South Korea's Huh Jung-moo announced Friday he will resign as coach of the national football team.
Huh, 55, who returned from the ongoing World Cup in South Africa earlier this week, told a news conference he ``would like to have an opportunity to recharge.''
``There are many great and capable ... leaders in our football community. I think they should be given a chance'' to coach the national team, he said.
Huh's successor is yet to be decided.
South Korea finished second in its group and advanced to the round of 16 at the World Cup before being knocked out in a 2-1 loss to Uruguay. The team advanced out of the group stage for the first time on foreign soil.
South Korea's best ever World Cup performance came in 2002 when it reached the semifinals as co-host with Japan.
Huh was appointed as coach of the national team in late 2007 after Pim Verbeek of the Netherlands left to lead Asian rival Australia.
``What I felt during the World Cup tournament is that the global football powerhouses, especially the South American teams, performed well'' and were too much for us, he said.
``Whatever I do, I would like to contribute to the development of Republic of Korea football in any way,'' he said, referring to South Korea by its official name.
Huh, who played for Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in the early 1980s, coached South Korea twice before his latest stint - leading the team in 1995 and again from 1998 to 2000. He also played for South Korea at the 1986 World Cup.
South Korea's next scheduled match is a friendly against Iran in September. The team will travel to Qatar to contest the Asian Cup in January.
