South Korea were held to a one-one draw by Thailand in a World Cup qualifying match on Thursday.

The Korean national team, led by interim coach Hwang Sun-hong, failed to win the Group C match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC qualifiers. 

Captain Son Heung-min scored in the 42nd minute but Team Korea failed to keep the lead and allowed an equalizer in the second half. 

With the draw, South Korea, standing 22nd in the rankings, remained atop Group C with seven points, while 101-ranked Thailand moved up to second with four points. 

This was South Korea's first international match after losing to Jordan 2-0 in the semifinals of the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar in February. It was also the first game since the controversy that arose following an altercation between Son and Lee Kang-in at the Asian Cup. 

The South Korean team will depart for Thailand on Friday for another qualifier in Bangkok, which is set for 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.