Lee Hanbeom: Moreno has told us to play with more freedom

Korea Republic defender Lee Hanbeom spoke to FIFA about the World Cup 2026 experience, moving to Club Brugge and new coach Robert Moreno.

Robert Moreno's start to life as Korea Republic's interim coach could not have gone any better. Taking on Ecuador, for whom Marcelo Gallardo was also in charge for the first time, the Koreans were transformative after the break in their freindly at Suwon World Cup Stadium on Thursday, with Oh Hyeongyu, Son Heungmin and Lee Donggyeong all finding the net in a comprehensive 3-0 victory.

After the change in momentum after the break, Lee Hanbeom, who partnered Kim Minjae in central defence, was all smiles when he spoke exclusively to FIFA in the mixed zone afterwards. “We only had a very short time to prepare, so I’m relieved that things went better than I expected,” Lee he said.

Explaining the change in the second half, he added: “Because we hadn’t scored, the players became even more determined to get a goal. I think that gave everyone a bit more energy.”

Lee and Kim made their presence felt at both ends of the pitch, not only pushing high up the field but also boldly looking to create opportunities through their dribbling and passing. Indeed, Kim played a key role in Oh’s opening goal. The centre-back fired a sharp pass forward to Song Mingyu, who laid the ball off for Oh to score.

Moreno’s instructions to his centre-backs were relatively straightforward. “He actually focused more on the attacking side than the defensive side,” Lee explained. “When we’re building from the back, he told the centre-backs that we can be confident and carry the ball forward. So today I felt comfortable doing that and driving forward with confidence.

"The coach wants us to play our way out from the back with short passes. If the opposition press aggressively, then we can go long. We’ve only had a short time together, so he’s just given us the general framework and told the players to play with a bit more freedom.”

On the risks involved in trying to play through pressure in dangerous areas, Lee added: “Even though these are friendly matches, we have to keep trying these things so that they’ll work when we get to the Asian Cup or other major tournaments. We have to keep attempting them.”

Playing with confidence is something Lee has increasingly demonstrated in recent months. Named in Korea Republic’s final squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, he formed a key part of the defence alongside Kim and featured in all three matches. Although Korea Republic’s campaign ended disappointingly in the group stage, Lee’s first World Cup also provided an invaluable platform for the next step in his career.

“I knew the World Cup was a huge stage, but experiencing it myself made me realise just how big it really is,” he reflected. “Having played on a stage like the World Cup has definitely given me more confidence.”

After the tournament, Lee left Danish side Midtjylland to join Belgian giants Club Brugge. In September, he also made his UEFA Champions League debut against Aston Villa. “My first goal was obviously to play in one of Europe’s top five leagues,” Lee said. “There were teams from those leagues interested in me, but Club Brugge caught my eye and it felt like a good fit. I thought about it a lot before making the decision, but ultimately it was a very good choice.

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"I did well on my Club Brugge debut, but after that my form dipped a little, perhaps because I still needed time to adapt. As time has gone on, though, I’ve gradually improved, and playing in the Champions League has given me more confidence. Having experienced a stage as big as the World Cup has definitely helped with that too.”

The belief Lee gained at the World Cup is now serving him well both at Club Brugge and in Moreno’s new system with Korea Republic. “We went into this game having only trained together for two days,” Lee explained. “So there were still some things that weren’t completely clear in terms of how we should build up and defend. If we can improve those areas, I think we can show an even better version of ourselves.”

Korea Republic now face Uruguay, led by interim coach Diego Forlan, at Seoul World Cup Stadium on 28 September. They will then take on Venezuela on 2 October and Uzbekistan four days later.