Hiddink has pulled Korea up to the semifinals, a team of which critics once said that "even one win is difficult, let alone the second round." However, specialists agreed on the fact that "people should not rave about Hiddink at the present but learn from him the aspects of a man who sticks to his principles."

Since December of 2000 when Hiddink first set foot in Korea, he has composed a coaching staff strictly based on skill. Pim Bearbeck (46), chief coach, shares the same hometown in the Netherlands with Hiddink, but has no personal attachments to him. Bearbeck was the director of Japan's league and the technical advisor for China's Shanghai Sunhwa FC and therefore new much about Asian soccer, joining the team after Hiddink's earnest request.

Absin Gautby, who analyzes the opposite team's strategy and the national team's weak spots from videos recordings, is from the US. The soccer association in preparation for the 2006 German World Cup is compiling the analysis data that he put together for this year's World Cup. Exercise and physiology professor Raymond Verheien increased the players' physical strength through scientific and systematic methods and physical therapist Ano Phillip and the masseurs helped the players recover. Hiddink's coaching staff consists of the greatest specialists in their field, not his relations.

When Hiddink announced the final entry for the World Cup on May 1, the names of goalkeeper Kim Yong-tae, striker Lee Dong-kuk, and midfielder Koh Jong-su were missing. There were many domestic soccer fans who showed their discontent, however, Hiddink announced, "Star players are not made outside. They are made on skills demonstrated on the ground." And true to his word, 'new stars' were born such as Kim Nam-il, who wasn't even well known at the time, became the idol for female fans. Defense players Choi Jin-chul and Lee Eul-yong also rose to fame. Song Jong-kuk, who marked Luis Figu out of the match against Portugal was suddenly a 'precious' player that made Europe teams' mouths water.

Last January, when Korean reporters were reporting on the teams that entered the US Gold Cup, they saw something that made them doubt their eyes. In the middle of the game, coach Hiddink was putting the players through hard-core training. This was something that former coaches would not dream of. However, Hiddink had his alarm set for May 31, the opening day of the World Cup, and was walking straight on his course to strengthen the players. In fact, perhaps the only thing that Korean players could rely on was physical strength, when they fell behind European teams in individual skill. However, no former coach could fulfill this simply theory. The effects of the training can be seen when looking at the changes of Hong Myung-bo (33). 'Old' Hong Myung-bo found it hard to run the full 90 minutes in the 1998 World Cup because of his failing strength, but 4 years later, at the 2002 games, he played a full 120 minutes against Spain into extra time and was even one of the final penalty takers. He was practically flying and it is nothing to speak of the younger players.

When the players were practicing the "shuttle run" (running back and forth over 20m) to improve their strength, they wore monitors that measured their heartbeat and physical strength. Thanks to the evidence from these, the strength recovery speed of the players were made into statistics and input into a computer. This is, what is known as the "Hiddink File." Hiddink used this file and kept its contents strictly confidential even to the players. He did not use feelings nor human relations to decide whether a player would enter the game, but on objective data; the strength recovery speed. Thus, players could not revolt or complain. Rather, they had to run one more step to be able to participate in the game.

Coach Hiddink is a scary person during practice. Even when new team member Cha Du-ri made a shot and did not run back into defense he was shouted at and when old-timer Yoo Sang-cheol made a wrong pass during practice, he received a scolding that almost made him cry. At the same time, Hiddink liked jokes and trained the team by running himself. As could be seen when Park Ji-sung ran straight to hug Hiddink after scoring in the match with Portugal, Hiddink has succeeded in melding the players into one. The secret to his success is perhaps his sense of ‘sticking to principles’, which helped him bring out not only technical skills of the players but also rapport among them.