Korea Republic penalty taker

Son Heung-min is our current Korea Republic penalty taker call, with Hwang Hee-chan next in line if the order changes.

Son Heung-min should now be treated as a high-confidence Korea Republic primary. The Korean-language trail is stronger than the English summaries suggest: Son scored an in-match penalty against Jordan at the Asian Cup, took Korea's first kick in the shootout against Saudi Arabia, and then scored again from the spot against China in World Cup qualifying. That gives him three penalties in major competition within the first three months of 2024, with Korean reporting treating him as the designated kicker rather than a one-off taker. Hwang Hee-chan remains the right secondary because he converted against Australia in the Asian Cup quarter-final when Son won the foul.

If you searched for Korea Republic penalty taker, the hierarchy at the top is the quickest answer we are willing to publish right now. The evidence trail underneath shows why that order makes the cut.

For World Cup 2026, Son Heung-min is the current first-choice call for Korea Republic, with Hwang Hee-chan the closest backup if the tournament order shifts.

A fresh in-match penalty can move this page quickly, especially if it contradicts the current lead or happens with the full-strength tournament pool on the pitch.

For the more conditional boards, one more clean senior penalty is often enough to sharpen the backup line or flip the order outright.

Spot a hierarchy shift, a squad-specific wrinkle or a better local source? Contact us here. If you are close to the Korea Republic setup and have stronger information, that is exactly the kind of update we want.