Dick Advocaat's South Korea troops came from behind to secure a 2-1 win over 10-man Togo in their World Cup Group G opener in Frankfurt on Tuesday.
The 2002 semi-finalists had a massive and vocal following but struggled to settle early on and Togo created the first chance when Mohamed Kader rattled a shot over the crossbar.
The Guingamp striker then opened the scoring in stunning fashion on 31 minutes, though, controlling a through ball with his right thigh before firing an angled 20-yard drive into the back of the net.
South Korea's 4-5-1 formation was not working at all and they were thankful to keeper Lee Woon-Jae for pulling off a fine save on 42 to deny Junior Senaya's 18-yard free-kick.
Advocaat rang the changes at the break and sent on Ahn Jung-Hwan, reverting to a 4-4-2 line-up - but Togo were again first out of the traps with Woon-Jae palming Kader's fierce shot around the post.
The game was turned on its head on 53 minutes, though, when Graham Poll gave Jean-Paul Abalo a second yellow card for chopping down Park Ji-Sung just outside the box.
And to compound Togo's misery, Lee Chun-Soo curled the resultant free-kick over the wall and past keeper Kossi Agassa to make it 1-1.
Togo's Moustapha Salifou scooped two fine chances over the bar - and those misses proved costly on 72 when sub Ahn thumped a 20-yard piledriver past Agassa to clinc hte points for South Korea.