Park Hang-seo (Korean: 박항서; Hanja: 朴恒緖; born 1 October 1957[2]) is a South Korean football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of the Vietnam national football team,[3] and is considered one of the most successful managers in Vietnamese football history.[4] He is currently the sports advisor of Vietnamese team Bắc Ninh.[5]
In August 2002, Park was appointed as manager of the South Korean side for the 2002 Asian Games by performing successfully as the senior team assistant.[12] However, Korea Football Association (KFA) hadn't done any preparation for the 2002 Asian Games since there was no manager or coaching staff for 2 years. KFA had focused on the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which was co-hosted in South Korea, so Park had to prepare for the tournament in 2 months. In addition, KFA was criticized that Park worked without getting paid because they formally didn't sign with him.[13] South Korea lost to Iran on penalties in the semi-finals, but won the bronze medal. Park was sacked after the tournament.[14]
South Korean clubs
In August 2005, Park became the inaugural manager of the newly-formed Gyeongnam FC in the K League.[15] Gyeongnam finished fourth in the 2007 K League season, but Park left the team due to internal conflict.[16]
From 2012 to 2015, Park managed the military team Sangju Sangmu in South Korea. Under his guidance, his squad won the country's second-division league, K League Challenge, in 2013 and 2015. He left the team after his contract expired after the 2015 season.[19]
On 29 September 2017, Park was appointed the manager of the Vietnam national football team.[21] His debut match for Vietnam was a goalless draw against Afghanistan in the third round of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification on 14 November 2017, which helped Vietnam qualified to the tournament since 2007.[22] Also in charge of the under-23 side, the team reached the final of the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship, which is Vietnam's first-ever final in the official AFC competitions,[23] but they lost 1–2 against Uzbekistan after extra time.[24] He received Vietnam's third-class Labor Order after this achievement, although he lost the title.[25]
At the 2018 Asian Games, his side also advanced to the semi-finals and finished fourth for the first time in 56 years,[26] with Park earning praise for his management.[27] On 15 December 2018, the Vietnamese team under Park won the AFF Championship after defeating Malaysia, 3–2 on aggregate, in the second leg of the finals in Mỹ Đình National Stadium of Hanoi. He received the Friendship Order from the Vietnamese government by bringing Vietnam's first regional championship in 10 years.[28][29]
In the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Vietnam reached the quarter-finals but lost to eventual runner-up Japan, 1–0.[30] Vietnam also became the runner-up in the 2019 King's Cup as they lost 5–4 in a penalty shootout following a 1–1 draw in the final against Curaçao.[31] Park won the gold medal at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, thus winning the first football title for Vietnam as a united country at the games.[32] He was awarded the second-class Labor Order by the Vietnamese government the next year.[33] In the very next Southeast Asian games in 2022, he led Vietnam to the second straight title, before he resigned from the under-23 team.[34]
In June 2021, for the second round of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, Vietnam was drawn in the same group as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. With manager Park, the team finished as the runner-up of the group with 17 points from 8 games. Vietnam advanced to the final round of qualification for the first time ever.[35] In the third round of the World Cup qualification, Vietnam earned 4 points by achieving a 3–1 victory to China and a 1–1 draw with Japan, although they lost eight out of ten matches.[36][37] He decided to leave Vietnam after his contract expires on 31 January 2023, so the 2022 AFF Championship in December was Park's last tournament as manager of the Vietnam national football team.[38] At this tournament, Vietnam came into the final but eventually lost to Thailand.[39]
Just after the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Park received the Maengho Medal, the second-class Order of Sport Merit in South Korea, alongside other coaches and players of the national team, who reached the World Cup semi-finals.[41] In December 2022, he also got the Heungin Medal, the second-class Order of Diplomatic Service Merit, due to his contribution to the relationship between South Korea and Vietnam.[42]
^"Vietnam's U23 team awarded first-class Labor Order". Voice of Vietnam World. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 26 February 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc awarded the first-class Labor Order to the U-23 team and the third-class Labor Order to head coach Park Hang-seo, a Republic of Korea national, and to midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai and goal keeper Bui Tien Dung for their outstanding performance at the tournament.
^ ab"Football inspires patriotism, national pride: Vietnam PM". Tuoi Tre News. 22 December 2018. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023. During Friday's reception, PM Phuc also granted a Friendship Order to head coach Park Hang-seo and a first-class Labor Order to the national football team.
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