Japan moves to quell row over W. Cup name
Japan moves to quell row over W. Cup name
TOKYO (Agencies): Japan moved to end a dispute with South
Korea on Monday over whose name should go first on printed matter
for the 2002 World Cup finals, saying it will print Korea before
Japan in all official documents in English.
Although the event's official title is the "2002 FIFA World
Cup Korea/Japan", Japan had angered South Korea with plans to
print 'Japan' before 'Korea' on ticket applications for the
finals and use the word 'Japan' before 'Korea' in official
documents in Japanese.
The official said Japan had made a last minute decision to
delete 'Japan' and 'Korea' written in the Japanese language on
the ticket application guide for domestic use after receiving
"guidance" from FIFA.
Despite triggering the row, an official of JAWOC, the Japanese
organizing committee for the finals, told Reuters: "We have never
changed, tried to change and will never change the official
title. We accept the official title decided by FIFA as a matter
of course."
A JAWOC official told AFP: "I heard that there was a
demonstration at the Japanese embassy today. I hope that the two
countries do not waste energy on such things."
He added: "JAWOC hopes this will be settled as quickly as
possible. We understand that FIFA will make a final decision when
its top officials are to meet next month.
In Seoul, South Korean soccer fans staged a demonstration
outside the Japanese embassy on Monday, demanding the 2002 World
Cup Final be taken away from Japan because of a dispute about the
tournament's name.
About a dozen placard-waving soccer fans shouted anti-Japanese
slogans outside the Japanese embassy in central Seoul. "Japan
must return the final to South Korea," said one banner.
Korean World Cup Organizing Committee (KOWOC) co-chairman
Chung Mong-joon, a FIFA vice-president, sidestepped questions on
the dispute at a press conference to give details of ticket sales
which start on Feb. 15.
But he has previously suggested that if Japan continued to
argue against using the official title then there should be new
talks on the venue of the final.
South Korea threatened to challenge an agreement to hold the
2002 World Cup final in Japan if Japanese organizers continue to
insist on relegating the word "Korea" to second place on ticket
application forms, Yonhap News Agency reported on Sunday.
"If Japan continues to demand for a change in the title name,
we may ask for a review of the agreement to hold the final game
in Japan," Yonhap quoted an official of the Korean organizing
committee (KOWOC) as saying.
Seoul will stage the opening match and Yokohama the final
match of the competition.
The Korea Herald newspaper called for a compromise and said in
an editorial "the controversy has already shown signs of
developing into a major row between the peoples of the two
countries".
FIFA is said to have proposed a compromise saying the Japanese
organizers could remove the country names from domestic
promotional literature. JAWOC rejected the move.