"Actually, we tried to do something with North Korea..." World Cup quarterfinal myth coach Guus Hiddink's surprise confession

*This content was translated by AI.

Coach Guus Hiddink, who led the South Korean national football team to its first-ever quarterfinal appearance at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup and left an immortal name in Korean football history, revealed behind-the-scenes stories shortly after the tournament.

Football media outlet "FourFourTwo" published an interview with Coach Hiddink on the 13th (Korean time). Coach Hiddink opened up about the enthusiastic reactions and full-scale support offers that shook all of South Korea 24 years ago.

Through "FourFourTwo," Coach Hiddink said, "Sometimes I felt a bit awkward seeing how Koreans looked at me and how happy they were because of me." He added, "Koreans even called me 'the boss among bosses' in Korean. At those times, I would think to myself, 'Okay, that's enough now,'" while smiling.

During the tournament, Coach Hiddink's popularity rose beyond the football field and into the political sphere. He stated, "One newspaper suggested a Korean name for me. Banners reading 'Hie Dung-gu for President' were even hung at stadiums." He further added, "Some people said that if I became a naturalized citizen, I would make a good presidential candidate, but all of that was nonsense."

He also shared stories behind the countless benefits and gift offensives. Coach Hiddink revealed, "I became an honorary citizen of Seoul City and received various offers. While it wouldn't be polite to refuse everything, I couldn't accept them all." He continued, "I was even offered a villa on Jeju Island, but after returning to Europe, I couldn't imagine myself traveling there just for the weekend, so I declined."

Even amidst such immense public interest and anecdotes, Coach Hiddink has maintained a deep connection with Korea. He said, "I still visit Korea once or twice a year. Every time I go, they welcome me with open arms." He added, "Through my partner's suggestion, I established the Guus Hiddink Foundation and built several football fields in Korea, including one for blind children. It is a special field equipped with padded walls and balls containing bells. I even tried wearing an eye patch and moving around myself, but I couldn't take a single step."

He also shared stories related to North Korea. Coach Hiddink expressed regret, saying, "Through the foundation, we tried to do something in North Korea. We actually visited North Korea, and trucks carrying materials were waiting, but it did not come to fruition due to political reasons." It is known that Coach Hiddink visited North Korea in 2015 to promote a futsal court project for visually impaired individuals.

He also recalled, "After the 2002 World Cup ended, we played a friendly match with North Korea in Seoul. The day before the game, the South and North Korean teams shared an evening meal together. The surveillance and security by the North Korean side were immense. They did not want any players to defect, and the match ended in a 0-0 draw for diplomatic reasons."

Coach Hiddink's quarterfinal myth extended beyond Korea to his hometown in the Netherlands. He said, "Thanks to the 2002 World Cup, many Korean tourists visited Barsvelt, my rural hometown where I was born." He added, "Unfortunately, my older brother, who has since passed away, had good business sense. He came up with the idea of selling soil from the land of my hometown in small bottles. It actually sold quite well. My family, who grew up with five brothers and sisters, always watched over all my adventures closely," sharing warm memories.

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*This content was translated by AI.