World Cup organizers remain confident over ticket sales<\/p>\n
SEOUL (AFP): South Korean World Cup organizers sought Tuesday
\nto play down fears that the international terrorism crisis would
\nhit attendance at next year's finals.<\/p>\n
Although a security review has been ordered, Korean World Cup
\nOrganizing Committee (CAKE) co-chairman Chung Mong-Joon would not
\nbe drawn on whether the US terror attacks had slowed ticket
\nsales.<\/p>\n
But he indicated organizers were not worried.<\/p>\n
\"In general, demand is 10 times higher than supply for
\ntickets,\" Chung told a briefing for foreign reporters when asked
\nabout the threat. \"Terrorist attacks should have no impact on our
\nlives.\"<\/p>\n
KOWOC and South Korean security authorities have already
\nordered an anti-terrorism review which will include extra
\nsecurity forces, heightened surveillance of people entering the
\ncountry and a no-fly zone over stadiums.<\/p>\n
President Kim Dae-Jung reaffirmed again Tuesday that the
\ncountry had to be ready to confront any terrorist threat to the
\nWorld Cup and the Asian Games, which will also be held in South
\nKorea next year.<\/p>\n
There are just over three million tickets for the World Cup
\nmatches which will be played in South Korea and Japan from May 31
\nnext year.<\/p>\n
South Korea is selling its final 300,000 tickets for matches
\nin the country now.<\/p>\n
Chung reaffirmed KOWOC estimates that 400,000 people would
\nvisit South Korea for the finals. \"This is the largest event in
\nthe history of Korea in terms of impact. We want to show the new
\nimage of Korea that it is politically and economically
\ndifferent.\"<\/p>\n
Despite his confidence, Chung will go to Europe next week to
\nhelp with a World Cup promotion campaign. The KOWOC co-chairman
\nwill give a speech and give interviews in Paris on Oct. 5.<\/p>\n
The Korean authorities are sending three groups of musicians
\nto Rome, Madrid, the German city of Cologne and Paris to promote
\nthe tournament for which South Korea has spent US$2 billion on 10
\nnew stadiums.<\/p>\n
According to latest figures, the World Cup will also be the
\nmost popular television sports event ever.<\/p>\n
Chung said there were 19.6 billion television viewers for the
\n1996 Atlanta Olympics. \"For the 1998 World Cup in France there
\nwere 37 billion viewers and we expect 42 billion next year and if
\nChina qualifies 60 billion.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/world-cup-organizers-remain-confident-over-ticket-sales-1447893297",
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