St. Louis Forward Jeong Sang-bin Returns to Korea Squad After Three Years for US Friendlies

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo has named St. Louis City SC forward Jeong Sang-bin in his squad for September’s friendlies against the United States and Mexico, marking the 23-year-old’s first senior call-up in three years.

Jeong, who burst onto the scene at Suwon Samsung in 2020 and was once dubbed the “Korean Mbappé” for his pace and directness, made his international debut in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, scoring just four minutes after coming off the bench against Sri Lanka. Despite that promising start, he has not featured for the national team since.

His career path has been eventful. A move to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2022 was followed by a loan spell at Grasshoppers Zurich, where injuries and limited opportunities curtailed his progress. In 2023, he made a permanent switch to MLS with Minnesota United, but his first two seasons brought only sporadic minutes and modest returns.

This summer, Jeong joined St. Louis City SC and has quickly found form. He scored a debut goal with a header against Nashville before providing an assist in a lively display against Vancouver Whitecaps, using his trademark speed to break open the defence. Those performances convinced Hong that the time was right for a recall.

“Jeong Sang-bin has shown good form since moving clubs this summer,” said Hong at the squad announcement in Seoul. “Given that the matches will take place in the United States, there will be no issues with travel or time differences. This is a good opportunity to see his level directly.”

Korea will play the United States at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey on 6 September, before facing Mexico in Nashville on 9 September. With qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup already secured, Hong is using the autumn friendlies to both fine-tune his regular starters and reintroduce promising talents like Jeong.

Jeong’s inclusion also reflects Korea’s broader strategy of diversifying attacking options ahead of the World Cup. While Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan and Cho Gue-sung remain established names, the return of Jeong adds youthful depth and a different dynamic in the wide and forward areas.

For the player himself, the recall represents both a personal revival and a second chance on the international stage. At 22, time is on his side – and after years of challenges in Europe and MLS, Jeong Sang-bin once again has the opportunity to prove he belongs in the Taeguk Warriors’ plans.