After beating Iraq 2-0 in an away match last week, the country has already secured its berth for the quadrennial event, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the U.S. next summer.
Grouped with Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Palestine, South Korea has secured 19 points from five wins and four draws to advance to the next round as the top finisher, along with second-ranked Jordan, which has earned 16 points with four wins, four draws and one loss.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo is expected to experiment with a lineup of younger players to test their skills in Tuesday's match, as the country's advancement to the tournament round won't be affected even if it loses to Kuwait, which has been eliminated after finishing at the bottom of the group with five draws and four losses.
"With the match being held in Seoul, South Korean footballers are in high spirits," Hong said, vowing to wrap up the final match with a win.
However, Captain Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur, who only warmed the bench in last Thursday's match against Iraq due to a lingering foot injury from April, is unlikely to be in the starting lineup again.
In an apparent sign of that, midfielder Lee Jae-sung, wearing the captain's armband instead, attended a press event in Paju, Gyeonggi Province the previous day along with Hong. "Son looks fit enough to play, though it remains to be seen whether he can last the full 90 minutes," Hong said.
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