have won the past six titles.

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Yeo Min-ji won the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe at the Under-17 World Cup in 2010. Since then, she has had a lot of injuries, and has struggled to live up to the high expectations created nine years ago. However, the 26-year-old is now back to her best and is ready to show the world this summer how good she is.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Yeo Min-ji was a star of South Korea’s Under-17 World Cup winners in 2010. Photograph: Nigel Owen/Action Plus via Getty Images

What is the realistic aim for South Korea in France and why?

The hope in South Korea is that the team will progress to the knockout stages again but France, Norway and Nigeria are difficult opponents in the group. South Korea are good going forward but the defence is a concern, especially against the two European powerhouses.

Annual budget for the women’s national team (compared to men’s):

Unknown

Registered female players:

1,539.

Hyung Seo writes for Footballist. Follow him here on Twitter.