World Cup organizers remain confident over ticket sales
World Cup organizers remain confident over ticket sales
SEOUL (AFP): South Korean World Cup organizers sought Tuesday
to play down fears that the international terrorism crisis would
hit attendance at next year's finals.
Although a security review has been ordered, Korean World Cup
Organizing Committee (CAKE) co-chairman Chung Mong-Joon would not
be drawn on whether the US terror attacks had slowed ticket
sales.
But he indicated organizers were not worried.
"In general, demand is 10 times higher than supply for
tickets," Chung told a briefing for foreign reporters when asked
about the threat. "Terrorist attacks should have no impact on our
lives."
KOWOC and South Korean security authorities have already
ordered an anti-terrorism review which will include extra
security forces, heightened surveillance of people entering the
country and a no-fly zone over stadiums.
President Kim Dae-Jung reaffirmed again Tuesday that the
country had to be ready to confront any terrorist threat to the
World Cup and the Asian Games, which will also be held in South
Korea next year.
There are just over three million tickets for the World Cup
matches which will be played in South Korea and Japan from May 31
next year.
South Korea is selling its final 300,000 tickets for matches
in the country now.
Chung reaffirmed KOWOC estimates that 400,000 people would
visit South Korea for the finals. "This is the largest event in
the history of Korea in terms of impact. We want to show the new
image of Korea that it is politically and economically
different."
Despite his confidence, Chung will go to Europe next week to
help with a World Cup promotion campaign. The KOWOC co-chairman
will give a speech and give interviews in Paris on Oct. 5.
The Korean authorities are sending three groups of musicians
to Rome, Madrid, the German city of Cologne and Paris to promote
the tournament for which South Korea has spent US$2 billion on 10
new stadiums.
According to latest figures, the World Cup will also be the
most popular television sports event ever.
Chung said there were 19.6 billion television viewers for the
1996 Atlanta Olympics. "For the 1998 World Cup in France there
were 37 billion viewers and we expect 42 billion next year and if
China qualifies 60 billion."