South Korea’s run to the 2002 World Cup semi-finals remains one of the most remarkable major tournament performances in recent history.
Under Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, the co-hosts defied expectations to become the first Asian nation to reach the last four of a World Cup.
Two European heavyweights were dispatched along the way, with the victories over Italy and Spain both among the most controversial results the competition has ever produced.
Guus Hiddink on how South Korea shocked the world
Progression from a group containing Portugal, Poland and the United States was already an expectation-exceeding run by the Taeguk Warriors, but Hiddink’s side were only just getting started.
“We won the group to reach the last 16, then eliminating Italy and Spain was sensational,” Hiddink recalls to FourFourTwo. “There was some controversy with the referees in those games – let’s just say sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don’t.
“I never heard my Spanish friends complain about the role of the referee afterwards.”
The manner of Italy’s exit was different though, as tempers boiled over following Francesco Totti’s second yellow card for simulation, plus a disallowed Damiano Tommasi golden goal.
“It was different with my Italian friends – they were absolutely furious about a second yellow card Francesco Totti got for a dive, and the disallowed golden goal by Damiano Tommasi,” the Dutchman continues.
“Afterwards, they trashed the entire dressing room. Chairs flew through the air. I stood at
a distance, arms crossed, watching. The Italians really needed to blow off steam. They forgot that Totti should have had a red card for an elbow earlier on.”
It was striker Ahn Jung-hwan who struck to send the Italian’s crashing out, with Hiddink recalling his advice to the forward prior to the tournament.
“Ahn Jung-hwan scored the golden goal for us – at the time, he was playing at Perugia, in Italy of all places. He’d missed a penalty early in that game, but he still became the celebrated man.
“By South Korean standards, Ahn was quite a figure. When we first saw him, he arrived in fashionable clothing, his hair neatly done. He already had the mannerisms of an Italian, but he was lacking physically. I told him: “Get your physique in order, then you can return to the squad.” He took that advice very seriously.
“Ahn is still something of a showman – he appears frequently on TV in South Korea nowadays.”