Midfielder Kim Jung-woo got the winner in the 34th minute for the Koreans, who needed to win and for the three-time champion Saudis to beat Gulf rival Bahrain in order to advance.

The Saudis topped Group D with seven points following two wins and an opening draw with 2002 World Cup semifinalist South Korea, which finished 1-1-1 for four points.

As group winner, Saudi Arabia will remain in Jakarta for a weekend quarterfinal against the second-place team in Group C. The Koreans travel to Malaysia to take on the Group C winner.

Three-time champion Iran was playing last-place Malaysia and 2004 finalist China faced Uzbekistan in the last of the Group C preliminaries later Wednesday. Iran and China each had four competition points and Uzbekistan had three going into the last matches.

Defending champion Japan topped Group A and will meet Group B runner-up Australia in a quarterfinal at Hanoi on Saturday, when Group A winner Iraq takes on Vietnam at Bangkok.

At Jakarta, the Korean win meant disappointment for Indonesia and 90,000 fans in Gelora Bung Karno Stadium — a draw would have been enough for the co-hosts to advance.

Elie Aiboy went close for Indonesia after 28 minutes, shooting just over from inside the box when perhaps passing to the unmarked Budi Sudarsono would have been a better choice.

But it was the South Koreans who created most of the chances and converted one. Lee Chun-soo beat two defenders outside the box and passed to Kim, whose fierce shot took a slight deflection off Muhammed Ridwan.

The goal gave the Japan-based Kim a measure of redemption as it was his woeful backpass that led to Bahrain’s late winner three days previously.

At Palembang, Saudi Arabia took the lead on 17 minutes after Yasser Al Qahtani threaded a ball into the Bahrain penalty area which deflection and broke nicely for Ahmed Al Mousa, who rounded the goalkeeper and sidefooted the goal.

Abdularahman Al Qahtani made it 2-0 just on half time, sliding in at the far post to meet an accurate cross by Malek Maaz.

Bahrain almost pulled one back seven minutes after half time when Salman Isa Ghuloom fired a powerful shot from the left that the ‘keeper parried onto the crossbar.

Saudi Arabia sealed the victory on 72 minutes in spectacular fashion, when Taisir Al Jassam struck a powerful shot from outside the penalty box that flew past a diving Abdulkarim into the top left corner of the net.

Al Jassam added another 10 minutes from regulation time.

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