South Korea star Yoo Sang-chul dies aged 49 following long battle with cancer, with former midfielder one of the key men behind Guus Hiddink's side's run to the 2002 World Cup semi-final

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Yoo Sang-chul, one of the stars of South Korea's surprising run to the 2002 World Cup semi-finals, has died after long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 49. 

Yoo played 124 times for South Korea from 1994 to 2005, scoring 18 goals, with his most famous strike coming in a 2-0 win over Poland at the World Cup 19 years ago. 

His performances at the 2002 showpiece, which was co-hosted alongside Japan, saw him named in the All-Star team. He is the sixth most-capped South Korean of all time.  

South Korea legend Yoo Sang-chul has passed away after long battle with pancreatic cancer

'We will forever remember the shouts and glory of that day with you. Rest in peace,' the South Korea Football Association said in a message posted Monday on its social media channels. 

South Korea's inspired run on home soil also included a win over Portugal in the group stage and a golden goal win over Italy in the Round of 16, with millions of people pouring onto the streets to celebrate. 

The South Koreans advanced to the last four on penalties after their quarter-final against Spain ended 0-0.  

The campaign concluded with a 1-0 loss to Germany in the semis and a 3-2 loss to Turkey in the third-place playoff. Reaching the top four remains the best performance by an Asian team at the World Cup. 

The former midfielder played a key role in helping Guus Hiddink's side reach the 2002 World Cup semis, with his goal vs Poland (pictured) helping his country on their way to the last four

A picture of Yoo Sang-chul is surrounded by flowers at a memorial altar in a hospital in Seoul

Yoo won the K-League title with Ulsan Hyundai in 1996 and 2005 and also helped Yokohama F Marinos claim the J-League crown in 2003 and 2004 before moving into coaching, where he most recently was head coach at South Korean club Incheon United.

He was diagnosed with cancer in November 2019 but remained with the team and only quit as head coach two months later, after helping Incheon avoid relegation to the second tier.  

According to the Yonhap news agency, Yoo is one of only two players in K-League history to be included in the season-ending top XI as a forward, a midfielder and a defender.