We saw plenty of football magic coming from South Korean coach Park Hang-seo , who led Vietnam's national team to the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup.
And thanks to him, more Vietnamese are becoming to like Korea.
KIM Da-mi has the details.

Park Hang-seo, the South Korean head coach of the Vietnam national football team, has improved Vietnam's image of Korea, thanks to the so called Park Hang-seo magic.

According to a survey of 1,000 Vietnamese people conducted by the Hangook Ilbo and Korea Times newspapers, 98.5% of those surveyed know Park Hang-seo,... and seven out of ten credited Park for their improved image of Korea.

This is a noticeable jump as only around 61% of Vietnamese said they feel connected to Korean culture in 2017.

In addition, in 2018, around 40% said they believe it’s easy to become friends with Koreans, showing an improvement in all ages.

This improved image of Korea was also present in Vietnamese thoughts toward Korean workplaces and international marriage.
For instance, while 213 people surveyed were against international marriage in 2017, only 72 Vietnamese in 2018 said they are against marrying Koreans.

Experts say Park Hang-seo has played a crucial role in representing Korea through sports, changing Vietnam's image of Korea.

However, the survey also revealed that negative impressions of Korea's role in the Vietnam War remain unchanged. Experts added that Park's popularity has limitations due to those tragic memories.
KIM Da-mi, Arirang News.