ASIAN ICE HOCKEY

South Korea arrives at the 2026 IIHF Asia Championship with a dramatically refreshed and noticeably younger roster. Compared with their last appearance at the 2025 IIHF World Championship Division 1B, the team looks very different.

Team Korea at the IIHF Ice Hockey Asia Championship

In total, seven players will make their senior international debut, all getting their first taste of a top-tier tournament.

On the club side, 16 players come from the ALIH, including 11 from defending champions HL Anyang. They’re joined by five players from Korean universities and two overseas additions: rookie Yoon Min Shin from the BCHL, and Sang Yeob Kim, who arrives from KHL Sisak of the AlpsHL.

Spotlight on Sang Yeob Kim: A New Offensive Leader?

Much of the spotlight will fall on 21-year-old Sangyeob Kim, one of Korea’s standouts at the recent Asian Winter Games in Harbin. With several senior forwards missing, he’s expected to carry a bigger share of the offensive responsibility. Coach Woo Jae Kim will be watching closely to see how he handles a leadership role for the first time.

Another player poised for a breakthrough is Geon Woo Kim, now in his fifth season with the national team and the most productive ALIH skater on the roster this year (14 points in 17 games).

Experience on the Blue Line, Youth Up Front

In goal, the team once again turns to Yeon Seung Lee, the 30-year-old veteran and the oldest player on the roster.

While the forward group skews young, the blue line brings more experience. Alongside defensive anchor Hee Doo Nam, fans will see the return of Hyeong Cheol Song, who puts on the national jersey for the first time in almost two years. He remains the only player on this roster who saw the ice during South Korea’s historic run in the 2018 top division of the World Championship (goalie Yeon Seung Lee was there too but didn’t play).

Big Names Missing From South Korea’s Golden Generation

Several pillars of the “golden year” of Korean hockey are absent this time. HL Anyang’s biggest stars – Jin Hui Ahn, Sang Wook Kim, and Sang Hoon Shin – are not on the roster, nor is longtime national-team defender Won Jun Kim, who recently retired at age 34.

South Korea will also be without arguably the country’s biggest current star, Chong Min Lee, who made his AHL debut this year. Naturally, he and Jungwook “James” Hong (NCAA) were unable to join the team.