▁in ▁the ▁first ▁match . ▁They ▁also ▁defeated ▁O man ▁but ▁lost ▁to ▁K uw ait ▁and ▁finished ▁the ▁group ▁stage ▁in ▁second ▁place . ▁They ▁defeated ▁Japan ▁in ▁the ▁quarter - final s ▁but ▁lost ▁to ▁U z bek istan ▁in ▁the ▁semi - final s ▁and ▁K uw ait ▁again ▁in ▁the ▁bronze ▁medal ▁match ▁so ▁stayed ▁in ▁fourth ▁place . ▁Their ▁poor ▁performances ▁continued ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁A FC ▁Asian ▁Cup . ▁They ▁bare ly ▁managed ▁to ▁make ▁it ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁group ▁stage ▁as ▁they ▁ranked ▁third ▁in ▁their ▁group , ▁losing ▁to ▁K uw ait ▁on ▁goal ▁difference . ▁A ▁comparison ▁made ▁between ▁all ▁the ▁third - rank ed ▁teams ▁in ▁each ▁group ▁allowed ▁South ▁Korea ▁to ▁advance . ▁However , ▁they ▁suffered ▁a ▁ 6 – 2 ▁loss ▁to ▁Iran ▁in ▁the ▁quarter - final s , ▁conced ing ▁five ▁goals ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁which ▁included ▁Ali ▁D ae i ' s ▁four ▁goals . ▁ ▁After wards , ▁former ▁South ▁Korean ▁international ▁Cha ▁B um - k un ▁became ▁the ▁head ▁coach ▁going ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁FIFA ▁World ▁Cup . ▁They ▁won ▁the ▁group ▁of ▁the ▁final ▁round ▁in ▁the ▁qual ification . ▁However , ▁performing ▁well ▁in ▁the ▁qual ification , ▁the ▁team ▁played ▁poor ly ▁in ▁the ▁tournament , ▁losing ▁to ▁Mexico ▁ 3 – 1 ▁and ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁ 5 – 0 . ▁Cha ▁was ▁s ack ed ▁after ▁the ▁loss ▁to ▁the ▁Netherlands