Hwang Seong-hong will be the coach of the South Korean U23 national team at the 2023 Asian Games to be held in China. Photo courtesy: VnExpress/Lam Thoa
The Korean Football Association (KFA) has appointed Hwang Sung-heon, the coach of the South Korean U23 national team, as the interim coach of the national team ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in March.
According to the Korea Football Association's national committee meeting on Tuesday afternoon, Hwang will coach the national team until May, which would give him enough time to find a long-term coach.
One of the reasons Hwang was chosen was because of his understanding of the younger generation of Korean players, including Lee Kang-in, Jung Woo-young, and Seol Yong-woo, who were involved in the “table tennis incident'' that caused Son. . Heung-min dislocated his finger earlier this month before the 2-0 loss to Jordan in the 2023 Asian Cup semi-finals.
Hwang's job is to resolve the chaotic atmosphere and lead South Korea to victory in the two matches against Thailand in the second round of the 2026 World Cup on March 21 and 26. He will then continue to coach the U23 team at the 2024 U23 Asian Cup to be held in Qatar from April 15th to May 3rd, with the goal of finishing in the top three and qualifying for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. do.
South Korea fired manager Jurgen Klinsmann on February 16, citing his failure in the Asian Cup and his poor work ethic. Another candidate for interim manager position was Park Han-seo, who is highly regarded for his understanding of Southeast Asian football after many successful years as Vietnam's manager.
Hwang, 55, is a former star South Korean striker who scored 50 goals in 103 appearances for the national team from 1988 to 2002. He played for Bayer Leverkusen II in Germany in the 1991–1992 season and for Wupperthaler SV in 1992. -1993 season. Hwang then played for the Pohang Steelers, Suwon Samsung Blue Wings, and Jeonnam Dragons in Korea, and in Japan for Cerezo Osaka and Kashiwa Reysol.
The first professional team he managed was Busan I-Park, followed by Pohang Steelers, FC Seoul, and Daejeon Hana Citizens. In 2021, Hwang took charge of the South Korean U23 national team and led them to the gold medal at the Asian Games in China.