Japan vows to solve World Cup problems<\/p>\n
TOKYO (AFP): Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto
\nyesterday pledged help to tackle "various problems" that could
\nthreaten the joint hosting of the 2002 World Cup finals with
\nSouth Korea.<\/p>\n
"We are bound to tackle various problems from now and we will
\ndo our best," the premier told leaders of the Japanese World Cup
\nbid committee at a meeting.<\/p>\n
Former prime minister Kiichi Miyazawa, one of the bidding
\nleaders, quoted Hashimoto as telling them: "Please do not
\nhesitate to tell us if there is anything the government can do
\nfor its part."<\/p>\n
Miyazawa returned yesterday with executives of the Japanese
\nbid committee from Zurich where the International Football
\nFederation (FIFA) decided the 2002 finals should go to Japan and
\nSouth Korea to halt animosity between them over their bids.<\/p>\n
The decision has raised a host of logistical, protocol and
\nsecurity questions, including sites for the final and opening and
\nclosing ceremonies. Profit sharing, different ticket prices and
\nother conditions will also have to be sorted out.<\/p>\n
Shun-ichiro Okano, vice-president of the Japanese Football
\nAssociation, said at a news conference, that it would be "a
\nmatter of course" for Japan and South Korea get automatic berths
\nat the World Cup as host nations.<\/p>\n
He added that he hoped to see the 15 Japanese cities, which
\nhad agreed to invest billions of yen in building or renovating
\nsoccer stadia for the World Cup, get a share of the matches.<\/p>\n
The cities also chipped in 235 million yen (US$2.2 million)
\neach to the bidding committee.<\/p>\n
At the news conference, Miyazawa said the joint-hosting
\ncompromise "could not be called the best choice from the
\nstandpoint of the soccer world."<\/p>\n
He added though that "it was good that we managed to avoid an
\nunfavorable turn in the bilateral relations."<\/p>\n
Mega projects<\/p>\n
In Seoul, the South Korean government said yesterday it was
\nlikely to spend some $2.54 billion dollars on new airports,
\ncommunications and other capital projects for the 2002 World Cup
\nfinals.<\/p>\n
The projection by the Construction and Transportation Ministry
\nincluded $359 million for new hotel rooms and $1.15 billion
\ndollars for road construction.<\/p>\n
The ministry had forecast expenditure of $637 million to build
\nand revamp soccer stadiums. But the earlier figure must be
\nrevised because of co-hosting, ministry officials said.<\/p>\n
Despite the decision by the International Football Federation,
\nFIFA, to make rivals South Korea and Japan co-host the 2002
\nevent, businesses said there would still be a World Cup sales
\nboom.<\/p>\n
In a related move, a South Korean government-business team
\nleft yesterday for Japan to survey preparations there for sales
\npromotion.<\/p>\n
The 10-member team will look at how Japanese counterparts are
\npreparing for the boom for sporting goods, bags, accessories and
\nelectronic products, Yonhap news agency said.<\/p>\n
"We have sent the mission to help create measures that will
\nhelp small companies cope with the newly-emerging World Cup
\nmarket," a Trade, Industry and Energy official told Yonhap.<\/p>\n
Delegates from both Japan and South Korea complained they had
\nbeen victims of FIFA politics in which Swedish FIFA vice-
\npresident Lennart Johansson had triumphed over president Joao
\nHavelange and had sacrificed the World Cup to achieve it.<\/p>\n
Japan had been opposed to co-hosting right up until the last
\nminute.<\/p>\n
South Korean FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon hoped co-
\nhosting would bring about closer ties between the two countries.<\/p>\n
"Korea and Japan are immediate neighbors, but there is an
\nunhappy history. There has been a lack of understanding between
\nus," he said.<\/p>",
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