Klinsmann finds a home in Seoul as scouting tour continues

Jurgen Klinsmann is committed to bringing success to the Korean national team, moving his family to Seoul to work more closely with the Korea Football Association (KFA).

Jurgen Klinsmann speaks to reporters following his arrival at Incheon International Airport in Incheon on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

Jurgen Klinsmann is committed to bringing success to the Korean national team, moving his family to Seoul to work more closely with the Korea Football Association (KFA).

Klinsmann has been staying in a hotel since he took charge of the national team in February, but is preparing to move into a new residence in Korea where he will stay during his tenure — one of the conditions that the KFA demanded when offering him the manager position.

Although it was assumed before his signing that Klinsmann would be shuttling back and forth between Seoul and his home in the United States, the German manager will also be joined by his family in Korea.

Klinsmann chose to live in Seoul because he can work with the KFA more closely — KFA House is located in Jongno District, central Seoul.

“Klinsmann chose Seoul in order to work with the KFA more often,” a KFA official said on Wednesday. “His wife and daughter are also moving with him, so it is suitable for them to live in a big city.”

His predecessor Paulo Bento lived in Goyang, Gyeonggi, closer to the Paju National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi.

Klinsmann returned to Korea on Wednesday after a European tour during which he monitored and met with Korean players based in Europe like Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung, Oh Hyeon-gyu and Kim Min-jae.

He visited Napoli’s stadium and watched Napoli’s Champions League match against AC Milan on April 18, although Kim was not in action that day due to being suspended for yellow card accumulation.

“He's all focused again,” Klinsmann said about Kim following his arrival in Korea on Wednesday. “He's looking forward to the next games with the national team.”

Klinsmann also saw Son Heung-min score a goal in front of him during Tottenham Hotspur’s game against AFC Bournemouth in London on April 15.

Following his arrival in Korea, Klinsmann headed straight to Jeonju, North Jeolla to watch a K League game between Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Daejeon Hana Citizen to analyze which players that could join the national team for the upcoming friendlies in June.

He is also planning to watch the U-20 World Cup in May carefully for players who could also have a future role on the national team.

The national team could see a few new names in the upcoming friendlies against El Salvador and Peru in the summer, as Klinsmann is looking to bring more of his influence to the team by harmonizing Europe-based players and new players he could pick from the K League.

He previously called up almost the exact same squad that went to the World Cup last year for his first two friendlies in March.

“You cannot change too much,” Klinsmann said during his training with the Taeguk Warriors on March 20. “Step by step, I would like to put more of my influence on the team and hopefully it is in a very positive way.”

After testing out the World Cup squad he inherited and analyzing numerous players, Klinsmann is ready to bring some changes.

The European football season is set to end after the Champions League final on June 10.

Klinsmann’s squad will gather for training shortly after the European season to train ahead of a friendly against Peru on June 16 and a second friendly with El Salvador on June 20, although he may have to go without Kim after reports Thursday that the center back is planning to fulfill his mandatory military basic training at the start of the summer.

Those two friendlies will be a chance for the German manager to redeem himself from the previous two games with the Taeguk Warriors, which ended with a 2-2 draw against Colombia and 2-1 loss with Uruguay.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]