Nobody expected South Korea to go beyond the first round of the World Cup finals. But it emerged a spirited giant-killer, reaching the semi-finals before going down to Germany. Contributing Editor GODFREY ROBERT examines Korea's superlative showing and what the rest of Asia can learn from it.
SOUTH Korea has ended its amazing run at World Cup 2002, after its soccer team gave of its best and performed beyond everyone's wildest expectations.
The cynics said Korea rode on a sliver of luck to get past Portugal, Italy and Spain before finally going down 0-1 to Germany.
But it went further than any Asian country in the World Cup's 72-year history, the previous best being North Korea's quarter-final entry in 1966.
Japan, ranked eight places ahead of South Korea worldwide at No 32, also did Asia proud this year, though denied a quarter-final spot.
It has been argued that no Asian team will make world No 1 in any contact team sport because the Asian build is best suited for sports that require reflexes, timing and flexibility, not power and force.
And when it comes to soccer, Asians were supposed to be content at being second-best because, aside from technique and tactics, the game demands a certain rhythm and robustness that give the South Americans, Africans and hit-and-run Caucasians a natural advantage.
Korea has tossed all that aside, thanks to years of planning, government backing and a willingness to learn from outsiders.
So far, seven countries have won the World Cup - Uruguay, Italy, Brazil, Germany, Argentina, England and France.
Their experience highlights a set of common ingredients that help create winners: Having a healthy domestic league; allowing homegrown talent to gain exposure and experience abroad; importing players; and investing the kind of money a World Cup quest demands.
Korea streaked ahead this year despite not scoring on all of those counts.
A strong domestic soccer league throws up a steady stream of good home players while attracting top-calibre foreigners.
England boasts the oldest league, dating to the 1880s, while the German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and French leagues are all around 100 years old and see the movement of talent across borders for phenomenal sums.
In contrast, the Korean League kicked off only in 1983, has 10 professional teams, each having no more than three so-so foreigners.
Koreans earn up to US$10,000 (S$17,740) per month while the foreigners, mainly Brazilians and East Europeans, get between US$10,000 and US$16,000 - small change when stars like David Beckham and Roy Keane earn roughly 20 times more.
In terms of international exposure too, the Koreans fall well behind the likes of Senegal, whose World Cup 2002 team was made up of no fewer than 21 players from foreign leagues in France, Germany, Switzerland and Morocco.
In the current Korean side, only Seol Ki Hyeon (Anderlecht, Belgium) and Ahn Jung Hwan (Perugia, Italy) had experience playing abroad, even though as far back as 1979, the legendary Cha Bum Kun showed the way by playing in the Bundesliga with Frankfurt and Leverkusen.
When it comes to importing foreign players, Korea did not score either.
It had no foreign-born players, unlike Germany, with African import Gerald Asamoah, Japan with Brazilian-born Alex, and France's Zinedine Zidane (Algeria) and Patrick Vieira (Senegal).
It must be remembered that this has been Korea's sixth World Cup Finals appearance, so the seeds of its soccer glory were planted way back in its 1954 debut in Switzerland.
The 9-0 thrashing by Hungary in that tournament hurt, but Korea returned to the finals in 1986 and in every tournament since - failing miserably every time, gaining not a single victory in 1986, 1990, 1994 or 1998.
So what might explain its dramatic transformation into a world-beater this year?
It picked the right man to whip its team into shape, by appointing Dutchman Guus Hiddink as coach in January last year.
In all its disastrous World Cup Finals appearances previously, Korea had home-bred coaches.
In France 1998, after Holland humiliated Korea 5-0 with five different players grabbing the goals, Korean FA president Chung Moon Joon decided to lure Holland's coach: Hiddink.
Now 55, the Dutchman had coached top European clubs such as Real Madrid and PSV Eindhoven.
Taking the job, he told Chung: 'I can improve the chances of your team reaching the second round, but in 18 months, I cannot make them win the World Cup.'
Now he has brought Korea further than any Asian team.
His Korean charges helped by being a strong, hard-working and sturdy lot with a hunger for success.
He upgraded the players' individual talents and enhanced the team's tactics by introducing the Dutch concept of 'Total Football', which is everyone for everything. In short, attack and defend in numbers.
In January this year, he suspended the K-League to put the players through intensive training focused on building physical strength through intensive power workouts.
Three times a day for almost three months, Hiddink's Dutch fitness expert put the players through the paces of a rigorous regimen.
He had a kitchen coordinator ensure that all players were eating right, with two bowls of ginseng every day.
He also stressed the importance of proper build-up matches, and Korea played 24 internationals, mostly in Europe, in the 12 months prior to the World Cup.
Good coaches do not come cheap. It is said that Hiddink is paid around $1.5 million a year, plus bonuses and incentives for winning - US$300,000 for reaching the quarter-finals, and US$400,000 for getting to the semi-finals.
The millions Korea has poured into its World Cup campaign include what was spent on the new National Training Centre in Pagu, outside Seoul. It has six high-quality soccer pitches, ultra-modern gymnasiums, sophisticated facilities and living quarters. The investment paid off for Korea.
Korea has smashed the myths that have dogged Asian soccer, creating fresh hope that this continent can indeed produce a winner.
George Suppiah, 73, Singapore's only World Cup referee who officiated in 1974, says: 'For long, Asians have felt disadvantaged - that mindset must change. Winning world glory is not an impossible dream for Asia.'
How Korea, Japan fared
SOUTH KOREA
World Cup record: In its sixth Finals (having competed in 1954, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998), but did not secure any win in five previous outings. Was hit 9-0 by Hungary in 1954.
Coach: Guus Hiddink (Dutchman).
Players attached to European clubs: Seol Ki Hyeon (Anderlecht, Belgium); Ahn Jung Hwan (Perugia, Italy).
2002 World Cup results - 1st round: South Korea beat Poland 2-0, drew with US 1-1, beat Portugal 1-0.
2nd round: South Korea beat Italy 2-1.
Quarter-finals: South Korea beat Spain 5-3 on penalties after 0-0 draw.
Semi-finals: South Korea lost to Germany 0-1.
JAPAN
World Cup record: In its second Finals after France 1998. Japan lost every game in France.
Coach: Philippe Troussier (Frenchman).
Players attached to European clubs: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Portsmouth, England); Hidetoshi Nakata (Parma, Italy); Junichi Inamoto (until recently, Arsenal, England), Shinji Ono (Feyenoord, Holland).
2002 World Cup results - 1st round: Japan drew with Belgium 2-2, beat Russia 1-0, beat Tunisia 2-0.
2nd round: Japan lost to Turkey 0-1.
SOUTH Korea has ended its amazing run at World Cup 2002, after its soccer team gave of its best and performed beyond everyone's wildest expectations.
The cynics said Korea rode on a sliver of luck to get past Portugal, Italy and Spain before finally going down 0-1 to Germany.
But it went further than any Asian country in the World Cup's 72-year history, the previous best being North Korea's quarter-final entry in 1966.
Japan, ranked eight places ahead of South Korea worldwide at No 32, also did Asia proud this year, though denied a quarter-final spot.
It has been argued that no Asian team will make world No 1 in any contact team sport because the Asian build is best suited for sports that require reflexes, timing and flexibility, not power and force.
And when it comes to soccer, Asians were supposed to be content at being second-best because, aside from technique and tactics, the game demands a certain rhythm and robustness that give the South Americans, Africans and hit-and-run Caucasians a natural advantage.
Korea has tossed all that aside, thanks to years of planning, government backing and a willingness to learn from outsiders.
So far, seven countries have won the World Cup - Uruguay, Italy, Brazil, Germany, Argentina, England and France.
Their experience highlights a set of common ingredients that help create winners: Having a healthy domestic league; allowing homegrown talent to gain exposure and experience abroad; importing players; and investing the kind of money a World Cup quest demands.
Korea streaked ahead this year despite not scoring on all of those counts.
A strong domestic soccer league throws up a steady stream of good home players while attracting top-calibre foreigners.
England boasts the oldest league, dating to the 1880s, while the German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and French leagues are all around 100 years old and see the movement of talent across borders for phenomenal sums.
In contrast, the Korean League kicked off only in 1983, has 10 professional teams, each having no more than three so-so foreigners.
Koreans earn up to US$10,000 (S$17,740) per month while the foreigners, mainly Brazilians and East Europeans, get between US$10,000 and US$16,000 - small change when stars like David Beckham and Roy Keane earn roughly 20 times more.
In terms of international exposure too, the Koreans fall well behind the likes of Senegal, whose World Cup 2002 team was made up of no fewer than 21 players from foreign leagues in France, Germany, Switzerland and Morocco.
In the current Korean side, only Seol Ki Hyeon (Anderlecht, Belgium) and Ahn Jung Hwan (Perugia, Italy) had experience playing abroad, even though as far back as 1979, the legendary Cha Bum Kun showed the way by playing in the Bundesliga with Frankfurt and Leverkusen.
When it comes to importing foreign players, Korea did not score either.
It had no foreign-born players, unlike Germany, with African import Gerald Asamoah, Japan with Brazilian-born Alex, and France's Zinedine Zidane (Algeria) and Patrick Vieira (Senegal).
It must be remembered that this has been Korea's sixth World Cup Finals appearance, so the seeds of its soccer glory were planted way back in its 1954 debut in Switzerland.
The 9-0 thrashing by Hungary in that tournament hurt, but Korea returned to the finals in 1986 and in every tournament since - failing miserably every time, gaining not a single victory in 1986, 1990, 1994 or 1998.
So what might explain its dramatic transformation into a world-beater this year?
It picked the right man to whip its team into shape, by appointing Dutchman Guus Hiddink as coach in January last year.
In all its disastrous World Cup Finals appearances previously, Korea had home-bred coaches.
In France 1998, after Holland humiliated Korea 5-0 with five different players grabbing the goals, Korean FA president Chung Moon Joon decided to lure Holland's coach: Hiddink.
Now 55, the Dutchman had coached top European clubs such as Real Madrid and PSV Eindhoven.
Taking the job, he told Chung: 'I can improve the chances of your team reaching the second round, but in 18 months, I cannot make them win the World Cup.'
Now he has brought Korea further than any Asian team.
His Korean charges helped by being a strong, hard-working and sturdy lot with a hunger for success.
He upgraded the players' individual talents and enhanced the team's tactics by introducing the Dutch concept of 'Total Football', which is everyone for everything. In short, attack and defend in numbers.
In January this year, he suspended the K-League to put the players through intensive training focused on building physical strength through intensive power workouts.
Three times a day for almost three months, Hiddink's Dutch fitness expert put the players through the paces of a rigorous regimen.
He had a kitchen coordinator ensure that all players were eating right, with two bowls of ginseng every day.
He also stressed the importance of proper build-up matches, and Korea played 24 internationals, mostly in Europe, in the 12 months prior to the World Cup.
Good coaches do not come cheap. It is said that Hiddink is paid around $1.5 million a year, plus bonuses and incentives for winning - US$300,000 for reaching the quarter-finals, and US$400,000 for getting to the semi-finals.
The millions Korea has poured into its World Cup campaign include what was spent on the new National Training Centre in Pagu, outside Seoul. It has six high-quality soccer pitches, ultra-modern gymnasiums, sophisticated facilities and living quarters. The investment paid off for Korea.
Korea has smashed the myths that have dogged Asian soccer, creating fresh hope that this continent can indeed produce a winner.
George Suppiah, 73, Singapore's only World Cup referee who officiated in 1974, says: 'For long, Asians have felt disadvantaged - that mindset must change. Winning world glory is not an impossible dream for Asia.'
How Korea, Japan fared
SOUTH KOREA
World Cup record: In its sixth Finals (having competed in 1954, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998), but did not secure any win in five previous outings. Was hit 9-0 by Hungary in 1954.
Coach: Guus Hiddink (Dutchman).
Players attached to European clubs: Seol Ki Hyeon (Anderlecht, Belgium); Ahn Jung Hwan (Perugia, Italy).
2002 World Cup results - 1st round: South Korea beat Poland 2-0, drew with US 1-1, beat Portugal 1-0.
2nd round: South Korea beat Italy 2-1.
Quarter-finals: South Korea beat Spain 5-3 on penalties after 0-0 draw.
Semi-finals: South Korea lost to Germany 0-1.
JAPAN
World Cup record: In its second Finals after France 1998. Japan lost every game in France.
Coach: Philippe Troussier (Frenchman).
Players attached to European clubs: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Portsmouth, England); Hidetoshi Nakata (Parma, Italy); Junichi Inamoto (until recently, Arsenal, England), Shinji Ono (Feyenoord, Holland).
2002 World Cup results - 1st round: Japan drew with Belgium 2-2, beat Russia 1-0, beat Tunisia 2-0.
2nd round: Japan lost to Turkey 0-1.