The South Korean men's national football team left for China on Friday to launch its campaign in the East Asian Cup that will kick off in Wuhan on Sunday.
 
Speaking to reporters at Incheon International Airport before the departure, the team’s head coach Uli Stielike said the team was full of drive and confidence and would enter the tournament well prepared.
 
Captain Kim Young-gwon, a defender for Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande, said his team is resolute to win its first match with China on Sunday and go on to hoist the winning trophy.
 
The team will faceoff against Japan on August 5 and North Korea on August 9. The Taegeuk Warriors are seeking their first East Asian Cup title since the tournament launched in 2008. The team finished third in 2013, when the games were hosted in South Korea.  
 
Meanwhile, the women's team left for Wuhan on Wednesday, three days before its first game of the event against China. 
 
Coach Yoon Deok-yeo on Wednesday said although main players such as Ji So-yun and Park Eun-sun are not on the roster, the team will do its best to satisfy expectations that rose following the team’s performance in the women's World Cup. 
 
South Korean women's team advanced to the round of 16 for the first time in the FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada in May.