Jens Castrop, a 22-year-old midfielder with dual German and Korean citizenship, became the first foreign-born, multiracial player to be called up to the Korean men’s senior national football team Monday.
Korea’s head coach Hong Myung-bo included Castrop in a 26-man roster for the team’s upcoming friendlies against the United States and Mexico in September.
The call-up comes as the Taeguk Warriors regroup for the first time since July’s East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship. The squad already secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup earlier this year.
Born in Dusseldorf in 2003 to a German father and Korean mother, Castrop previously represented Germany at various youth levels. He had been seen as a potential addition to Korea’s midfield but was unable to join the team in the first half of the year due to injuries.
His inclusion follows his official switch of international allegiance from the German Football Association to the Korea Football Association after making a full recovery.
The midfielder began his professional career with FC Koln and rose to prominence in the 2. Bundesliga with FC Nurnberg. He recently signed with Borussia Monchengladbach and made both his club and Bundesliga debuts earlier this month.
“Although Castrop is young, he is a player who has consistently grown while gaining experience in the Bundesliga. Above all, I highly value the strong will and sense of responsibility he has shown to join our national team,” Hong said during a press conference to announce the lineup. “I hope he adapts quickly and brings new vitality to the team.”
Hong added that he expects Castrop to be a major asset to the team, noting his “fighter-like, rugged style of play,” which sets him apart from the other defensive midfielders.
Son Heung-min, who recently moved to Major League Soccer (MLS) side Los Angeles FC after a standout career with Tottenham in the English Premier League (EPL), was also on the squad list.
Son scored his first goal for LAFC in just his third appearance in a match against Dallas the previous day.
“I see it as a positive sign that he’s showing good form and scoring goals while in the process of adapting to a new league environment,” Hong said of Son. “The national team will continue to monitor Son’s performance and help him maintain good form without any major injuries.”
Key players from European clubs were also included. Among them are defender Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich, who had been sidelined with an ankle injury, along with Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain and Lee Jae-sung of Mainz.
Castrop is the only player on the list to receive his first senior team call-up, while winger Jeong Sang-bin, who plays for St. Louis City SC in the U.S., joins the senior squad for the first time in four years, since June 2021.
Hong also commented on Jeong, saying, “He has been showing good performance, and since there won’t be issues like jet lag for him in the U.S., we wanted to bring him in to check on him.”
Korea will depart for the U.S. next Monday to face the hosts on Sept. 7 in Harrison, New Jersey, before taking on Mexico on Sept. 10 in Nashville, Tennessee.
“Both the U.S. and Mexico are strong teams with excellent physicality and speed, so they will be a great test for us,” Hong said. “We plan to try out tactics we can use in the World Cup and quick transitions from defense to offense. We also intend to test the three-back formation we used in the East Asian Cup, especially with the European players.”
