South Korea secured a spot in the round of 16 at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup after beating Kyrgyzstan 1 to 0 on Friday.

Korea, led by head coach Paulo Bento, faced the central Asian nation in the second Group C match held at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain.

Defensive back Kim Min-jae scored a header in the 41st minute, the only goal of the match. It was also Kim's first international goal in 14 matches after his debut with the national team in 2017.

Korea also beat the Philippines 1 to 0 on Monday. With two straight wins, Korea secured a second place finish in the group and is the third country after Jordan and China to advance to the knockout stage. 

Since taking the helm of the South Korean national team last August, Bento has continued an undefeated record of five wins and four draws.

Korea will face China in its final Group C match on Wednesday.