South Korea have appointed Choi Kang-hee as the new head coach of the national team.
52-year-old takes over from sacked Cho Kwang-Rae
South Korea have appointed Choi Kang-hee as the new head coach of the national team.
Steve Bruce had been linked with the job, despite a lack of international experience along with Sven-Goran Eriksson and Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Choi had reportedly turned down the job leading the South Korean FA (KFA) to look overseas but the two-time K-League winner has now decided to accept the offer.
He leaves Jeonbuk Motors with immediate effect and will now try to lead South Korea to the 2014 World Cup finals.
Head of the KFA's technical committee Hwangbo Kwan told
The Korea Times: "We valued the ability to stabilise the national team and maximise players' capabilities over a short period of time.
"He has a ton of coaching experiences and is a great motivator. Also, he has a deep understanding of Korean football.
"I personally met coach Choi three times to persuade him. We had some candidates from overseas but Choi was our top choice."
The 52-year-old's first game in charge will be against Kuwait in two months' time.
A defeat in the Asia Group B World Cup qualifier could mean elimination for the Koreans. They currently share top spot with Lebanon with one game remaining.
