The Korean national football team commenced training on November 10 at the newly constructed National Football Center in Cheonan, located in South Chungcheong. This marks a significant transition from their longstanding training base in Paju, Gyeonggi.
The team gathered at the Korea Football Association“s new facility ahead of their upcoming friendly matches against Bolivia on November 10 in Daejeon and Ghana on November 18 in Seoul.
This move concludes over two decades of training at the Paju National Football Center, which the national team used rent-free since 2001, in preparation for the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. As the contract neared expiration in early 2022, Paju requested an annual fee of 2.6 billion won (approximately $1.8 million), prompting the KFA to seek a new location.
Before the lease expired, the KFA had begun exploring alternatives, ultimately partnering with the city of Cheonan to construct a new training complex. The total investment for this project reached 400 billion won, with the KFA contributing 180 billion won and Cheonan providing the remaining 220 billion won. Although construction faced delays, it is now 95 percent complete, allowing the team to settle in for their inaugural camp at the new facility.
The Cheonan center spans 478,000 square meters (5.1 million square feet), which is four times larger than the previous site in Paju. The number of training fields has expanded from seven to eleven, and dormitory accommodations have increased from 72 to 82 rooms, with sizes growing from 23 to 36 square meters. The facility also includes an 8,900-square-foot performance center featuring an underwater rehabilitation pool, a 4,000-seat stadium, and a significantly larger fitness area, which has been upgraded from 1,950 square feet to 8,100 square feet.
The facilities have made a positive impression on national team manager Hong Myung-bo. “It feels more organized now than during my earlier visits,” Hong remarked. “It reminds me of when I first entered the Paju center back in 2001. Living out of hotels during previous camps was difficult, but now we”ll be able to focus fully on training.”
However, the new center”s location presents challenges, as it is nearly a two-hour drive from Incheon International Airport, making it less accessible compared to Paju. The national team will face Bolivia and Ghana without key midfielders Hwang In-beom from Feyenoord, Paik Seung-ho from Birmingham City, and Lee Dong-gyeong from Ulsan HD, who are sidelined due to injuries. Bae Jun-ho from Stoke City and Seo Min-woo from Gangwon FC are set to step in for these players.
“The midfield is extremely important in football,” Hong stated. “Most of the players who participated in the final round of World Cup qualifying aren”t available, so we”ll need to develop new combinations.”
Several players selected for the November international break have shown strong performances for their clubs recently. Lee Kang-in provided an assist for Paris Saint-Germain during a recent match against Lyon, while Oh Hyeon-gyu scored his eighth goal of the season against KAA Gent.
Additionally, Hong”s squad includes Cho Gue-sung from FC Midtjylland, who has returned to the national team for the first time in 20 months. “It”s too early to expect too much,” Hong commented regarding Cho”s return.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter, followed by editing from a native English-speaking editor.
