South Korea captain Park Ji-sung is retiring from international football, coach Cho Kwang-rae said Friday.
The 29-year-old Park won his 100th cap in the Asian Cup semifinal loss to Japan on Tuesday and was widely expected to announce his retirement after the tournament.
The Manchester United player has called a news conference in Seoul on Monday, but speaking after South Korea beat Uzbekistan 3-2 to claim third place in Qatar, Cho confirmed that Park and defender Lee Young-pyo will both retire.
''Park and Lee are retiring today,'' Cho said. ''I want to say they did a remarkable job. I love both of them.''
Park, who sat out Friday's match as a precaution after concerns about his fitness, refused to say whether he would retire, but his teammates hinted at the decision when they threw both him and Lee into the air after the final whistle on Friday.
''It would be better if I could keep them and convince them to continue playing for the team,'' Cho said. ''But the players have done well for South Korea and we have to accept their decision.
''I am sure that football fans would want to thank them for their contribution to South Korean football. There are also many new players coming through.''
Cho singled out tournament top scorer Koo Ja-cheol as someone who might help fill the gap left by Park, who is one of Asia's most successful players.
In 2009, the midfielder became the first South Korean to play in a Champions League final when Manchester United lost to Barcelona. He has also won three Premier League titles and three League Cups with the English club.
He made his international debut in 2000 and was part of the team that reached the World Cup semifinals in 2002 on home soil, the best performance by an Asian team in the competition. He went on to play at the World Cup in 2006 and 2010.
Asked about his future, Park said: ''I just try to do my best at our club and to help the team to win everything.''
Lee, the former PSV, Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund fullback, won 127 caps for South Korea after making his debut in 1999.
The 33-year-old defender said Park had left a strong legacy for South Korea's young players.
''Personally I want Park Ji-sung to play for this country a little bit more,'' he said. ''But we should respect his final decision about his retirement.
''Since we were young, I've played together with Ji-sung. I believe he has a great passion, a love for football. The young generation they will remember his sacrifices for the team and his passion for football forever. It will have a positive effect on future generations.''
Lee said the highlight of his 12-year international career was South Korea's run at the World Cup in 2002, which he described as a ''turning point'' for Korean football.
''Even the Korean players couldn't believe the achievement of the Korean team,'' Lee said. ''It was a historic moment.
''From the tournament, we showed the world that Asian football can do something in the World Cup. It was very remarkable for my international career. It was quite special for me.''
Midfielder Ki Sung-yueng paid tribute to both Park and Lee and described South Korea's win over Uzbekistan as a ''present'' for the departing players.
''They are really great players for 10 years and I am really proud of them,'' he said. ''They showed to the people all over the world that Korean football is getting better.''
