The match at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium ended 2-2 after 120 minutes before Vietnam prevailed 7-6 in the shootout, handing South Korea their first-ever loss to Vietnam in the tournament's history after six wins and three draws.
South Korea dominated possession throughout the match 65 to 35 percent, recording 32 shots to Vietnam's five and attempting 61 crosses compared to their opponents' four, but struggled to break down a resolute Vietnamese defense.
Vietnam struck first through Nguyen Quoc Viet's powerful left-footed finish in the 30th minute after Nguyen Dinh Bac carved open the Korean defense down the left flank.
Kim Tae-won equalized with a spectacular turning shot from outside the penalty area in the 69th minute, only for Dinh Bac to restore Vietnam's lead two minutes later.
South Korea's fortunes shifted when Dinh Bac received a straight red card in the 86th minute. Shin Min-ha capitalized on the numerical advantage, drilling home a left-footed equalizer deep into stoppage time to force extra time.
Despite their sustained pressure in extra time, South Korea failed to find a winner and succumbed in the shootout when Bae Hyun-seo's seventh kick was saved, allowing Nguyen Thanh Nhan to seal victory for Vietnam.
The result marks South Korea's worst finish since returning to the semi-finals for the first time in six years since their 2020 triumph in Thailand. Vietnam, coached by Kim Sang-sik, secured third place, their best result since finishing runners-up in 2018 under Park Hang-seo.
"We are not a complete team yet. We are a team that should continue to improve," said coach Lee Min-sung of the South Korean squad during the postmatch press conference. "If we can get sharper in attacking the half-space and the final third, we will be a much better team."
The team is scheduled to return home through Incheon International Airport on Sunday.
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