Former Penguin Jim Paek named coach of South Korea's men's national hockey team.

Via Yonhap:

South Korea has turned to a former National Hockey League (NHL) defenseman to lead its men's national hockey team, hoping his playing experience and coaching acumen could help the country qualify for the next Winter Olympics on home ice.

The Korea Ice Hockey Association (KIHA) announced Wednesday it has signed Jim Paek, the first player of Korean descent to play in the NHL, as the new head coach and executive director of the men's national team. He agreed to a four-year deal but financial terms weren't disclosed.

Korean-Canadian Paek (백지선) was the first Korean player in the NHL and played parts of four seasons with the Penguins. The second Korean player, Richard Park, also debuted with Pittsburgh. Baek has been an assistant in the American Hockey League since 2005.

Another interesting line from the article:

The country recently fast-tracked Canadian-born players to Korean citizenship in the hope of improving its world rankings.

More on that here and here.