South Korea held a rare public training session on Monday as the Taeguk Warriors prepare to host Brazil in a friendly on Thursday in Seoul.

The gates were thrown open to allow supporters to catch a glimpse of the players practicing at the national team's training site in Paju.

And it was obvious who the star attraction was, with South Korea captain and Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min garnering the vast majority of the attention.

"I'm a big fan of Son and I've watched all of his matches since 2018. It's my first time to see him in person this close, so I'm thrilled and looking forward to meeting him," said South Korea supporter Kim Woo-jung.

Son returned home to a hero's welcome after wrapping up an impressive individual season that saw him share the Premier League's Golden Boot award with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah. The 29-year-old striker is the first Asian player to ever claim the coveted honor, adding to a growing list of achievements.

Now he's setting his sights on a status he currently feels is occupied by Brazil captain and Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar.

"Neymar is the best player in the world, and I think I am working hard to become the best player in the world," said Son. "So rather than being an issue like that, Brazil has a lot of really good players, and I think if our players do their best to show what we have to show in the game, then we can have a good result."

South Korea coach Paulo Bento added that he hopes his side will gain some valuable experience from playing against a side like Brazil as they prepare for the FIFA World Cup later this year.

(With input from AP)