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Park Hang Seo, who wrote a historic chapter with Vietnamese football, has taken on a new leadership role at the KFA.

On April 9, KFA President Chung Mong Gyu announced the new 27-member executive board, which includes vice presidents, committee heads, and board members.

Park, who spent over five years with the Vietnamese national team, now serves as a KFA Vice President. Joining him is another familiar face to Southeast Asian football fans - former Indonesia head coach Shin Tae Yong.

While Park will support all of South Korea’s national teams across age groups, Shin has been assigned responsibility for international relations.

The position of executive director was given to coach Kim Seung Hee, 57, a figure widely respected in Korean football circles for his candidness and exceptional problem-solving abilities.

On his personal page, Park shared the news with fans: “I am honored to be appointed as the new Vice President of the KFA. This is a chance for me to contribute to the growth of Korean football and work with devoted individuals to push forward and achieve success for the national teams. I look forward to the challenges ahead and, with my experience and knowledge, will do my utmost in this new role. Thank you for your continued support.”

Born in 1957, Park began his journey with Vietnamese football in late 2017, creating a major breakthrough with the U23 Vietnam team at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship. That tournament marked the beginning of the most successful era in the country’s football history.

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A memorable moment of coach Park Hang Seo with the Vietnamese national team. Photo: Yonhap News

Affectionately called “father Park” by players, he led Vietnam’s U23, Olympic, and senior teams to remarkable achievements, including an AFF Cup title, two SEA Games gold medals, a quarterfinal finish at the Asian Cup, a semifinal appearance at the 2018 Asian Games, and advancing to the third round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Because of his immense impact, Park remains deeply cherished by Vietnamese football fans. Even though he stepped down over two years ago, he is still remembered with profound respect and gratitude.

After leaving the national team, Park continued to live in Hanoi with his wife. He opened a football academy bearing his name to train young players and, last year, accepted a role as advisor to Bac Ninh FC.

The 67-year-old coach, who once served as assistant to Guus Hiddink during the 2002 World Cup, considers Vietnam his second home. He has shared that the opportunity to lead the Vietnamese national team gave him a second life, at a time when he was believed to be past his prime in Korea.

Lam Hoang