South Korea's new German coach Uli Stielike said he wanted to take the national team on a "new journey" Tuesday as he prepared for his debut match in the dugout -- a friendly against Paraguay.

Taking charge of his first full training session ahead of Friday's game, Stielike said he wanted to see a new mental attitude among the players and coaching staff after a poor World Cup in Brazil.

"Today, the South Korean national team embarks on a new journey," the former German international told reporters.

"I hope the coaches and players will bring new attitudes to the table," he was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency.

"They will have to work hard at every practice and try to win every match to reach the hearts of our fans," he added.

The 23 players called up for the training camp included Bayer Leverkusen winger Son Heung-Min and Swansea City's midfield stalwart Ki Sung-Yueng.

Stielike's reign will begin with a series of friendlies. After Paraguay, South Korea play Costa Rica next week and then travel to the Middle East for games against Jordan and Iran.

"In modern football, it's important to have flexibility with tactics," Stielike said. "The key is for our players to make adjustments. They're all smart players and I have confidence they'll be able to follow."

Stielike has been tasked with rebuilding and then guiding the South Koreans to a successful 2015 Asian Cup in Australia in January.

Stielike, who played 42 times for West Germany but has endured a mixed coaching career, was named last month to steer South Korea until the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

He replaced Hong Myung-Bo, who resigned in July following South Korea's disappointing group-stage exit at the World Cup in Brazil.

He enjoyed a stellar playing career, making more than 200 appearances for Real Madrid and winning the European Championships with West Germany in 1980.

After retiring he coached Switzerland between 1989 and 1991. Most recently he worked in Qatar, with two different clubs -- Al-Arabi and Al-Sailiya. He has also coached Ivory Cost and spent time with Swiss side FC Sion.