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Koreans reap rewards of World Cup success

Golden moment: Dutch-born coach Guus Hiddink and his team have been elevated to national heroes

SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- As they turn their attention to Saturday's quarter-final showdown with Spain, South Korea's World Cup heroes are already reaping the rewards of their stunning success.

After knocking much-fancied Italy out of the tournament Tuesday the Korean giant-killers have earned themselves hefty bonuses, free flights and a stack of consumer goods from South Korean companies eager to associate themselves with the team's success.

On Monday, the government also announced that the team, having made it through the first round of the tournament, would be exempted from mandatory military service that may have hampered team preparations and qualifying for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Under Korean law all able-bodied men under 30 are obliged to complete between 26 and 30 months of national service.

Players have also seen their stock values soaring in the wake of their World Cup success with scouts from Europe's top clubs already snapping at the heals of several of the team's star players.

According to analysts quoted in the Korea Herald, "golden goal" hero Ahn Jung-hwan could see his value as high as $10 million -- four times the amount he was leased to Italian club Perugia for in 2000. (Perugia axes Korean hero)

Fans cash in

Many fans are also set for cash returns off the back of Korea's success

Meanwhile, fans of the national side are also cashing in on their team's progress.

In a bid to boost sales in the run up to the tournament, several South Korean companies launched promotions tied to the progress of the national squad -- perhaps gambling that on past form the side wouldn't make it past the first round.

Now, with the team already at the quarter-final stages, they're faced with having to make good on their promises.

To date though, with Korean companies swept up in the national mood, none seem to be begrudging coming up with cash.

Trigem, South Korea's second largest computer maker, says it will hand out some 3,000 flat screen computer monitors worth around $325 each as part of its promotion linked to South Korea making the quarter-finals.

Daewoo motors is set to cough up a total of around $1 million to customers who purchased a particular model of small car between May and June last year.

Hiddink for president

Some fans are calling for Hiddink to run for the presidency

Top of the winners so far though is the side's Dutch-born coach, Guus Hiddink, who has been elevated to a virtual god-like status with each step the team takes.

First up to help Hiddink on his way to heaven is Korean Air which announced Wednesday that Korea's most popular Dutchman would be given free first class flights whenever and wherever he wants for the next four years.

"This applies to all the routes we fly," a spokeswoman for national carrier said in Seoul.

With the coach assured of a free ride at the front of the plane any time he desires, his team won't be far behind with all 23 players on the side and three of Hiddink's assistants each receiving four return business class tickets anywhere in the world.

Not that Hiddink is likely to find himself short of money in the coming months.

When he took on the job of coach 18 months ago, the Korean Football Association gave him two goals -- ensure the co-hosting nation won at least one of its opening matches, and get the team into the second round.

'Honorary citizenship'

After knocking out soccer superpowers Italy and Portugal, sending Poland packing and drawing 1-1 with the U.S.A., he's done all that and more.

His reward from Korea's football bosses: a $460,000 bonus. And that's on top of his reported $1 million a year salary.

If that weren't enough, Korean government officials are reportedly considering the unprecedented move of bestowing an "honorary citizenship" on the hero coach.

Should he decide to leave Korea at the end of his contract, his spirit is set to remain, with reports that the mayor of Busan -- the stage of Korea's first ever World Cup win over Poland -- is having a bust of Hiddink made to honor the coach.

Already many Koreans are saying that, should he ever decide to run, Hiddink would be a shoe-in for the presidency.

Hiddink himself says all the attention is a great honor, but he has no plans to change his citizenship.

That hasn't deterred city councils across South Korea who are already proposing changing street names to honor Hiddink, with some even drawing up plans for statues of his likeness.