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SOUTH AFRICA 2010: Two Koreas to play World Cup qualifier in Shanghai: official

The two Koreas have agreed to play their World Cup qualifier in China later this month under the mediation of FIFA, soccer's world governing body, an official said yesterday.

The transfer of the match from the North Korean capital Pyongyang came after South Korea last month asked FIFA to mediate a dispute over North Korea's refusal to let the South play its national anthem and fly its flag before the match.

South Korea's Football Association spokesman Yoo Young-chol said FIFA notified the two Koreas earlier this week of its proposal that the match be relocated to Shanghai on March 26.

The countries accepted it and FIFA faxed an official notification of its decision to the South Koreans yesterday, Yoo said.

The divided Koreas will use their respective anthems and flags in Shanghai, he said.

"We earlier expected FIFA to succeed in persuading the North to allow us to use our anthem and flag. Still, we believe FIFA maintained a fundamental principle," Yoo said. "We feel sorry for those who hoped to watch a Pyongyang match."

In recent years, the two Koreas have displayed the blue and white "unification flag" and used the traditional song Arirang at exhibition sports events. Both sides marched together under the unification flag at several major international sports events following the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The North had insisted the sides do the same in Pyongyang, while the South argued a FIFA rule stipulates national anthems and flags should be used at official international matches.

The Koreas are in the same group as Turkmenistan and Jordan in 2010 World Cup qualifying.
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