Korea Republic, Football

The Korea Republic national football team represents South Korea in international association football and is organised by the Korea Football Association. Since the 1960s, South Korea has emerged as a major football power in Asia and is historically the most successful Asian football team, having participated in nine consecutive and ten overall FIFA World Cup tournaments, the most for any Asian country. Despite initially going through five World Cup tournaments without winning a match, South Korea became the first and currently only Asian team to reach the semi-final stages when they co-hosted the 2002 tournament with Japan. South Korea won the first two AFC Asian Cup tournaments (1956 and 1960), though they have been unable to win since, finishing as the runners-up in 1972, 1980, 1988, and 2015, and third in 1964, 2000, 2007, and 2011. They also took the gold medal at the 1970, 1978, and 1986 Asian Games. They have qualified for every FIFA World Cup since 1986.[4] The team is commonly nicknamed "The Reds" by both fans and the media due to the color of their primary kit. The national team's supporting group is officially referred to as the Red Devils.