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Kim Min-jae of the South Korean national soccer team takes part in the first full training session at the Cardiff International Sports Campus in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, on Friday afternoon (local time). The national team, coached by Jürgen Klinsmann, will play friendly matches against Wales and Saudi Arabia on Sept. 8 and 13, respectively.

Klinsmann's defensive pillar Kim Min-jae (27-Bayern Munich) is ready to play for the national team again after shaking off his mental struggles.

The South Korean national soccer team, led by Jürgen Klinsmann, will face Wales in an away trial at Cardiff City Stadium in Wales on Aug. 8 at 3:45 a.m. KST. The game will be especially meaningful for Kim Min-jae, who will be playing his first A match in a long time.

In June, Kim joined a training center for basic military training and missed two A matches against Peru and El Salvador in Korea. Without him, the defense suffered a 1-1 draw.

After his last A match, against Uruguay in March, Kim said, "I broke down mentally. I only want to focus on my team in the future," which caused controversy. Some even suggested that he might retire from the national team.

Two days later, Kim Min-jae said on social media, "I've always played hard for the national team. The controversy was put to rest when he apologized on social media, saying, "The meaning of hard work was conveyed incorrectly," but it was clear that he was physically and mentally exhausted.

Kim returned to the national team six months later. In the meantime, a lot has changed for Kim.

Already hailed as the "wall of Serie A," Kim Min-jae led Napoli to the league title, winning the league's best defense award, before moving to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window to "level up" once more.

On July 7, he was nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or. This is the first time an Asian defender has won the award.

Kim Min-jae, who used to feel a lot of pressure from the high expectations around him, is now mature enough to enjoy it. "I want to be a player who never stops improving, and I will always challenge for the championship with Bayern Munich," he said at the press conference, showing that he can handle the pressure of being part of a world-class team.

In a video released by the Korea Football Association (KFA) after joining the national team, Kim is seen mingling with his teammates and preparing for his return to A-match action.

Kim is expected to partner with veteran Kim Young-kwon (33-Ulsan) and young defenders Kim Ji-soo (19-Brentford) and Kim Joo-sung (23-Seoul) at the back.

It will be interesting to see how far Kim Min-jae can go in his return to the A team after six months as a 'Munich man'.

19가이드03; www.19guide03.com