INCHEON (Yonhap) ― Park Ji-sung, former captain of the South Korean men’s national soccer team, will not come out of his international retirement to play in the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the team’s head coach said Friday.

Hong Myung-bo, who will lead South Korea to its eighth consecutive trip to the World Cup this summer, said Park told him he will not come out of international retirement for one last hurrah.

“I had a heart-to-heart with Park Ji-sung,” Hong told reporters at Incheon International Airport upon returning from his trip to the Netherlands.

Park is currently playing for PSV Eindhoven in the top Dutch league.

“He said his knees are worse than he’d feared and that will prevent him from playing for the national team,” Hong said.

Park’s status for the big tournament has been a hot potato in South Korean football so far this year.

The 32-year-old said he would no longer play for the national team in January 2011 and has repeatedly said he won’t change his mind.