Hwang In-beom speaks during an interview at Zion’s Bank Training Center in Herriman, Utah, Monday. (Yonhap) Hwang In-beom, the midfield engine of the South Korea national soccer team under coach Hong Myung-bo, said he is targeting a historic World Cup quarterfinal run in what will be his second appearance at the tournament.Hwang spoke to reporters Monday before national team training at Zion's Bank Training Center in Herriman, near Salt Lake City.The biggest question surrounding Hwang was his health after an injury. A key midfielder for South Korea since before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he had been sidelined for about two months after suffering an ankle injury in March."I'm in condition to immediately join full team training," Hwang said. "There's nothing to worry about physically.""My body is almost fully back," he added. "Week by week, I can feel my movement becoming smoother. Match fitness is something I have to regain by playing games, so it's fortunate we have two exhibition matches before the tournament."Hwang also dealt with calf and thigh injuries last year before another setback this season."I spent a lot of time rehabbing last year," he said. "I thought I had finally overcome the calf injury, but then I suffered my first ankle injury in March after another stroke of bad luck. Injuries seem unavoidable during a career. I tried to stay mentally strong, and spending time with my family helped me recover quickly."South Korea lost both March exhibition matches in Europe while Hwang was unavailable, falling 4-0 to the Ivory Coast national soccer team and 1-0 to the Austria national soccer team.Many pointed to Hwang's absence as a major factor behind the disappointing performances, but the midfielder disagreed."I don't think the team struggled simply because I wasn't there," he said. "This is a team where others can step up and fill the gap when someone is missing. Even if I had been called up, we still would have faced difficult matches, and other problems could have appeared."Asked what has changed since his first World Cup, Hwang pointed to experience."My first World Cup remains a happy memory full of excitement and anticipation," he said. "This time, because I'm coming off an injury, I'm excited but also wondering whether I can perform well. If we stay united as we did in the last World Cup and produce good performances and results, I think we can bring happiness to many people."Regarding Hong's planned three-center back system, Hwang said his responsibilities in midfield remain largely the same regardless of formation."But with three defenders behind me, I can play more aggressively in attack, which suits my style," he said.Hwang made clear his goal for the tournament is to surpass South Korea's finish in Qatar."In knockout rounds, anything can happen because it's one game," he said. "At the last World Cup, after three group-stage matches, some players — myself included — were almost completely exhausted by the match against the Brazil national soccer team in the Round of 16. This time, the longer breaks between group-stage matches should give us a physical advantage if we reach the knockout stage."Hwang also agreed with assessments that this may be the strongest squad in South Korean soccer history."We have many players with outstanding individual ability, and more players competing in Europe," he said. "But to maximize those strengths, everyone has to think about the team first — not themselves. That includes all 26 players and even the three training partners. Sacrifice creates synergy."(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)