Ex-Vietnam coach Park Hang-seo assumes new responsibility in Korea 2026 World Cup campaign

Park was named one of five vice presidents of the KFA on April 9 and tasked primarily with supporting the national team.

On Thursday President Chung Mong-gyu decided to restructure the organization, increasing the number of committees from eight to 12, with the support committee receiving the most attention.

"This is a comprehensive effort to help the team reach the quarterfinals," a KFA official told News1.

"Coach Park Hang-seo plays an important role in South Korea's preparations for the 2026 World Cup," Wikitree said in an article.

"This has attracted considerable attention and surprise."

Vietnam's former coach Park Hang-seo. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams and be divided into 12 groups.

After a round-robin, the 12 group winners and runners-up and the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 32.

South Korea's only appearance in a World Cup quarterfinal was in 2002 under Dutch coach Guus Hiddink when Park Hang-seo served as his assistant.

The team reached the semifinals before losing 0-1 to Germany. The captain of that squad, Hong Myung-bo, is now the head coach of the national team.

South Korea first competed in the World Cup in 1954 and have not missed a tournament since 1986.

Their other top performances were reaching the round of 16 in 2010 and 2022.

They are currently close to securing their 12th World Cup appearance, leading Group B in the third round of the 2026 Asian qualifiers with 16 points - three ahead of Jordan and four ahead of Iraq - with two matches remaining.

The team only need to avoid losing to Iraq on June 5 in an away match to guarantee qualification.

Since assuming his role as KFA vice president, Park has strived to connect the Korean University Football Federation with the Vietnam Football Federation.

He lives in Vietnam, running a youth football center and serving as an advisor to second-division club Bac Ninh.

The 66-year-old led the Korean team at the 2002 ASIAD on home soil but was sacked after a semifinal exit.

He went on to manage four different domestic clubs starting in 2005.

In 2017 he began his journey with Vietnamese football, becoming head coach of both the U23 and senior national teams, which he remained until 2023.

He achieved some success with the team, winning a silver medal in the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, the 2018 AFF Cup title, a quarterfinal spot in the 2019 Asian Cup, two SEA Games gold medals in 2019 and 2021, and a final round entry into the Asian World Cup qualifiers for the first time in 2022.

Under him, Vietnam consistently maintained their status as Southeast Asia’s top team and lasted longest in FIFA’s top 100 rankings.

His final tournament was the 2022 ASEAN Cup, where Vietnam finished runners-up after losing to Thailand in the final.