The South Korean men's national football team took the first step toward winning the East Asian Football Federation’s E-1 Football Championship with a major victory against China.

The team, headed by Paulo Bento, defeated China in their first match at Toyota Stadium in Japan's Aichi Prefecture on Wednesday night with a final score of 3-0.

While South Korea dominated much of the game, the breakthrough came courtesy of China’s captain, defender Zhu Chenjie, who put the ball into his own net with a misplaced header from a long ball by South Korean defender Kwon Kyung-won.

Nine minutes into the second half, midfielder Kwon Chang-hoon doubled the score after slotting home a ball headed across the box by Kim Jin-su.

The final goal came in the 80th minute, when forward Cho Gue-sung scored with a right-footed shot.

Seeking their fourth consecutive championship title at the tournament, South Korea, currently ranked 28th internationally, now have 21 wins, 13 draws and two losses against 78th-ranked China.

The team will face off against Hong Kong on Sunday before taking on hosts Japan on July 27. Japan currently sit atop the table after thrashing Hong Kong 6-0 on Wednesday.