Kedah's wish to reach the 2020 AFC Champions League group stage came unstuck following the dismissal of one of their most experienced defenders.
Aidil Sharin made two changes from the side that hammered Hong Kong's Wofoo Tai Po last week with David Rowley and Shahril Sa'ari replacing Zaquan Adha and Ifwat Akmal respectively.
Those changes designed to make Kedah a little more compact in midfield with Rowley's presence tuck alongside Baddrol Bakhtiar and Amin Nazarin with Kpah Sherman asked to feature in a wider berth.
And for a large part of the first half, it was a ploy that worked with Kedah managing to hold Seoul out even though Shahril was constantly kept on his toes with the home side asking the early questions.