South Korea hopes 2022 World Cup will bring peace to peninsula

By Hannah Bae Nov 25, 2010, 4:16 GMT

Seoul - South Korea is determined, not discouraged, to win FIFA's nod to host the 2022 World Cup - notwithstanding a deadly North Korean attack just days before the announcement of the host takes place.

'The November 23 incident will not affect our bid,' 2022 World Cup Korea bid committee chairman Han Sung-joo told the German Press Agency dpa, in response to North Korea's attack on a front-line South Korean island that killed at least four, including two civilians, and injured 18.

'In fact, the tensions on the Korean Peninsula are all the more reason why we should promote peace and reconciliation now and in the future,' he said.

Hope for peace on the Korean peninsula is proving a key promotional tool for South Korea in its 2022 World Cup bid.

'Sport is one area where exchanges should continue despite political or military conflict, and is a means through which tensions can be reduced,' Han said. 'We must try this when all other methods fail.'

South Korea, a joint host of the 2002 World Cup with Japan, has not wavered from its proposal of holding some matches in North Korea should it be chosen for 2022 tournament.

'We are talking about a World Cup in 2022 - 12 years from now - when the regional situation in Northeast Asia will be quite different and inter-Korean relations will have changed,' Han said.

FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon, a South Korean lawmaker, has emphasized the potential for peace as he touts the benefits of his country as host.

'If the 2022 World Cup were to be held in the world's only remaining divided nation, this would best fit FIFA's ideals,' he said.

South Korea, which is competing against the US, Qatar, Australia and Japan, seeks to strengthen its bid by committing to aid worldwide development of the sport through the creation of its 777-million- dollar Global Football Fund.

This is on top of the FIFA Evaluation Report published on November 17, which highlighted the country's strong information and communications technology infrastructure, solid governmental support and experience in hosting FIFA events in the past 20 years.

'We are looking forward to the final presentation when we can further highlight the strengths of our bid,' Han said.

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