South Korea to play in World Championship for first time

South Korea will play in the 2018 IIHF World Hockey Championship for the first time in its history after defeating Ukraine in a shootout in a qualifying tournament.

Here's a look at the shootout winner by Sanghoon Shin:

Qualifying for the World Championship comes at a very opportune time for South Korea, as the city of Pyeongchang will be hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics.

With hockey as a marquee event for the Winter Olympics, interest in the game from the home nation could be at an all-time high once February rolls around.

There's at least one player on South Korea that NHL fans might be familiar with, former Edmonton Oilers defenseman Alex Plante. He was chosen 15th overall by the Oilers in 2007, suiting up in 10 games from 2009-12.