No absence for Kim Ye-geon, who joins U19 national team training after playing all Jeonbuk matches

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Ye-geon (18, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), included in the domestic call-up roster for the under-19 (U19) national soccer team through the 29th, will prioritize playing for his club team over joining the Lee (CEO) squad immediately.

According to the Korea Football Association and Jeonbuk on the 21st, Kim Ye-geon was named in the fourth domestic call-up roster for the Republic of Korea U19 national soccer team, which began training at Cheonan Korea Football Park the previous day, but he has been accompanying his club team instead of joining the national squad.

He is scheduled to play all matches against Daejeon Hana Citizen at 7:30 p.m. today at Jeonju World Cup Stadium and Pohang Steelers at Pohang Steel Yard on the 25th, before joining the U19 national team training on the 26th.

The U19 national soccer team, led by coach Kim Jung-soo, is preparing for the 2027 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-20 Asian Cup, which kicks off next month. The fourth domestic call-up training session began on the 20th and continues through the 29th.

However, news that Kim Ye-geon was included in the U19 national team call-up roster via the Korea Football Association sparked concerns among Jeonbuk fans that he might be unable to play for his club during the national team training period through the 29th.

Born in 2008, Kim Ye-geon is only 17 years old and has appeared in just three K League 1 matches (scoring one goal), but after scoring on his second professional match since his debut on the 4th, he quickly signed a formal professional contract with Jeonbuk, marking him as a rising star.

Just ahead of the Incheon United match on the 18th, when Lee Seung-woo was absent due to accumulated yellow card suspensions, Jeonbuk coach Jeong Jeong-yong stated that Kim Ye-geon is the "first-choice substitute among attacking resources," indicating he has rapidly established himself as a key second-line attacking player for the team.

In fact, every time Kim Ye-geon came on as a substitute, he displayed dazzling performances and made a striking presence. However, given that Jeonbuk already lacks sufficient wide attacking resources, losing Kim Ye-geon to national team duty would have been a significant loss for the club ahead of its two-match midweek-to-weekend series. This was why fans were so concerned.

Fortunately, since this U19 national team call-up focuses on "training" rather than tournaments or friendly matches, the Korea Football Association and Jeonbuk reached an early agreement to delay Kim Ye-geon's joining until after the weekend matches. As a result, Kim Ye-geon played both K League 1 matches against Daejeon and Pohang before heading to the national team on the 26th.

- Goalkeepers: Song An-ton (Busan IPark), Park Do-hoon (Hyeonpung High School), Choi Ju-ho (Ulsan HD)

- Defenders: Kim Ju-hyeong (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Hong Sang-won (Chung-Ang University), Kim Young-han (Seongnam FC), Go Jung-min, Lee Jun-seop (both Incheon United), Lee Hyo-bin (Gangwon FC), Kim Gyu-min, Jang Seung-woo (both Gyeongnam FC), Jo Young-jun (Pohang Steelers)

- Midfielders: Lee Yong-jae (Gangwon FC), Jeong Seong-bin (Yonsei University), Kim Min-woo (Korea University), Kang Dong-hwi, Yoo Seung-jae (both Jeju SK), Kim Beom-jun (Pohang Steelers), Kim Ye-geon (joining on the 26th), An Tae-hoon (all Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Go Pil-kwan (FC Seoul), Park Seo-bin (Honnam University), Lee Ji-woo (Ulsan University), Kim Kang (FC Anyang)

- Forwards: Lee Ho-jin (Busan IPark), Kim Yun-ho (Gwangju FC), Noh Geon-hee (Sunmoon University)

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*This content was translated by AI.