Two penalties from Cho Young-wook along with Kim Hyun-woo’s scrambled effort proved the difference on a night when the East Asians, after being forced to come from behind, had things far from their own way.

Despite failing to hit top gear, Chung was nevertheless adamant that the victory, which confirmed a last eight meeting against the runners-up from Group D, will undoubtedly benefit his talented squad.

The Young Socceroos will play in the competition's knockout stage for the first time since 2012, but only after they negotiated 90 desperate minutes against a Jordan side who were themselves fighting to stay in the competition.

Milicic was frank in his assessment of the match, but said his players once again showed their fighting spirit to get the much needed result.

Needing only a point to guarantee their progress, Chung Jung-young’s charges were pushed all the way by their resilient Southeast Asian opponents as a brace of penalties from Cho Young-wook ensured Korea Republic’s place in the next phase ahead of second-placed Australia who drew with Jordan in the group’s other match.

The Koreans will now meet the yet to be confirmed runners-up from Group D in what is an already eagerly expected last eight tie on Monday.

Jordan were eliminated despite having more than 20 shots at goal, with Omar Hani Al Zebdieh's equaliser not enough to overturn Oliver Pufflet's early Australian goal.

The result meant Australia finish second in Group C and are now 90 minutes away from a place at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, with a quarter-final against the winners of Group D to be played at the same venue on Monday.

Requiring a win to remain in contention ahead of the match, the result – coupled with table-topping Japan’s defeat of Iraq in the group’s other game – saw Thailand move through to the last eight at the expense of third-placed DPR Korea who had needed a victory of their own to guarantee their progress.

Ithsara Sritharo’s young charges will now meet Group A winners Qatar in what promises to be an enticing last eight encounter at Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Sunday.

Qahtan Chitheer's Iraq side only had an outside chance of advancing coming into the match, but a Taichi Hara brace and goals from Yuta Taki, Kyosuke Tagawa and Koki Saito put paid to their slim hopes.

The defending champions had been anointed as Group B winners before the Matchday Three clash, but they ensured they will enter the knockout stage as the competition's form team with another commanding display.

Iraq needed to win and hope for a draw between Thailand and DPR Korea to keep their slim quarter-final hopes alive, but they squandered a golden early chance when Hasan Abdulkareem found himself through on goal only to be denied by goalkeeper Keisuke Osako.