Soccer-South Korea hire Stielike as head coach - media

(Adds details) SEOUL, Sept 5 (Reuters) - South Korea have hired former Germany international Uli Stielike as the new coach of the national soccer team, local media reported on Friday. Stielike, who played 42 times for West Germany and has managed Switzerland and Ivory Coast, has been given a contract until the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Yonhap News reported. He has recently coached in Qatar. Stielike replaces Hong Myung-bo, who resigned in July after South Korea's first round exit from the World Cup. The South Korean Football Association had been struggling to appoint a new head coach with the body saying prospective candidates were proving too expensive or just not interested in the role. Former international Shin Tae-yong is taking charge of home friendly matches against Venezuela later on Friday and Uruguay next week as South Korea look ahead to the Asian Cup in January where they will aim for a first title in 54 years. (Reporting by Peter Rutherford; Editing by Ian Ransom)