Hiddink watches on as his side beat Spain (Allsport)

By Neal Collins

When Guus Hiddink first took over the hottest seat in Korea, they dubbed him "Mr Five-nil." And it wasn't a compliment.

Today, with the 'Red Devils' safely through to the World Cup semi-final after a dramatic penalty shoot-out triumph over favourites Spain, the 55-year-old Dutchman's picture adorns every wall, he has been voted "Most Suitable Husband" by Miss Korea contestants and he is known simply as "Brother Dink".

There have even been calls for a change in the law to allow the Dutchman to stand as president. A year ago, he would have been voteless.

Soon after his appointment 18 months ago, Hiddink's brave new Korea suffered 5-0 defeats against France and the Czech Republic. Crisis loomed.

The Koreans had originally approached Frenchman Aime Jacquet to run their side.

They were beginning to have second thoughts about Hiddink, a more than capable leader of PSV Eindhoven, Real Madrid and Holland.

The local credit card company dropped a telly advert featuring his face and he was pilloried in the local press for "refusing to conceal his affection for his girlfriend in public".

And Sven-Goran Eriksson thought it was tough for a Swede to coach England!

Remember, Korea are the nation which claims to have invented football 1,500 years ago. They claim "Chukguk", a game involving a fur-covered bundle of cloth, gives them and not the British the right to claim to be the home of football.

And they have their own ideas about how the game should be organised.

When Hiddink arrived in Seoul, he was greeted by a camp divided. Literally.

The experienced players had a separate dressing room. The youngsters had to bow to their elders. Hiddink wasn't having that.

He said: "I couldn't believe it when I arrived. The younger players in the national team were not even allowed to sit in the same room with the older ones.

"The youngsters were scared to talk on the pitch to the established stars. It was a reflection of Korean society but I soon changed that . It took a long time for everyone to feel comfortable."

Then came the fitness regime, the cornerstone of Korea's 2002 success.

Hiddink, who tried 50 different players in 18 months before the finals, suspended the K-League and demanded full control over his squad. No side has ever run harder, prepared more thoroughly, than this Korean outfit.

When Poland, Portugal, Italy and Spain began to falter, the men in "Hot Red" found another gear, roared on by their high-energy, high-pitched fans.

Poland and Portugal were left behind after the group stages. A golden goal against the mighty Italians was followed by a perfect penalty shoot-out against splendid Spain – a shocking triumph marked by the Koreans' enthusiasm for the job in hand.

All five of them appeared to run from the centre cirle to meet their fate while the Spaniards took the long walk slowly, with obvious trepidation.

Suddenly, the side which had failed to win a game in five previous appearances at the World Cup finals (10 defeats and four draws since 1954) were through to the last four, and booked in for a semi-final against Germany in Seoul on Tuesday.

Hiddink, the first man to take two nations to the World Cup quarter-finals, fulfilled the dream. And more. His European-based stars, Perugia's Ahn Jung-hwan and Seol Ki-hyeon of Anderlecht, are hardly world beaters. Most are K-League and J-League journeymen.

But now they have that vital added ingredient: self-belief.

Hiddink, who very nearly chose to go to Celtic before Martin O'Neill's appointment, changed the Koreans' perception of themselves.

He says: "When I arrived they were all charming and innocent. I told them: 'If you don't change they will rob you and I don't want that to happen.'" It hasn't.

He recalls: "Before the finals I had us playing tough European and African teams then and people wanted me to go home.

"But I stuck to my plans and look at us now. There is no burden on the staff or the players. There is no pressure for a team ranked so low in the world."

Kim Do-hoon, a policy analyst for the Korean Government, says: "Koreans generally like his leading style, his discipline, his impartiality. In the past sides were picked because of age or family ties.

"He is independent and impartial because he is European, completely un-Korean. He is not involved in any political intrigues here. If we apply Hiddink's leadership to other areas, maybe we can even change our society."

It is predicted that Korea's World Cup performances could help boost the national economy by 6-7% by the end of the year.

On Tuesday, 95 percent of Korean homes are expected to be tuned in to the semi-final against the Germans, all schools and factories will be closed, even Korea's dating services have reported a major slump in business.

Once-popular past-times like speed skating and baseball are forgotten. Hiddink, amid the dancing and fireworks evoked by the success, grinned: "This run has been outrageous. Almost beyond limits. What comes tomorrow, comes tomorrow. First I would like a little glass of champagne."

Mr Five-nil deserves at least that.