South Korean National Football Team
The Korea Republic national football team is controlled by the Korea Football Association, and represents South Korea in international association footb
History
Since the 1960s, South Korea has been a major football power in Asia, having participated in 9 FIFA World Cup tournaments, more than any other Asian country. South Korea also became the only Asian team to reach the semi-final stages of the World Cup when they co-hosted the 2002 tournament with Japan. They reached the last sixteen in the 2010 World Cup, and won the first two AFC Asian Cup tournaments. They also won gold at the 1970, 1978, and 1986 Asian Games.
Korea Football Association
The Korea Football Association was reinstated in 1948, following the establishment of the Republic of Korea.
2014 FIFA World Cup
Expectations were high, but the team lost first to Russia and then Algeria, suffering a 4–2 loss and being unable to equalise after goals by Son Heung-min and Koo Ja-cheol. The team also lost against Belgium, who were a man down. South Korea was eliminated from the competition without a single win. The team’s manager, Hong Myung-bo resigned, replaced by Uli Stielike who was given a contract up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
2015 AFC Asian Cup
Due to their third-place finish in the 2011 tournament, South Korea automatically qualified for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. Drawn into Group A with host country Australia, Kuwait and Oman, they defeated all teams, including host and tournament favourites Australia, to become the Group A winner. South Korea defeated Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals with two goals from Son Heung-min in extra time and advanced to semi-finals for the tenth time. Another 2–0 victory over Iraq in the semi-finals allowed them to advance to the final for the first time since 1988. In the final, South Korea faced Australia again, losing 2–1. Public confidence in the team was restored and they received a hero's welcome home.
2018 World Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup
For the combined qualification matches South Korea was drawn with Kuwait, Lebanon, Myanmar, and Laos in Group G of the second round. South Korea qualified for the third round of the AFC qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, but a series of poor results in the third round of qualifiers, including defeats to China and Qatar, lead to head coach Uli Stielike being fired and replaced by former U-20 and U-23 coach Shin Tae-yong for the remainder of the qualifying round.
Son Heung-min
Son Heung-min is a professional footballer for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the South Korea national team
Gambling in the Republic of Korea
Gambling in South Korea is a crime under Chapter 23 of the Criminal Act. Article 246 states that a person gambling for the purpose of gaining property is to be punished with a fine of not more than five million won and also stipulates that habitual gamblers be punished by a prison sentence up to 3-years or a fine up to 20 million won. Under this law, gambling for monetary pleasure is exempt.
The law applies to South Korean citizens even when they are abroad. It is a crime for Koreans to play casino in Las Vegas or anywhere else in the world.
This is not simply a law that is only on the books and then never enforced. Shin Jung-hwan, the former singer of the group Rula and a celebrity, made news when in 2003 he was fined 5 million won, being about USD4,600, for gambling.
In 2005 he was fined double that amount and later, in 2011, when he was caught on video gambling in the Philippines, he was arrested on his return to Korea and given an 8-month prison sentence.
For a country with strict laws against it, there is a lot of legal gambling in South Korea. Here you can find legal horse racing, bicycle racing, and sports betting on football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, golf and Ssirum, the country’s traditional national sport of wrestling. South Korea also has four lotteries, 16 casinos for tourists, a single casino for Koreans and if you are a fan of baccarat, you can read more at:
