[Anchor]

The South African national team's strengths lie in their rapid breakthroughs and long-range shooting. The Korean defensive line, led by Kim Min-jae, says they have prepared a tailored strategy and are confident of victory.

Reporter Cho Min-ki has the story.

[Reporter]

Head coach Hong Myung-bo deployed a three-back formation consisting of Kim Min-jae, Lee Ki-hyuk, and Lee Han-beom in both the matches against the Czech Republic and Mexico.

Although they conceded one goal per game, the defensive stability was better than expected.

Kim Min-jae proved his "big leaguer" class with steady defensive performances in every match, while Lee Han-beom, playing in his first World Cup, showed strength in aerial duels, and Lee Ki-hyuk excelled in clearances.

Kim Min-jae, the anchor of the defense, appeared confident, noting that their chemistry has improved with each passing game.

[Kim Min-jae/National Football Team Defender: Before coming to the World Cup, we lacked some confidence and looked a bit lost, but now everyone is performing their roles well. I think our confidence has grown a lot because of that.]

The defensive trio is expected to remain in the starting lineup, and they have completed their analysis of the South African attack, which is known for its dribbling and fast breakthroughs.

[Kim Min-jae/National Football Team Defender: (South Africa) has technically gifted players with speed, so the defenders have talked about preparing well for that aspect.]

Long-range shots are another threat to watch out for.

South Africa scored four of their 13 goals from long range in the 10 A-matches played before the World Cup, and in their two matches in this tournament, 13 out of their 20 shots were taken from outside the penalty box.

The national team plans to counter this by having Kim Min-jae guard the rear while Lee Ki-hyuk and Lee Han-beom apply aggressive pressure to block shooting opportunities.

[Kim Min-jae/National Football Team Defender: I don't think of it as me leading the way, but rather pushing from behind. It is important for all the players to become one and perform on the pitch.]

The increasingly solid "Taegeuk defensive wall" is confident of a win against South Africa.

[Kim Min-jae/National Football Team Defender: I believe we can win if we just play like we did in the previous two matches.]

Reported by Cho Min-ki | Video by Hwang In-seok | Video Editing by Hwang Ji-young | Graphics by Kang Yoon-jung | Produced by SBS Digital News