The national soccer team will gather Friday afternoon at a training center in the northern Seoul suburb of Paju to begin training for the upcoming World Cup.

Striker Ahn Jung-hwan of the German team Duisburg and midfielder Lee Eul-yong of the Turkish pro team Trabzonspor will return home on Monday and Tuesday respectively to join their 21 teammates.

The 23-member squad will likely focus on basic training to boost physical strength ahead of two friendly matches against Senegal and Bosnia Herzegovina slated for May 23rd and 26th respectively at the World Cup Stadium in Seoul.

Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Korea Football Association Lee Young-moo said the players will first undergo health screenings prior to the launch of the training session.