South Korea women’s national team: 2025 recap | OneFootball

South Korea’s women added to the trophy cabinet twice in 2025, but underwhelming results in several international friendlies leave Shin Sangwoo and his squad with a point to prove at next year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

(Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)

The year started on a high note for the South Korean women’s national team with victory in February’s Pink Ladies Cup. Korea won all three of their matches and did so with a better goal difference than Russia to claim the title. Sure, it wasn’t the most glorious win, given the calibre of the teams involved and the status (or lack thereof) of the tournament itself, but it was a win nonetheless, and the squad returned from the UAE with a nice shiny platter to put in the KFA trophy cabinet.

In May, Shin Sangwoo’s warriors were off to Australia for a pair of friendlies against the hosts of next year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup. Buoyed by large and enthusiastic home crowds, the Matildas proved tough opponents. The results — a 1-0 loss and a 2-0 loss — weren’t terrible, but did lay bare a weakness in Korea’s goalscoring department, the team’s inability to get across the line (or at least, to do so in the right goal) damaging their confidence.

There were two more friendlies in late spring, this time on home soil as Korea played host to Colombia. The first match in Incheon ended as a 1-0 loss; Korea did well to hold their own fast and physical opponents. Despite the frustrating lack of goals, the home fans were treated to a moment of elation as Kim Minjeong made a cracking save to deny Usme’s penalty. There was further joy a few days later in Yongin as Jung Minyoung finally put an end to the goal drought just two minutes into her international debut. An unfortunate own goal from Kim Jinhui brought the sides level before the final whistle, but on some level, the friendlies were a success. Manager Shin experimented with formations, and everyone in the squad got minutes on the pitch, with the exception of third goalkeeper Woo Seobin.

In July, South Korea hosted the EAFF E-1 Football Championship (East Asian Cup), with both men’s and women’s competitions happening in venues around Gyeonggi-do in what must have been a busy week for those guys who shake the giant Taegukgi. The tournament saw Korea’s women take on some of their toughest competitors in the region. Against China, the final score was 2-2; Ji Soyun’s dramatic injury-time equaliser earned her a nomination for the KFA’s goal of the year. Another late equaliser, this time from Jeong Dabin, made it 1-1 against fierce rivals Japan. As Japan and China faced each other on the final matchday, a win for either team would secure them the title, but yet another stalemate in that match opened the door for Korea to swoop in and claim the victory, which they did with an assured 2-0 victory over Chinese Taipei (Taiwan).

Thus, Korea’s women lifted the East Asian Cup for the first time in 20 years, proving in the process that they can still compete with the regional football powerhouses despite a relative lack of investment and development in the women’s game. More accuracy in front of goal could have helped deliver a more decisive victory, but a trophy is a trophy, not to mention a huge confidence booster.

There were no A matches in the October international window due to the National Sports Festival, the KFA electing to avoid clashes so that the squads of the eight WK League clubs wouldn’t be left depleted. The national team still made headlines in the autumn as it emerged that several players had demanded equal treatment with the men’s team, allegedly threatening to boycott A matches unless their conditions, including business class flights for international fixtures, were met. The news divided more reasonable fans and provided ammunition for keyboard warriors who seem to think that national pride would be better served by defunding and disbanding the women’s team than supporting the Taeguk Warriors in women’s competitions.

It remains unclear in which section of the plane the squad travelled for their latest excursion, a trip to Europe for friendlies against Wales and the Netherlands. Shin should have fancied his team’s chances in Malaga as they lined up against a Welsh team on an 11-match winless run (spoiler alert: now 12), but it was his side that conceded first; Kim Minji scored her international debut in the second half to bring things level. After appearing the weaker side for much of the match, Korea seemed to gain some momentum after the goal, but it was too late.

The Netherlands were always going to be difficult opponents for Korea. In fact, Korea could learn a thing or two from the Dutch model of rapidly developing the domestic women’s football environment with the explicit core aim of improving the national team. WSL all-time top goalscorer Vivianne Miedema completed a hat-trick within 35 minutes; her teammates made it 5-0 by half time. The second half was goalless, but the damage was already done. The scoreline in this match, and England’s 8-0 thumping of China in front of 74,611 fans at Wembley a few days earlier, serve as a stark reminder that the top teams in Asia still have catching up to do when it comes to the women’s game.

Conceding five goals in 45 minutes and scraping a draw against a lower-ranking team on bad form: these are not results that inspire confidence, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and this pudding — next year's Asian Cup — is still in the oven, raw in the middle.

Under Shin Sangwoo the women's national team is making progress. He has used this year's A matches to play around with the squad, trying out several formations and starting lineups. Goalkeeper Kim Minjeong has solidified her place in the first eleven. A much-discussed "new generation" of players has been welcomed into the fold, with 12 players receiving their first senior call-up and 17 making their international debut this year. More of Korea's squad than ever before are playing regularly for fully professional clubs in the top leagues of Europe and North America.

(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Looking ahead to the Asian Cup, there is still work to do (isn't there always?). South Korea's women need to be more effective in front of goal. Goals, especially early goals, will boost the squad's confidence as they progress through the tournament and face tougher opposition. Players need to avoid becoming downcast when chasing a result, and trust themselves and their footballing ability rather than resorting to messy tackles and avoidable fouls.

Mental toughness will be key in the group stage as Korea are set to face hosts Australia. The Matildas have beaten them twice in 2025, and the home crowd will only be more animated for this major tournament. They are also joined in Group A by Iran and the Philippines. The former didn't make it past the group stage in their Asian Cup debut in 2022, while the latter became the underdog story of that tournament, securing their first-ever qualification for the FIFA Women's World Cup by reaching the semi-finals; they were beaten to the final by South Korea.

Next year's Asian Cup has been a clear driving force behind the women's national team activities in 2025. It's a natural focal point when reflecting on this year, and South Korea's performance at the tournament may well alter the 2025 narrative when looking back in a few months' time. With drastic changes coming to the WK League in 2026 and the national team undergoing a generational shift, women's football in Korea is at a crossroads — let's hope this year's trophies are a sign of things to come.