After dominating much of the match but failing to convert a series of chances, South Korea fell behind in the 59th minute when defender Ladislav Krejci headed home from a long throw by Vladimir Coufal.
The lead lasted only eight minutes.
Midfielder Hwang In-beom produced a moment of individual brilliance in the 67th minute, collecting the ball at the edge of the penalty area before feinting past a defender and delicately chipping goalkeeper Matej Kovar to level the score.
South Korea completed the turnaround in the 80th minute. Hwang drove down the right flank and delivered a low cross into the six-yard box, where substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu converted from close range to make it 2-1.
The Czech Republic nearly responded immediately, but Adam Hlozek’s effort was cleared off the line by goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu. Earlier, Tomas Soucek had also seen a goal ruled out for offside.
South Korea controlled possession for much of the contest and created the better opportunities throughout. Captain Son Heung-min was heavily involved in attack but failed to find the net despite several promising chances.
The Tottenham forward came closest shortly before halftime when he missed a tap-in from close range. He also sent two other efforts off target before being substituted in the 70th minute.
South Korea had threatened from the start, with Lee Kang-in forcing an early save from Kovar and Hwang testing the Czech goalkeeper from distance shortly after the break. Kovar made a number of key stops to keep his side level before the breakthrough.
The Czech Republic created relatively few chances but remained dangerous from set pieces and long throws. Soucek missed a close-range opportunity in the first half before Krejci eventually broke the deadlock after the interval.
South Korea held firm during six minutes of stoppage time and secured all three points, giving Hong Myung-bo’s side an early advantage in Group A.
The result marked a successful start to South Korea’s World Cup campaign and rewarded a performance in which they were the more proactive side for long stretches of the match.
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