Saudi missile strikes cast shadow over Korea's November friendlies, 2027 Asian Cup

Growing instability in the Middle East surrounding Saudi Arabia has put South Korea's football program on alert, threatening the national team's planned November away friendlies and preparations for the Asian Cup set to open in January.

A Korea Football Association official said Monday the association is "closely communicating with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and carefully monitoring the situation." The KFA is also weighing multiple options regarding the away friendlies scheduled for next month.

On Saturday, King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh was struck by a missile fired by the Houthi rebels — a Yemen-based, Iran-aligned group — killing 13 multinational civilians and injuring more than 300. The following day, Sunday, an unidentified projectile struck an airport terminal again, leaving one person dead and 11 others wounded.

Security anxiety in Saudi Arabia has deepened further, with a series of powerful explosions reported in the heart of downtown Riyadh.

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised its travel warning for all of Saudi Arabia to Level 3 — "departure recommended" — effective 10 p.m. Sunday. The ministry urged South Korean nationals currently in the country to leave unless their presence is essential, and advised those planning to visit to cancel or postpone their trips.

The measures are expected to weigh heavily on the national team's plans for a Saudi away trip.

The squad, currently under interim head coach Roberto Moreno, had been pursuing a Middle East away tour during the FIFA A-match window from Oct. 9 to Oct. 17 to prepare for next year's Asian Cup. The plan called for a match against Saudi Arabia and at least one additional friendly against another Middle Eastern side in a neighboring country.

Saudi sports daily Al-Riyadiyah had reported Wednesday that the Saudi national team was scheduled to play friendlies against South Korea, Uzbekistan and others in November. But the rapidly deteriorating security situation has thrown those plans into doubt.

The immediate challenge is finding a new opponent and venue with barely a month to spare. The KFA must now balance player safety as its top priority against the need to keep the national team's match preparation on track ahead of the Asian Cup.

Concerns are also spreading to the Asian Cup itself. The 2027 AFC Asian Cup is scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5 next year, with Riyadh as one of three host cities — making the deteriorating security situation a significant variable for tournament preparations.

In the worst case, a change of host country for the Asian Cup cannot be ruled out.

After the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran last April, British daily The Guardian and other outlets reported that Australia was emerging as a potential alternative host, as it became increasingly uncertain whether the Asian Cup could proceed in Saudi Arabia amid the Middle East conflict.

Any further action will ultimately depend on the AFC's judgment.