"Called both Korea and Vietnam," but Park Hang-seo chose 'Thailand'... A new challenge defying his 67 years

*This content was translated by AI.

Coach Park Hang-seo (67), hailed as a hero of Vietnamese football, is embarking on a new challenge that defies his age.

A representative of Coach Park Hang-seo's agency, DJ Management, told StarNews on the 25th regarding the coach's appointment as head coach of Kanchanaburi Power FC (Thailand) that "there had been persuasion from (Kanchanaburi) for a long time."

The agency representative continued, "We had been in ongoing discussions beforehand. However, given the 2026 North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup schedule this year, it took considerable time to coordinate the appointment timing, leading to a delay in the official announcement."

The "veteran commander" Coach Park will take charge again after three years. Earlier, DJ Management announced on this day that "Coach Park, currently serving as the head of the Korea national football team's World Cup delegation, will be appointed as the official head coach of Kanchanaburi in the Thai second division."

However, Coach Park's actual appointment is expected to take place after July. As the agency representative mentioned, Coach Park places great importance on his duties as the head of the Korea national football team's World Cup delegation. Accordingly, Coach Park and the Kanchanaburi club reached an agreement to join the team after completing World Cup-related schedules.

Coach Park is the protagonist who wrote the Vietnamese football legend. After taking charge of the Vietnam national football team in 2017, he led them to victory in the 2018 AFF Championship and a runner-up finish in the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship, elevating Vietnamese football to the top tier in Southeast Asia.

The achievements did not end there. Under Coach Park's leadership, Vietnam reached the semi-finals of the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, the quarter-finals of the 2019 Asian Cup, and won back-to-back gold medals at the SEA Games. Furthermore, Vietnam made history by reaching the final round of the FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers for the first time.

After stepping down from the Vietnam national team in 2023, Coach Park will return to the front lines as a head coach for the first time in three years through this appointment at Kanchanaburi.

In fact, the move to Thailand was an unexpected destination. Proposals had already surfaced for a return to the familiar domestic scene or a continuation of his successful work in Vietnam. Indeed, there were love calls. The agency representative stated, "We have received periodic offers from teams in Korea and Vietnam for some time." However, Coach Park chose Thailand, a new stage he has never experienced before.

The agency representative added, "Coach Park has previously stated that he would not take on roles in Korea or Vietnam again. He expressed his desire to take on his next challenge in Thailand."

When Coach Park stepped down from the Vietnam national team in 2023, he stated at a press conference that "he would no longer serve as a coach in Korea or Vietnam." This was a promise reflecting the consideration of a senior figure who wished to create more opportunities for younger coaches. Indeed, the current Vietnam national team is being led by Coach Kim Sang-sik, who has taken up the baton from Coach Park.

The destination Coach Park is heading to, Kanchanaburi, was unfortunately relegated from the 2025-2026 Thai first division. However, the club successfully captured Coach Park's interest by presenting a clear roadmap including: ▲Re-promotion after one year ▲Aspiration to become a top-tier club in Thailand within the next five years ▲Building a squad capable of competing with Buriram United ▲Securing a spot in the AFC Champions League (ACL) and establishing competitiveness in Asia. Currently, Kanchanaburi is being led by acting head coach Lee Jung-soo, a former member of the Korea national team.

The bond between Coach Park and Vietnam continues. Even while leading Kanchanaburi, he plans to continue contributing to the development of Vietnamese football through initiatives such as organizing pre-season training camps in Vietnam, youth exchanges, and projects to help promising players advance overseas.

Through his agency, Coach Park stated, "Although there have been offers from various countries, including Vietnam, the reason for choosing Thailand is clear. It is a path that no one has fully succeeded in yet. The long-term vision presented by Kanchanaburi and their sincerity towards football rekindled my spirit of challenge. With the sense of responsibility of representing Korean football, I will do my best as a leader connecting Thailand, Vietnam, and ultimately ASEAN football."

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*This content was translated by AI.