Jung Seung-hyun (Ulsan Hyundai), who has established himself as the main defender for Jürgen Klinsmann’s South Korea men’s national soccer team, scored his first goal in an A-match.

Klinsmann’s men rode a brace from Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) and another from Jeong Seung-hyun to a 3-0 victory over China in their second Group C match of the 텍사스홀덤 FIFA Confederations Cup North America 2026 Asian Qualifiers at the Universiade Sports Center in Shenzhen, China, on Sunday (June 21) at 9 p.m. ET.

It was the second straight win for South Korea, who also won 5-0 against Singapore on Sept. 16, to top Group C. It’s also encouraging to note that they beat Yoo Jong-mi in their last A-match in 2023.

In addition, Jung Seung-hyun, who has recently stepped up as the main defender for Klinsmann’s team, scored his A-Match debut.

Under former coach Paulo Bento, who led the team until last year, Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) was partnered by Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan).

The left-footed Kim Young-kwon and right-footed Kim Min-jae were deployed in the left and right central defense positions, respectively, to play a more efficient and quick passing style of soccer.

In the early days of Klinsmann’s tenure, Kim was paired with Kim Min-jae, but since the Peru game in June, Kim’s partner has been Jung Seung-hyun.

Jung Seung-hyun also proved to be a formidable presence in the June A match when Kim Min-jae was injured, partnering with Park Ji-soo (Wuhan). Since then, Jung has been consistently chosen as Kim Min-jae’s partner.

After some shaky performances in the September A-Match, the duo showed off their steady defense in the back-to-back matches in October and November. As a result, the Jung-Seung-hyun-Min-jae lineup kept a clean sheet in six consecutive A-Match matches.

In addition, Jung Seung-hyun scored his A-Match debut goal against China. In the 42nd minute, Son Heung-min finished off a cross from the right side of the opponent’s penalty box with a header for his first goal in 19 A-Match matches.

Klinsmann’s eyes now turn to the Asian Cup in Qatar next January. Klinsmann is aiming to win the tournament. In order to achieve this goal, it will be crucial for Jeong Seung-hyun to continue his current form.