Korea’s Road to World Cup Glory: Essential Insights from the 2026 Pre-Camp in Salt Lake City

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South Korea’s national team has started acclimating to high altitude at its U.S. pre-camp in Salt Lake City as it prepares for the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup group stage.

Hong Myung-bo’s squad landed at Salt Lake City International Airport on the morning of the 19th and immediately began full-scale World Cup preparations.

After naming a 26-man roster and three training partners on the 16th, Hong’s group departed Incheon International Airport on the 18th.

Nine players joined the flight with Hong and the coaching and support staff: K League standouts Lee Dong-gyeong and Jo Hyun-woo (both Ulsan), Song Beom-geun and Kim Jin-gyu (both Jeonbuk), Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), and overseas players who finished their seasons early — Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City) and Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham City).

European-based players whose seasons are still ongoing are expected to join the camp on the 24th–25th.

Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) will arrive after the UEFA Champions League final on the 31st (KST).

The team will spend two weeks in Salt Lake City, training at Real Salt Lake’s MLS facilities and the University of Utah.

Hong’s immediate priority is getting the squad used to the altitude.

Salt Lake City sits at about 1,460 meters (roughly 4,790 feet) above sea level.

Officials say the city’s temperature, humidity and time-zone conditions closely mirror those in Guadalajara — the tournament base camp and a high-altitude site (about 1,571 meters, or 5,152 feet) that will host South Korea’s first and second group-stage matches — making Salt Lake City a suitable pre-camp location.

Hong plans to monitor players for two to three days while gradually ramping up training intensity.

Full tactical preparations for the group stage are expected to begin only after the Europe-based players who arrive on the 24th–25th complete a similar period of altitude adaptation.

While in Salt Lake City, Hong’s team will play two friendlies: Trinidad and Tobago at 10 a.m. KST on the 31st and El Salvador at 10 a.m. KST on June 4. Both matches are scheduled for BYU South Field at Brigham Young University.

Following the Salt Lake City camp, the squad will move to the Guadalajara base camp in Mexico on June 5 for final preparations ahead of the group stage.

South Korea opens Group A at the World Cup on June 12 (KST) and will face the Czech Republic on June 12 at 11 a.m. KST, Mexico on June 19 at 10 a.m. KST (both at Guadalajara Stadium), and South Africa on June 25 at 10 a.m. KST at Monterrey Stadium.

Analysts say South Korea will likely need around four points — the equivalent of one win, one draw and one loss — to advance to the round of 32.