Only once in their World Cup history have the South Koreans made it to the last 16, and that when they co-hosted the tournament with neighbours Japan back in 2002.

Manchester United midfielder Park will lead his country into their opening Group B battle with Greece at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth tomorrow afternoon knowing an improvement on that record will be a big ask with Argentina and Nigeria waiting in the wings.

However, that is exactly the 29-year-old's aim as he and his team-mates attempt to rekindle memories of eight years ago.

Park said: "It is the first World Cup which has been held on the African continent, so it is truly an honour to be here.

"It is the first World Cup in Africa and we hope it will be the first round of 16 we will have reached away from Korea.

"My objective for this World Cup is that round of 16. I am not thinking of anything else but that."

In the short term, however, Park's focus will be purely on the task of getting the campaign off to a winning start, and he is not allowing anything to interfere with his own personal preparation.

He said: "The only thing I am thinking about is tomorrow's match and about what I have to do tomorrow. That's the best way for me to concentrate on tomorrow's match.

"I don't think about the past. We have to look forward and what is most important for the team is to find a way to win against Greece.

"Besides that, I am really not thinking about anything else."

Park has played a key role for his club this season in the Barclays Premier League, Carling Cup and the Champions League, picking up a winner's medal in the domestic knock-out competition.

He is confident that has prepared him for his adventure on the biggest stage of all after the lingering effects of injury prevented him from performing to his best in Germany four years ago.

The former PSV Eindhoven midfielder said: "It has given me a lot of experience and also I could get a feel for the atmosphere and I think that will help me relax a little bit more because I have played in a lot of major matches."

South Korea coach Huh Jung-moo was a technical advisor to Dutchman Guus Hiddink for what proved to be something of a magic carpet ride all the way to the semi-finals back in 2002, and he is hoping to strike a blow for home-grown coaches in South Africa.

Huh said: "To tell you the truth, this is quite a big burden on me, but besides all of that, it is important that we present Korean football in the best possible light in these World Cup matches.

"I want to get away from the image that we don't do well in tournaments outside Korea, and all of our players have a strong resolve to do well tomorrow."

Like United's Park, Park Chu-yung of Monaco, Celtic's Ki Sung-yueng, Bolton midfielder Lee Chung-yong and striker Lee Dong-gook, who had a spell at Middlesbrough earlier in his career, have experience of European football, and that could be vital against Otto Rehhagel's men tomorrow.

Huh admits the aerial threat of Liverpool defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos in particular is one which cannot be ignored.

He said: "If height was the main factor, we would have to have all basketball players.

"He [Kyrgiakos] is a very good athlete and player. We have looked at all the data and he is really quite a big threat from set-pieces - but we are fully prepared."