In Pusan, meanwhile, South Korea's top football official said

In Pusan, meanwhile, South Korea's top football official said Wednesday he would invite North Korea's best players to join the southern side at next year's World Cup finals.

North Korea has snubbed an offer to stage some of the matches for the tournament, which South Korea and Japan will co-host next June, but organizing committee co-chairman Chung Mong-joon said he would go to the communist state to make a new attempt to get the North involved.

Chung said he would go to Pyongyang early in 2002 and invite the North to send its best players.