South Korea began the 2025 East Asian Football Federation E-1 Championship with a convincing 3–0 victory over China on Monday night at Yongin Mireu Stadium, about 40 kilometres south of Seoul. Midfielder Lee Dong-gyeong opened the scoring after eight minutes, striker Joo Min-kyu doubled the lead with a header in the 21st, and defender Kim Ju-sung sealed the result early in the second half. Only 4,426 spectators attended the opener. Head coach Hong Myung-bo selected an entirely domestic-based 26-man squad because the tournament falls outside FIFA’s international window. After the match he said the players "performed better than prepared," praising their adaptation to an experimental back-three system that featured several debutants. The win extends South Korea’s unbeaten run against China to six matches and widens the all-time record to 24 wins, 13 draws and two defeats. The hosts, runners-up at the 2022 edition, are seeking a sixth regional title and their first since 2019. They face Hong Kong on 11 July before meeting long-time rival Japan on 15 July in the round-robin tournament. China, fielding a youthful side under interim coach Dejan Jurojevic, will look to rebound against Japan on 12 July.