Football or Soccer has had a long history in the Korean Peninsula. In earlier times, Koreans played a version of the game called chuk-gul. In 1882, Korea was exposed to the present form of football [soccer] and added it as one of the sports to enjoy. While the Korean Football Association was founded in 1928, it did not gain momentum until 1948, when the Republic of Korea was established.

The Korea Football Association, joined FIFA in 1948 and became a member of the AFC or Asian Football Confederation. There was a formation of the K League, with teams such as Gangwon FC, Incheon United, FC Seoul, Pohang Steelers, Daegyu FC, Jeju United FC and the Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

Soccer in Korea has come a long way, especially when Korea hosted the 2002 World Cup jointly with Japan. In their quest to qualify for the World Cup, the Reublic of Korea is in first place with eleven points, followed by the Democratic Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates in Group 2 in the fourth round.

Recently, there have been an addition of new players to the roster of the Republic of Korea Football [Soccer] Team. Park Ji Sung, who is a winger for Manchester United, Choi Tae Wook, who is a midfielder for the Jeonduk Hyundai Motors, Yoo Byeung-Soo of Incheon United, Yang Dong-Hyun of Busan i Park FC, and kim Geun-Hwan of the Yokohama FC of Japan.

The record of the Korean Football Association of the Republic of Korea at the present time [2009-5-23-2009], has the following: 19 Goals for, 6 goals against, 2 penalty goals, 1.7 goals for average, 15 yellow cards, 0 second yellow cards followed by red cards, 0 red cards, 11 matxhes played, 6 games won, 5 draws and no losses. It remains to be seen what will transpire.

One of the principal players of the Korean Football Association is Ahn Jung Hwan, who has participated in the 2002 and 2006 World Cup and may participate in the 2010 World Cup. The career of this illustrious player has been marked with 10 wins, 8 draws, 4 losses, 4 goals for, 0 goals against, 4 yellow cards and 0 red cards.

Cho Jae-Jin is another player who brought prestige to the Korean Football Association, with 11 matches played, 3 wins, 5 draws, 3 losses, and 2 goals for. Cho Jae-Jin is one of the few players of football [soccer] in the world, who has never received a yellow card nor a red card. Rojas of the New York Red Bulls, could learn from him after receiving a red card for his anti professional behaviour against Mullan of the Houston Dynamos.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/n ews/newsid=1060759.html#korea+ republic+faces

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/p reliminaries/asia/statistics/i ndex.html

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootb all/statisticsandrecords/playe rs/player=156216/index.html

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