S. Korea accuses Japan over World Cup

S. Korea accuses Japan over World Cup

SEOUL (AFP): South Korea's top soccer official on Tuesday accused Japan of undermining their co-hosting of the 2002 World Cup finals as the rivals marked the 500-day countdown to the start of the event.

Korean organizing committee chief Chung Mong-Joon, a vice president of the international governing body FIFA, condemned Japan's organizing committee for trying to change the official title of the event.

The South Korean committee, KOWOC, has made an official complaint to FIFA because Japan is putting its name before Korea on tickets. Under a 1996 accord, the tournament should be called "2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan."

Chung attacked the Japanese organizing committee, JAWOC, at a press conference called to launch the countdown.

"The fact that JAWOC is trying to change the order of the official title to Japan/Korea I think will be in violation of the agreement with FIFA.

"I think this will also undermine the co-hosting spirit between the two countries," Chung said.

KOWOC made an official complaint to the international governing body last Thursday, a KOWOC spokeswoman said.

The two countries were fierce rivals to secure the finals before FIFA awarded the event to both in 1996. They made an accord on several co-hosting disputes the same year.

With FIFA as arbitrators, they agreed on the official title of the tournament and that the opening match on May 31, 2002 would be in Seoul, with the final played in Yokohama, Japan on June 30, 2002.

The Japanese organizing committee (JAWOC) has changed the order to Japan-Korea on its tickets for domestic sales. Tickets go on sale around the world on February 15.

Chung also complained that KOWOC was only informed of the change by its Japanese counterpart "at the last minute."

JAWOC has argued there was an unofficial agreement that the name rule would not apply to domestic promotional campaigns and only concerned the English title, officials said.

JAWOC has insisted it will continue to use Japan-Korea during the build up to the 32-nation competition which is being co- hosted for the first time.

Both countries are ploughing ahead though with frenzied construction and renovation of stadiums. The Confederations Cup -- to be held in South Korea and Japan in June -- will be the first big rehearsal.

The 63,930 seater Seoul World Cup stadium -- Asia's largest purpose built soccer stadium -- is more than two thirds finished and is due to be ready around September.

The Yokohama stadium, built in 1997, can seat 70,564 people but will be one of the smallest used for a final. The city of Yokohama will install 1,800 extra seats and is studying the possibility of putting seats on the field.