"Made the national team and called my parents first"... Shin Min-ha, 21, overwhelmed by emotion over his "first call-up": "I will show youthful vigor"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Shin Min-ha (21, Gangwon FC), who has been called up to the senior national team for the first time in his life, was the first person he thought of was his parents.

Robert Moreno, head coach of the South Korea national football team, held a press conference on the 29th at Cheonan Korea Football Park in Chungnam Province and announced the list of 26 players who will compete in the November international matches.

South Korea will play two away friendly matches against Saudi Arabia on November 13 and Qatar on the 17th in Doha, Qatar. This is the final A-match schedule for this year.

The list included existing key players such as captain Son Heung-min (LAFC), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid), Hwang In-beom (Porto), and Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke).

New faces also stood out. Shin Min-ha and Son Jeong-beom (19, FC Seoul), who are active in K League 1, received their first-ever call-ups to the senior national team.

It was a dream come true for Shin Min-ha. On the 30th, through his club Gangwon, he expressed his joy, saying, "I think it is truly an honor to be selected for the A-national team, which I had been aiming for. It seems even more honorable to be selected as a member of Gangwon FC."

The first person who came to mind was his parents. Shin Min-ha revealed, "After the list was announced, I felt dazed. I called my parents first to ask if they had heard the news. My parents were the first ones I thought of."

At the same time, he vowed not to get carried away and to show his usual self. Shin Min-ha stated, "Because this is my first call-up, I will try hard to reduce the tension. My biggest thought is to do what I have been doing," adding, "I believe I was selected because the performances I showed at Gangwon FC caught Coach Moreno's eye. I will listen carefully to what the coach wants and show a good performance in the national team as well."

Shin Min-ha is a promising player attracting attention as the future of Korean football. Born in 2005, he is a center back with a height of 186 cm and a weight of 77 kg. Since making his professional debut with Gangwon in 2024, he has steadily gained experience and grown.

In his debut season in 2024, Shin Min-ha appeared in 20 K League 1 matches. In 2025, he played in 29 matches, recording one goal and one assist, establishing himself as a key member of the team's lineup. He has also appeared in 21 K League 1 matches this season. Over three seasons since his professional debut, he has played a total of 70 K League 1 matches, accumulating experience.

In particular, this year is becoming an unforgettable one for Shin Min-ha. Previously, Shin Min-ha participated in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as part of the South Korea Under-23 (U-23) national football team led by coach Lee Min-seong. At the time, he shared responsibility for central defense with Kim Ji-soo (Brentford), contributing to South Korea's gold medal victory.

South Korea defeated "eternal rivals" Japan 1-0 in the final, setting a great record of winning four consecutive Asian Games men's football titles. Shin Min-ha also enjoyed the honor of becoming a gold medalist.

It did not end there. Before the joy of the Asian Games gold medal had fully faded, he welcomed another piece of good news: his first-ever call-up to the senior national team.

Coach Moreno also highly evaluated Shin Min-ha's potential. At a press conference on the 29th, Coach Moreno explained the reasons for selecting Shin Min-ha and Son Jeong-beom, saying, "Both players are young and have great potential. I believe they will help improve the national team's performance in the future."

He continued, "If such young and talented players come up from below, they will play a positive role in achieving the national team's ultimate goal of forming the best possible team."

Shin Min-ha is also determined to actively show his strengths in the national team. He stated, "As I am going as a young player, I will show the vigor of youth," adding, "I do not know exactly what kind of performance the coach evaluated positively as a player, but I believe my strengths are fast speed, heading duels, and the ability to cover space behind."

He emphasized, "I will work hard to show my strengths in training so that I can get the chance to play in matches."

He did not forget to express gratitude to his club's fans. Shin Min-ha said, "I am going to the A-national team as a member of Gangwon FC. I believe I was able to show good performances on the field thanks to your strong support," adding, "I think I was able to go to the A-national team because I showed good form."

He promised, "I hope Gangwon FC fans will continue to cheer for me in the national team. I want to repay you with a good performance."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original