Culture, connections key to Vietnamese national team's success, says manager Kim Sang-sik

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Culture, connections key to Vietnamese national team's success, says manager Kim Sang-sik

Published: 05 Aug. 2025, 16:48 Updated: 05 Aug. 2025, 18:11

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Vietnamese national team manager Kim Sang-sik reacts during an Asean U-23 Championship match against Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 29. [EPA/YONHAP]

Vietnamese national team manager Kim Sang-sik believes connection off the field was key to his team's success on it.

Kim, who led Vietnam’s U-23 squad to the AFF U-23 Championship title last month, said thoughtful gifts and cultural warmth helped him win the trust of his players.

“Vietnamese players like Korean ginseng, so I brought it from Korea and gave it to them — along with sunscreen and cosmetics,” Kim said during a video news conference on Tuesday. “I think the players responded well to my intention to approach them with warmth and familiarity.”

Kim made it a point to connect through daily interactions.

“I made an effort in many aspects of daily life. I joked around in the treatment room and even played around by imitating [former Vietnam manager] Park Hang‑seo. In Korea, we call emotional warmth ' jeong,’ and in Vietnam, they say ‘ tinh.’ I think the similarities between Korean and Vietnamese culture helped us open up and connect.”

Since taking over both the senior and U-23 national teams in May 2024, Kim has enjoyed a strong start. He won the Mitsubishi Cup with the senior team in January and added the AFF U-23 Championship last month — a feat not even former manager Park Hang-seo accomplished in a single year.

Park, who managed Vietnam from 2017 to 2023, is credited with transforming Vietnamese football. Under his leadership, the U-23 team won two South Asian Games, and the national team’s FIFA ranking rose from around 130 to the low 90s.

“Park is a hero of Vietnamese football,” Kim said. “But I didn’t try to follow in his footsteps. I just thought, ‘I shouldn’t ruin what he built.’”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK RIN [[email protected]]