Park Hang-Seo is a former football player, hails from South Korea and has served as the coach for the Vietnam National Football Team until recently.
Shortly after the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Park was honored with the Maengho Medal, the second-class Order of Sport Merit in South Korea. This recognition was shared with other coaches and players from the national team that reached the World Cup semi-finals. In December 2022, he was awarded the Heungin Medal, the second-class Order of Diplomatic Service Merit, acknowledging his contributions to the relationship between South Korea and Vietnam.
Throughout his tenure as Vietnam’s coach, Park earned the nickname “Coach Terminator” from the Vietnamese media. This moniker stems from his perceived role in the resignations or dismissals of more prominent managers following losses to the lower-ranked Vietnam team. Notable figures affected include Guus Hiddink, Ján Kocian, Sven-Göran Eriksson, Antoine Hey, Simon McMenemy, Sirisak Yodyardthai, Alexandre Gama, and Bert van Marwijk.
Bio/Wiki
Age- 66 years
Height- 1.67 m
Weight- 62 kg
Born- 1 October 1957
Birthplace- Sancheong-gun, South Korea
Spouse- Choi Sang-A (m. 1987)
Profession-South Korean football manager
Nationality- Korean, South Korean
Teams coached-Vietnam national under-23 football team (Association football manager, 2018–2022), MORE
Family
Details about Park Hang-seo’s parents are not accessible, as he has chosen to keep his personal life private.
Wife
His wife, Choi Sang-a, became his spouse when he was 29 years old, and they have shared more than 40 years together.
Children
They have a child together named Park Chan-Seong.
Career
Park led the South Korea under-20 squad to victory in the 1978 AFC Youth Championship, and he made his senior international debut against Japan on March 8, 1981, securing a 1–0 victory. Following this, he fulfilled his mandatory military service in the ROK Army football club after joining the semi-professional club Korea First Bank. Between 1984 and 1988, Park played for Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso, playing a key role in winning the 1985 K League title and earning the K League Best XI award that season.
Following his retirement as a player in 1989, Park commenced his coaching career with Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso. In November 1996, he took on the role of caretaker manager, overseeing a match in the 1996 Korean FA Cup.
Between 1997 and February 2000, Park served as a coach for Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Additionally, he held the position of one of the two assistant managers under Guus Hiddink during the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Managerial career
In August 2002, Park assumed the role of manager for the South Korean side during the 2002 Asian Games, following his successful stint as the senior team assistant. Although South Korea lost to Iran in the semi-finals on penalties, they secured the bronze medal. However, Park was dismissed after the tournament.
In August 2005, he became the inaugural manager of the newly-formed Gyeongnam FC in the K League. In December 2007, Park took over from Huh Jung-moo as the manager of Jeonnam Dragons. From 2012 to 2015, he managed the military team Sangju Sangmu in South Korea. In 2017, Park became the manager of Changwon City, a third-division team. On 29 September 2017, he was appointed as the manager of the Vietnam national football team.
During the 2018 Asian Games, Park’s team reached the semi-finals, securing a fourth-place finish for the first time in 56 years. He received praise for his managerial skills. In the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Vietnam reached the quarter-finals but lost to eventual runner-up Japan, 1–0.
In June 2021, during the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, Vietnam was drawn into the same group as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates. Park decided to leave Vietnam after his contract expired on 31 January 2023, making the 2022 AFF Championship in December his last tournament as the manager of the Vietnam national football team. Vietnam reached the final but ultimately lost to Thailand.
Net Worth 2024
As of 2024, Park Hang-seo’s estimated net worth or net income is in the range of $1 million to $2 million dollars.
Park Hang-Seo’s Rejection
Malaysia Football Chief Cites Coach Park’s Temperament as Reason for Rejection
The president of the Football Association of Malaysia, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, clarified that he did not select Park Hang-seo as the national coach due to concerns about his temperament.
“Other FAM members liked him, but I didn’t,” he told Malaysian TV channel Astro Arena on Sunday. “There was a moment when he was too provocative and that crossed a line for me.”
Referring to a 2022 World Cup second qualifying round match in June 2021, in which Vietnam defeated Malaysia 2-1, the Football Association of Malaysia president, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, explained that he did not choose Park Hang-seo as the national coach due to concerns about his temperament. In that match, Park exhibited a fiery reaction to a dangerous foul committed by Liridon Krasniqi, receiving a yellow card.
He further gestured to Malaysian fans and players to stay silent, celebrated provocatively after the match, and had a tense handshake with the Malaysian coach. Hamidin cited Park’s short temper as the reason for not selecting him after the 2020 AFF Cup loss. Despite Park’s openness to leaving Vietnam at the time, Malaysia opted for another South Korean, Kim Pan-gon. Hamidin’s decision has sparked a debate among fans and media in Malaysia, with speculation about Park’s next coaching assignment circulating, including rumors of interest from Thailand, Singapore, and China, while he currently manages a youth football academy in Vietnam.
