Coach Park Hang-seo and the national team have been the recipients of many monetary prizes after achieving the gold medal for the recently concluded AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 last Saturday.
The following morning, December 16, the South Korean coach was also in attendance at an event organized by Vietnamese automobile manufacturer Thaco on the Chu Lai Economic Zone, reports Zing. At the event, Thaco Founder Tran Ba Duong announced that his company would reward the national team VND2 billion (US$86,000) and Hang-seo US$100,000 for their performance at the AFF Cup.
Vietnam excelled from beginning to end during this tournament, with six wins, two draws and no losses. During the home game on December 15 at Hanoi’s My Dinh National Stadium, the team defeated Malaysia 1-0 to emerge as the championship winner.
During his speech, Coach Park shared with the audience that he would accept the money, but is planning to dedicate the reward to develop Vietnam’s football scene and provide financial support for the poor.
“I also want to say thank you to Mr. Doan Nguyen Duc for inviting me to be the head coach of the national men’s football team of Vietnam,” he said. Doan Nguyen Duc is the founder and owner of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Football Academy.
Coach Park’s position as head coach of Vietnam’s national team has played a big role in bringing Korea and Vietnam closer, both culturally and diplomatically. Just a few weeks ago, the South Korean government announced that starting in December this year, Vietnamese citizens from Saigon, Hanoi and Da Nang will be eligible for five-year multiple-entry visa to Korea.
According to Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Vietnam Kim Do-hyun, the love that Vietnam has shown towards Coach Park is one contributing factor to making the new visa policy happen.
Before the final, he was also named a “Person of the Year 2018” in South Korea by the Journalists Association of Korea for his work with the national football team of Vietnam.
