Eternal Korean Hero Guus Hiddink

Dutch soccer coach Guus Hiddink was a manager of a variety of national teams. But there is only one country that treats him like a real hero. South Korea. On 6 February he gave a lecture at Groningen University about his experiences.

During the world championships of 1998 in France, Guus Hiddink was the team manager of the Dutch national soccer team. It happened more than once that the Dutch went on with their training for at least fifteen minutes too long, while other teams were waiting to use the pitch. It struck Hiddink that the South Korean players were very polite. ‘They stood at the side-line, waiting calmly until we finished our training. If it would have been the other way around, we would probably have gone on the field and started practising. A huge difference in culture.’

I was very impressed that the South Koreans had done this in less than ten days, and decided to take on the challenge

Later on, Hiddink visited South Korea during a sabbatical. He met the president of the South Korean Football Federation, who asked Hiddink how South Korea should prepare for the World Cup of 2002 (that’s was hosted by Japan and South Korea). Hiddink told him that the South Koreans should attract top players from professional football clubs all around the world and scout for new talent. As a second tip, Hiddink told the president that they should create budget for hiring new coaches and assistants. A week later, the president came back to Hiddink and said: ‘Point one is agreed. The budget will also be fine. And here is your contract. I was very impressed that the South Koreans had done this in less than ten days, and decided to take on the challenge.’

It is because you will make sure we will end at least at place sixteen during the next world championship

Guus Hiddink (8 November 1946, Varsseveld, the Netherlands) started as the team manager of South Korea in January 2001. Upon arriving in South Korea, he noticed the figure 16 in a lot of places, which he did not understand. So he asked an assistant who replied:
‘That is because of you, mister Hiddink. It is because you will make sure we will end at least at place sixteen during the next world championship.’ The sixteenth place would signify the national soccer team would survive the first round, which had never happened in history.

Soccer is easy to understand, but difficult to carry out. I had to teach the team to make their own decisions in the field

The strict hierarchy in South Korean culture even affects the game of soccer. ‘Soccer is easy to understand, but difficult to carry out. I had to teach the team to make their own decisions in the field. This was very difficult. During an attack, the young players were waiting for the highest in hierarchy, in most cases the oldest player. They were waiting so he could take the ball and score. If the highest in hierarchy was not there, the players could not score themselves, and the chance ended up dead.’

I am glad that I could not read the newspapers or understand what was said on TV, because the media comment were really destructive

Before Hiddink, the South Korean squad played friendly matches against countries they could easily beat. Hiddink decided to play countries like Brazil and France. The disappointing results led to heavy criticism. Even business men and politicians were attacking Hiddink. They even dragged up his private life. They presumed that Hiddink, often photographed with his girlfriend and enjoying himself in the South Korean nightlife, did not take his job seriously. In this period Hiddink was given the nickname that says it all: 0-5.

‘I am glad that I could not read the newspapers or understand what was said on TV, because the media comment were really destructive.’
However, the president of the South Korean Football Federation backed up the man he chose to do the job.

During the World Championships of 2002, the South Korean team did the unimaginable. Mr. 16 would already have been a hero, but Hiddink reached way higher. The match against the United States ended up in a draw, but Poland (2-0), Portugal (1-0), Italy (3-2) and Spain (after penalty kicks) were defeated. They lost the semi-final to Germany (0-1), and the match for the third and fourth place was lost, to Turkey. Nevertheless, the fourth place was an excellent achievement for the South Koreans. Hiddink became the first foreign honorary citizen of the country. He was loaded with prizes, such as a private villa on a South Korean island, livelong free flights on Korean Air and Asiana Airlines and also free cab rides. Gwangju stadium, one of the locations during the world cup, was renamed Guus Hiddink Stadium.

I showed him a photo of King Willem-Alexander and me. I asked him if he knew the other man. He responded: “That must be your bodyguard!

Even now, fifteen years later, Hiddink is extremely popular in South Korea.
‘The last time I was in South Korea I was walking down the street and happened to meet someone who passed by. I showed him a photo of King Willem-Alexander and me. I asked him if he knew the other man. He responded: “That must be your bodyguard!”

Hiddink tells the students at Groningen University that his status made it possible to gain very valuable contacts in the North Korean soccer association. ‘We were talking about soccer for the youth teams most of the time. About what would be good ways to improve soccer for the North Korean youth, what places would be suitable for new pitches and so on.’

Before the beginning of the match, they played the national anthem from the days when Korea was still one country

A few months after his contract in South Korea ended, Hiddink was invited to a match between soccer teams from the two Koreas.
‘It was beautiful to see. Before the beginning of the match, they played the national anthem from the days when Korea was still one country. During the match there was a form of fraternization. People from both countries where standing shoulder to shoulder. The outcome was a predictable 0–0.’
When Hiddink was asked at the press conference if he wanted to be the team manager of North Korea, he replied: ‘If it’s possible, yes!’
This statement led to widespread criticism of Hiddink from Dutch politicians, who felt strongly that a Dutchman should not be the national team manager of a dictatorship that suppresses its own people.

The Guus Hiddink Foundation’s goal is to promote soccer in the Koreas, primarily youth soccer and the creation of new soccer pitches in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. Remko Breuker, the only Dutch professor Korea Studies in the Netherlands, and legal expert Imke van Gardingen state that Hiddink is taken advantage of by the North Korean regime. They write:

‘Intimidation and threats go hand in hand with occasionally throwing a bone. (…) We support your initiative for soccer fields for the North Korean youth completely, but not in Pyongyang. There it only gives legitimacy to intimidation and exploitation.’