On 7 August, Park scored the deciding goal, also from the penalty spot, in the 2–1 victory over FC Seoul in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, taking Busan into the semi-finals.

Park was an unused substitute in the semi-final defeat to Brazil, but returned to the starting line-up for the third place play-off victory over Japan, which ensured Korea were bronze medal winners.

After impressing as a midfield partner for Ki Sung-yueng at the Olympic Games, Park made his full international debut on 17 October 2012 in a World Cup qualifying defeat to Iran.

Park returned to the national team squad after a three-year absence for the friendly games against Russia and Morocco in October 2017.

[8] Although the International Olympic Committee prohibits players from making political statements, following South Korea's victory of Japan in the bronze medal match of the men's football, Park displayed the sign with a slogan of justification for Korea's occupation of the Liancourt Rocks, known as Dokdo or Tokto (독도, literally) in Korean, or Takeshima (たけしま/竹島) in Japanese.

It was also announced that he was under investigation by the International Olympic Committee and football's governing body FIFA,[10] both of which have rules that prohibit political statements by athletes on the field.

FIFA also impose a warning on the Korea Football Association and reminded it of its obligation to properly instruct its players on all the pertinent rules and applicable regulations before the start of any competition, in order to avoid such incident in the future.

After the Disciplinary Commission reviewed Park's action at the Olympics, the IOC decided to give the player the medal he had been barred from collecting for several months.