Former Vietnam men's national soccer team head coach Park Hang-seo sparked buzz by posting on his social media (SNS) a photo taken with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong. Vietnam men's national soccer team head coach Kim Sang-sik also appeared in the photo.
On the 23rd, Park posted on his Facebook account a photo taken with Chairman Lee and Coach Kim and wrote briefly, "Samsung" (SAMSUNG). The three met at a dinner held on the 22nd (local time) in downtown Hanoi to coincide with President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to Vietnam and took this photo. The post has more than 62,000 "likes" and over 600 comments. Park's SNS account has about 230,000 followers.
The president also posted on his SNS account the previous day a photo taken with To Lam, the Communist Party general secretary and state president who ranks No. 1 in Vietnam's power hierarchy, along with former coach Park and Coach Kim. The president said, "Former Vietnam national soccer team coach Park Hang-seo, the 'Hiddink of Vietnam,' is said to be called a legend by the Vietnamese people," adding, "We also cheer for our Coach Kim Sang-sik, who has taken the baton and is embarking on a new challenge, to achieve good results."
In addition to government officials and Chairman Lee, the dinner was attended by SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Lotte Corporation Chairman Shin Dong-bin, POSCO Holdings Chairman Chang In-hwa, HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun, GS Group Chairman Huh Tae-soo, CJ Group Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik, Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon, and Daewoo Engineering & Construction Chairman Chung Won-joo.
While leading the Vietnam national soccer team from 2017 to 2023, former coach Park became a national hero by winning the Suzuki Cup, the tournament that decides the powerhouse of Southeast Asian soccer, in 2018 for the first time in 10 years. Coach Kim Sang-sik, who took the baton, led Vietnam's senior and age-group national teams in 2024 and achieved a triple crown at major international tournaments.