Moose Jaw 2023: Get to Know Korea

Under a new head coach Kim Tae-ho and with the return of their star forward Seung-Hwan Jung, Korea will hope to return to Worlds podium since 2019 22 May 2023
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Korea's best ever finish at the World Championships has been the silver medal at the 2012 edition before the two bronze medals at 2017 and 2019 editions.
Korea's best ever finish at the World Championships has been the silver medal at the 2012 edition before the two bronze medals at 2017 and 2019 editions.
ⒸSteph Chambers / Getty Images
By Stuart Lieberman | For World Para Ice Hockey

The 2023 World Para Ice Hockey Championships will take place from 28 May - June 4 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in Canada. The top eight teams from around the world will compete for the world title, with the top six finishers staying in the A-Pool for the next season. Follow along as we break down what you need to know about each team.

Korea

Background: 
Korea will look to return to the Para ice hockey international podium for the first time since 2019, when they won bronze at the World Championships. At both the last World Championships in 2021 and Paralympics in 2022, Korea fell one spot short of a medal, finishing in fourth place. The Koreans have finished no worse than fourth at every edition of the event dating back to 2017. They will be led by new head coach Kim Tae-ho, who was appointed to lead the national team for the first time this season after serving as an assistant coach for the last seven years. He also has experience working as a World Para Ice Hockey referee and wants to help the Korean team develop, discover, and grow young players in the future.

World Ranking: 3rd

World Championships History
2021: 4th place 
2019: 3rd place 
2017: 3rd place
2013: 7th place
2012: 2nd place
2009: 7th place
2008: 7th place

Athletes to Watch
Forward Seung-Hwan Jung, who once took a brief break from Para ice hockey to take up Nordic skiing, returns to anchor the offense for Korea. Known as “Messi on Ice,” one of the game’s fastest and slickest players led his team at the last World Championships with three points and 12 shots on goal. He scored one goal and assisted on another in Korea’s most crucial Paralympic game last year in which it defeated Italy in the quarter-finals to advance to the medal round. Korea will also be bringing seven new players to Moose Jaw who will make their international debuts in the sport. It will be the country with the newest players at the event.

Matchup to Watch: Korea vs. Czechia on 28 May
This will be the opening game of the tournament, and one in which many are billing as a potential preview of the bronze-medal contest. The two teams have not faced each other on the international stage in nearly two years; in their last matchup, Korea won 2-0 to open the 2021 World Championships. Prior to that, Korea beat Czechia, 4-1, in the bronze-medal game of the 2019 World Championships.