Hiddink - set for return to Europe. (Allsport)

By David Anderson, PA Sport, Daegu

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The World Cup is not yet over, but already South Korea's history-making side is breaking up.

Striker Hwang Sun-hong, whose goal against Poland in Busan began Korea's remarkable march to the semi-finals, has confirmed he will be retiring after the tournament.

Tomorrow's third/fourth play-off match against Turkey will be Hwang's 103rd and last cap for his country during a 14-year international career.

If any player deserved to be part of Korea's success it was the 33-year-old who had suffered manfully through the lean times before Guus Hiddink arrived to perform his footballing miracle.

Hwang played at Italia 90 and USA 94, where he scored in Korea's 3-2 defeat by Germany, before a knee injury prior to France 98 ruled him out of that tournament.

That never-to-be-forgotten volley past Jerzy Dudek, which has already been shown hundreds of times on Korea television, was his 50th international goal and he was his country's golden boy long before Perugia had ever heard of Ahn Jung-hwan.

Unfortunately for Korea, Hwang is unlikely to be the only person saying farewell on Saturday in the picturesque Daegu World Cup stadium and the match is expected to be Hiddink's last in charge.

Hiddink's 18-month contract ends on the day of the game and the Dutchman, who lost to Croatia 2-1 with Holland in the third/fourth play-off at France 98, is set to return to a coaching job with Europe, with PSV Eindhoven at the head of the queue of suitors.

The challenge now for Korea will be to build on the marvellous success that Hiddink and Hwang have helped bring about.

But that is in the future and on Saturday Korea intend to enjoy their one last hurrah.

Ahn is determined to win one last game for Korea's marvellous fans and he said: "This match is as important as the final.

"We'll do our best because it's a once in a lifetime chance to play in third-place match of the World Cup.

"We'll do our best to live up to the expectations of the Korean people.

"Turkey are a strong team, so the match is going to be tight and as exciting as the final."

Like Korea, Turkey confounded the pundits by reaching the semis and coach Senol Gunes believes they can be proud of themselves.

Turkey beat Korea 7-0 at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland and Gunes said: "With our football I believe we have created an impact and we have brought colour into world football.

"We saw no teams superior or inferior to us and we always saw the team ahead of us as an opponent.

"We relished the challenge and played to win. We made heroes out of those who encouraged us.

"Our mission was to develop football and we did that. Our principle was to do the best possible and we did that.

"We wanted to give hope and happiness to our people and we also managed to do that.

"We wanted to be the masters of the football field and we did that."