Thirty national soccer team players will start competing Monday to make the final 23-man World Cup roster in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

To be absent because their respective pro leagues have yet to complete the seasons are team captain Park Ji-sung (Manchester United); striker Lee Chung-yong (Bolton Wanderers); striker Lee Keun-ho (Iwata); defender Lee Jung-soo (Kashima); defender Kwak Tae-hwi (Kyoto); defender Lee Young-pyo (Al Hilal); and striker Ahn Jung-hwan (Dalian Shide).

Also gone Tuesday and Wednesday because of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League playoffs will be Suwon Samung’s Lee Woon-jae, Cho Won-hee, Kang Min-su and Yeom Ki-hun. Kim Jae-sung, Shin Hyung-min, Kim Hyung-il and Hwang Jae-won of the Pohang Steelers will also be in Champions League action, as will Lee Dong-gook (Jeonbuk Hyundai) and Jung Sung-ryong (Seongnam Ilwha)

So team coach Huh Jung-moo will have just 12 of the 30-man preliminary roster report Monday. They are striker Ki Sung-yueng (Celtic); defender Cha Du-ri (Frieburg); striker Park Chu-young (AS Monaco); midfielder Kim Bo-kyung (Oita); goalie Kim Young-kwang, defenders Oh Beom-seok and Kim Dong-jin (Ulsan Hyundai); midfielder Kim Chi-woo and striker Lee Seung-yeoul (FC Seoul); midfielder Kim Jung-woo (Gwangju Sangmu); and defender Cho Yong-hyung and midfielder Koo Ja-cheol (Jeju United)

Korea will face Ecuador in an exhibition game May 16 at Seoul World Cup Stadium and play host Japan in another friendly May 22 in Saitama.

The team could also add two or three more players to the 23-man roster to guard against injury.