▁Z en it ▁Saint ▁Petersburg ▁before ▁the ▁World ▁Cup ▁and ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁assistant ▁coach ▁P im ▁Ver be ek , ▁who ▁had ▁also ▁worked ▁under ▁H idd ink ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁World ▁Cup . ▁ ▁South ▁Korea ' s ▁next ▁major ▁tournament ▁was ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁A FC ▁Asian ▁Cup . ▁The ▁team ▁strugg led ▁in ▁the ▁group ▁stages ▁without ▁Premier ▁League ▁players ▁Lee ▁Young - py o , ▁Park ▁Ji - s ung , ▁and ▁Se ol ▁Ki - h ye on . ▁The ▁team ▁drew ▁its ▁first ▁game ▁against ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia ▁but ▁suffered ▁a ▁shock ing ▁loss ▁to ▁Bah rain . ▁They ▁narrow ly ▁defeated ▁co - host ▁Indones ia ▁in ▁their ▁final ▁group ▁game ▁and ▁managed ▁to ▁scra pe ▁through ▁with ▁four ▁points . ▁They ▁defeated ▁Iran ▁in ▁the ▁quarter - final s ▁via ▁penalty ▁shoot - out ▁following ▁a ▁draw . ▁South ▁Korea ▁entered ▁another ▁penalty ▁shoot - out ▁after ▁another ▁go all ess ▁draw ▁to ▁Ira q ▁but ▁were ▁defeated . ▁They ▁then ▁beat ▁Japan ▁on ▁pen alt ies ▁once ▁more ▁to ▁gain ▁third ▁place . ▁Later , ▁it ▁was ▁discovered ▁that ▁during ▁the ▁tournament , ▁four ▁veter an ▁players , ▁including ▁then ▁captain ▁Lee ▁W oon - ja e , ▁broke ▁team ▁rules ▁to ▁go ▁on ▁a ▁late - night ▁drink ing ▁b inge ▁in ▁an ▁Indones ian ▁bar . ▁Each ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁players ▁were ▁b anned ▁from ▁national ▁team ▁participation ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁two ▁years