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The Korean national soccer team, which achieved the feat of advancing to the World Cup round of 16 after 12 years, has Oh Hyun-kyu, the '27th Taegeuk Warrior', who did his part to the end, although he did not attract attention.



Our national team, which returned to Korea yesterday (7th) through Incheon International Airport, thanked the soccer fans for their support and conducted a return interview.



In the interview that day, captain Son Heung-min said, "I want to say thank you so much to (Oh) Hyun-gyu."



He said, "I came to this World Cup because of me and sacrificed. Despite being a young player, he knew exactly what this team needed and played that role faithfully." A player who did,” he emphasized.



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Oh Hyun-gyu, mentioned by Son Heung-min, was not included in the final list of 26 players for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, but is a striker on the 'preliminary list' that went to Doha, Qatar together.



As main striker Son Heung-min suffered an orbital fracture earlier, making it uncertain whether he would participate in the World Cup, coach Paulo Bento brought Suwon Samsung striker Oh Hyun-kyu to Doha, Qatar.



At the time Oh Hyun-gyu was selected as a reserve player, Korea had already submitted the World Cup roster to FIFA, but it was possible to change the roster 24 hours in advance if there was a reason such as a serious injury.



However, as Son Heung-min decided to digest the World Cup game with mental strength and a face mask, Oh Hyun-kyu's joining of the final list of 26 became virtually non-existent.



Oh Hyun-gyu, who did not even get a chance to sit on the bench, let alone play in the World Cup stage that every soccer player dreams of, was not frustrated.



Rather, he acted as a hidden support staff by acting as a training partner for the players in Doha, and fellow players who knew his efforts and sacrifices also called Oh Hyeon-gyu, who did not want to take pictures because he did not have a uniform number at the time of the national team photo shoot after entering Doha. We took a picture together and took care of him.



Afterwards, Oh Hyun-gyu, who helped the national team with their dirty work, shared the joys and sorrows of the national team with other players when they defeated Portugal in the third group H group match and confirmed their advance to the round of 16.



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After returning to the national team, Oh Hyun-gyu said on his social media, "Even though I was not an official entry and did not step on the ground, it was a great pleasure and honor to be together as a member of the World Cup, which is the stage of my dreams." That moment was a great learning for me, and I am grateful to the coach and all the staff involved who allowed me to dream another dream as a soccer player and move forward.”



Meanwhile, Oh Hyun-gyu, who scored 13 goals (3 assists) in the K-League 1 this season and is showing a good figure while keeping the team in the league, soccer fans are looking forward to the Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled for next September and the final qualifiers for the Paris Olympics in January 2024. We are looking forward to your performance in .



(Photo = Provided by the Korea Professional Football Federation, Yonhap News)