Hockey: Sth Korea love all but weather

South Korea coach Jin Soo Han. PHOTO/Anendra Singh

Asked if he wanted to add anything else at the end of the interview, smiling South Korea coach Jin Soo Han obliged in his vernacular.

"We're really humbled to be invited back here for the second year in a row, so thanks to the hockey committee," Han said through translator Haena Seol, 22, of Napier.

"We're a little disappointed with the weather, though, because our players are getting a lot of injuries in the rain and cold so it would be nice if they can move the tournament a little closer to summertime," he said, before facing New Zealand in the first semifinal of the annual Eight Nation Hawke's Bay Cup at 4.30pm today.

Before that, the 50-year-old former Korean Olympian and striker emphasised the Blacks Sticks were strong and it would be good exposure for his players, especially the new crop.

"We are mentally strong and we can beat them," he said after World No 9 Korea upset No 5 United States 2-1 in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

World No4 Kiwis are coming off a relatively comfortable 4-1 victory over No13 India.

"We have very fast running forwards who can score," Han said, unhappy with their world ranking and aiming to whittle that down to at least No6.

A coach for 25 years, he has had two stints at the helm of the women's team.

"I want my girls to be confident at the world level," he explained. "I give them all the support to be better players."

It's something captain Jong Euan Kim attests to before revealing Korea always felt they were good enough to make the cull for the semifinals despite the rankings.

World No2 Australia play No7 China at 6.45pm today with defending champions and World No3 Argentina the glaring omission.

Kim said it was not in the Korean psyche to adopt a defeatist stance on anything, despite the odds.

"We never think we are heading into a game weaker than anyone."

The 29-year-old, who made her debut a decade ago, said it was something instilled in her at 13 in elementary school.

"New Zealand are very similar to the US so we'll be very aggressive tomorrow," said the striker, who has bagged more than 60 goals in her career.

They will study TV footage as they had done before plotting the Americans' demise.