$450,000 Per Player: South Korea’s Massive World Cup Bonus Plan

Translation resultKorea Football Association unveils record bonus pool; Son Heung‑min, scoreless in 14 league matches, joins campThe Korea national team will award each player 100,000,000 won (≈ $75,000) if it reaches the Round of 32 at next month’s World Cup in North America, the Korea Football Association announced. The payout is the largest in the federation’s history, part of an effort to push the team to its best-ever result at an away World Cup.On the 25th, the association finalized and released the bonus schedule, saying it reflects the tournament’s expansion from 32 to 48 teams and the introduction of a Round-of-32 knockout stage. Every player named to the final 26-man roster will receive a base payment of 50,000,000 won (≈ $37,500). Additional per-player bonuses are set at: 100,000,000 won (≈ $75,000) for advancing to the Round of 32; 200,000,000 won (≈ $150,000) for the Round of 16; 300,000,000 won (≈ $225,000) for the quarterfinals; 400,000,000 won (≈ $300,000) for the semifinals; 450,000,000 won (≈ $337,500) for third place; 500,000,000 won (≈ $375,000) for runner-up; and 600,000,000 won (≈ $450,000) for winning the tournament. Match-win bonuses will be paid separately.If South Korea wins all three group matches and reaches the Round of 16—their best-ever result at an away World Cup—each player would earn a total of 390,000,000 won (≈ $292,500). A run to the quarterfinals would raise the per-player total to 580,000,000 won (≈ $435,000).Meanwhile, team captain Son Heung‑min (LAFC) played the full 90 minutes in LAFC’s 1–0 victory over Seattle on the 24th (local time) and then joined South Korea’s pre-World Cup camp in Salt Lake City. Son has appeared in 14 league games this season without scoring.