There's a fresh sense of anticipation in the air that might have some in Korea casting their minds back to the 2002 World Cup.
The South Korean national football team put in one of its most impressive performances in years on Tuesday night, thrashing Uzbekistan four-nil.
The win means head coach Paulo Bento remains undefeated in his first six games in charge.
Lee Seung-jae reports.
In a dominating display in Brisbane on Tuesday, South Korea brushed aside Uzbekistan four-nil,... with four different South Korean players getting on the scoresheet.
Keeping his hot streak going, striker Hwang Ui-jo found the back of the net yet again,... making it three goals in four games under South Korea's new head coach Paulo Bento.
Hwang is coming off a successful Asian Games in Indonesia where he was instrumental in helping the country to the gold medal, scoring nine goals during the tournament.
The victory over Uzbekistan gives South Korea its first win on the road since head coach Paulo Bento took the reins in August,... and extends Bento's impressive start to six games unbeaten.
It's the longest undefeated start ever by a South Korean boss,.. surpassing the five game run by Jo Bonfrere in 2004.
Tuesday's friendly was South Korea's final match before the 2019 AFC Asian Cup,... which kicks off in the UAE in January.
Despite his early success,... Bento has some tough choices to make.
One crunch decision is who will play in goal with Kim Seung-kyu and World Cup hero Jo Hyun-woo battling it out to be between the sticks.
Pundits say that,... with a convincing performance and a clean sheet against Uzbekistan,... Jo Hyun-woo,... did himself some favors in Brisbane.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.