WK League News

Shin Sangwoo has named his squad for the upcoming series of two matches, his first fixtures on home soil as manager since being appointed as manager late last year. The friendlies, which are being sponsored by streaming service Coupang Play, are set to take place on Friday 30 May and Monday 2 June, at the Incheon Namdong Asiad and Yongin Mireu Stadium respectively.

All eight WK League clubs are represented in the squad of 26, with fourteen current league players named. Of the remaining twelve players, ten are at overseas clubs while two are playing for university teams. While many core members of the squad remain consistent, there are a number of personnel changes since the team’s most recent matches against Australia in April.

Two players have received their first senior call-up: Seoul City Amazones’ goalkeeper Woo Seobin, who has been on great form so far in her debut WK League season, and striker Park Soojeong of Ulsan College. Both Woo and Park were key members of the Korean squad that reached the round of 16 in last year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Woo’s inclusion, along with fellow keepers Kim Minjung and Ryu Jisoo, comes at the expense of Kim Kyunghee. After being a key player in Suwon FC’s championship title win last year, Kim has had a poor start to the 2025 season, her exclusion from the national team coming as little surprise as she has recently been dropped from Suwon FC’s starting lineup too.

Jang Selgi, who dropped out of Korea’s squad for the Pink Ladies Cup earlier this year due to injury, is back alongside Gyeongju KHNP teammates Kim Jinhee and Jeon Eunha, also no strangers to international duty. Other WK League players making a return to the squad this time are defenders Kim Miyeon and Lee Minhwa of Seoul and Hwacheon respectively, and Mungyeong midfielder Noh Jinyoung.

A notable inclusion is Jeon Yugyeong, who had previously been named in Colin Bell’s squad but is yet to make her first senior international appearance. The 21-year-old joined Norwegian second tier side Molde FK this year and has already made quite an impression, scoring eight goals in seven appearances for the club.

The 2025 WK League’s joint top goalscorer Choi Yoojeong is conspicuously absent from the list, having been a mainstay of Shin Sangwoo’s squad thus far. Another perhaps surprising absence is Seoul City’s Han Chaerin, who was a regular inclusion in Korea’s team for a while following her senior debut in 2017. After being left out of the squad for a few years, Han was picked by Shin Sangwoo for a handful of fixtures last year. She has been on good form in the 2025 league so far, but not good enough, it seems, to edge her way into the squad this time.

Besides the aforementioned, of those who travelled to Australia last month, Mungyeong’s Choi Dakyung; Suwon FC’s Lee Yoojin; and Incheon Hyundai’s Lee Deokju, Jung Yoojin, Kim Myungjin and Bae Yebin do not feature in this lineup. Incheon’s involvement in the AFC Women’s Champions League finals this week may have contributed to Shin’s decisions regarding the rotation of players on the fringes of the squad. With plenty of potential names in the mix, the manager will also be looking to assess players within the squad as he looks ahead next year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

The squad will commence training at Siheung’s Jeongwang Stadium next week ahead of the upcoming matches. Ticket purchase information for the friendlies is yet to be announced. Those unable to travel to Incheon or Yongin on a weekday evening can catch the action on TV Chosun 2 or Coupang Play.

Korea Women’s National Football Team (May 2025)

Goalkeepers: Kim Minjung (Incheon Hyundai Steel), Ryu Jisoo (Sejong Sportstoto), Woo Seobin (Seoul City Amazones)
Defenders: Ko Yoojin (Incheon Hyundai Steel), Kim Miyeon (Seoul City Amazones), Kim Jinhee (Gyeongju KHNP), Kim Hyeri (Wuhan Jiangda), Shin Nayoung (Lexington SC), Lee Minhwa (Hwacheon KSPO), Lim Seonju (Incheon Hyundai Steel), Jang Selgi (Gyeongju KHNP), Choo Hyojoo (Ottawa Rapid)
Midfielders: Kim Shinji (AS Roma), Noh Jinyoung (Mungyeong Sangmu), Lee Geummin (Birmingham City), Lee Youngju (Levante Badalona), Jeon Eunha (Gyeongju KHNP, Ji Soyun (Seattle Reign)
Forwards: Kang Chaerim (Suwon FC), Moon Eunju (Hwacheon KSPO), Park Soojeong (Ulsan College), Lee Eunyoung (Changnyeong WFC), Jeon Yugyeong (Molde FK), Jeong Dabin (Korea University), Choe Yuri (Birmingham City), Casey Yujin Phair (Angel City FC)