Staff Coach Park to Head National Team Through Busan Asian Games

“A Korean coach is being considered for the national soccer team.” Officials at the Korean Football Association said on July 18 that it dose not expect to find a foreign coach in time for the upcoming Asian Games in Busan.

They also denied some press reports that the football body contacted Denisley, former Turk national coach, to ask him to head the Korean team.

For KFA to appoint new coaching staff for the Busan Asian Games, it must convene a technical committee meeting. Committee’s chairman Lee Yong-soo, however, submitted a letter of resignation citing some personal reason, which the association is refusing to accept.

KFA is asking Lee, who worked closely with Hiddink, to stay until the Asian Games, but he appears determined to quit the job. A committee meeting is scheduled for July, and the committee will decide who will lead the national team by the end of August.

Park Hang-suh, staff coach of the World Cup team, is being considered the best candidate for the head figure, while Choi Jin-han, trainer of the team, is likely to take the assistant coaching job.

And only those players aged under 24 will be allowed to participate in the Asian Games, with three players to join as exceptions. Given that, of World Cup players, Song Jong-guk, Sul Ki-hyun, Lee Chun-soo, Cha Doo-ri and Park Ji-sung are all aged under 24, the new national team is expected to center around World Cup line-ups.

This is why Park, who served as a staff coach under Hiddink, is being considered as the best candidate. Park’s contract expired as of June 30, but Park is believed to be available for the renewal.

Sung-Won Joo swon@donga.com