![South Korea's Lee Dong-kyung celebrates after scoring a goal during a friendly match against El Salvador at Brigham Young University's South Field in Provo, Utah, on June 3, local time. [Photo=Yonhap News]](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2026/06/04/20260604141512977309.jpg)
Under the guidance of head coach Hong Myung-bo, the South Korean national football team defeated El Salvador 1-0 in a friendly match held on June 4 (Korean time) at Brigham Young University's South Field in Provo, Utah. The decisive goal came from Lee Dong-kyung (Ulsan) via a free kick in the 57th minute.
Following a 5-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago at the same venue on May 31, Hong's team concluded their final two warm-up matches before the World Cup with clean-sheet victories.
Ranked 25th by FIFA, South Korea selected the 100th-ranked El Salvador as a sparring partner to adapt to the high-altitude conditions of their upcoming matches. This encounter took place at an elevation of 1,460 meters above sea level.
Coach Hong made changes to the starting lineup, leaving Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Oh Hyun-kyu (Beşiktaş) on the bench. The attack was led by Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland), and Lee Dong-kyung. The midfield featured Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), while the wing-backs were Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien) and Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda). The three-man defense consisted of Lee Gi-hyeok (Gangwon FC), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland), with Kim Seung-kyu (FC Tokyo) in goal.
South Korea struggled against El Salvador's pressure in the first half, creating several attacking opportunities but failing to convert.
At the start of the second half, Coach Hong utilized his first substitutions, bringing on Jo Wi-je (Jeonbuk Hyundai) for Lee Han-beom and Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk) for goalkeeper Kim Seung-kyu.
The breakthrough came in the 57th minute when Lee Dong-kyung drew a foul in the penalty area and took the free kick himself, striking the ball with his left foot into the near side of the net.
After the opening goal, Coach Hong made eight substitutions in the 63rd minute, introducing Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City), Kim Jin-kyu (Jeonbuk), Park Jin-seob (Zhejiang), Jens Castrop (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Oh Hyun-kyu, Son Heung-min, and Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), while bringing Lee Jae-sung, Hwang In-beom, Kim Min-jae, Lee Gi-hyeok, Lee Dong-kyung, Cho Gue-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, and Seol Young-woo to the bench.
Despite continued pressure from South Korea, the match ended with a score of 1-0.
Having completed their pre-camp training schedule, Hong Myung-bo's team will travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 6 for their group stage matches and base camp.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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