Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterOne of the tenets of any classic World Cup is the presence of a plucky underdog that upsets the odds and makes a deep run into the latter stages of the tournament.In 2002, co-host South Korea played this role, as they became the first Asian side to reach the World Cup semi-finals.This upstart run was masterminded by Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, who was able to learn on a unique source of motivation ahead of the biggest match in South Korean history.Hiddink on motivating South Koreas 2002 World Cup starsBefore the quarter-final against Spain, there was a special moment, Hiddink recalls to FourFourTwo. In the run-up to the World Cup, Id met the president of South Korea, Kim Dae-jung. I had nicknames for a lot of my players and staff.Many of them were named Kim, Choi, Lee or Park. I had a driver named Kim, so he became Driver Kim. There was a Kim who had previously worked in Germany, so he became German Kim. Thats how it went. You may like Afterwards, the Italians trashed the entire dressing room. Chairs flew through the air. I stood at a distance, arms crossed, watching. They really needed to blow off steam Guus Hiddink on South Koreas 2002 World Cup upset over Italy How to watch South Korea vs Czechia live streams online and for FREE as both sides get their World Cup campaigns underway in Mexico. Roy Keane was the one player every country at the World Cup would have picked from our squad, so I do wonder what we could have achieved had he stayed in 2002 Matt Holland opens up on Irelands Saipan bust-up The presidents name was also Kim. He had endured a lot before becoming president. Hed been in the opposition when South Korea was still not yet a democracy, and had survived several assassination attempts.That made him walk somewhat slowly, so I thought, Ill call him Slow Kim. When I mentioned this to him, the people around him all looked at me like, How can you say that?Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.But he laughed. He had a sense of humour. He never spoke in English publicly, but he did with me.With Hiddink building bridges with his new associates, he was soon able to get a better understanding of South Korean society and what success at a World Cup might mean for his players.Id heard that South Korean Olympians who won a gold medal were exempt from the countrys mandatory military service South Korea and North Korea are still technically at war, he continues. I thought, For the World Cup, should I see if the same could apply to our players if we reach the semi-finals? I didnt expect it to happen, but still.There wasnt a clear answer until a day before the quarter-final against Spain. During training, the interpreter came over to me and said: Mister, the president wants to speak with you. I was handed a phone. Slow Kim said: If you beat Spain, all the boys will be exempt from military service.I told the players after training and they couldnt believe it. They huddled together and started crying one by one really crying.For them, it was a huge deal, especially if you want to become a professional footballer in Europe. The president kept his word.TOPICSSouth KoreaWorld CupJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromGuus Hetterscheid
