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.