Co-host South Korea put on a spiritual show mixing ancient tradition and high tech as the 2002 World Cup officially opened yesterday, moments before France began its title defense against Senegal.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and newly re-elected FIFA president Sepp Blatter gave speeches at Seoul's 64,000-seat World Cup stadium. The latter was jeered by some fans.
PHOTO: REUTERS
South Korean President Kim Dae-jung declared the tournament officially open at 7:44pm, and fireworks flew from both sides of the roof to mark the ceremony's start.
Around the globe, more than 500 million people watched on television as 2,300 performers -- half of them in traditional folk costume -- entered the stadium for a 40-minute display of jaw-dropping creativity.
Outside the stadium and across the capital city, 420,000 police and military personnel were involved in an enormous security operation. Helicopters and fighter jets scoured the skies, and anti-aircraft missiles have been deployed near stadiums with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 in mind.
A thick circle of yellow-clad dancers formed in the center of the field, then gave way to women in pale green dresses who performed a traditional Korean royal court dance.
The zippier second stage saw futuristic silver dancers surrounded by creatures with TV sets for heads. Four high-tech drummers floated down from the roof onto stands with flashing lights and screens.
The entire field was then swathed in white sheets, from below which rose a bell as high as a house. Screens on the bell showed scenes of suffering and poverty from around the world.
An upbeat dance closed the ceremony as paper soccer balls dropped from the sky.
A huge cloud of mist hovered above the oval opening in the stadium roof and temperatures were about 20?C. A cool breeze blew through the stands.
Hundreds of fans in the south stands wore yellow T-shirts in support of Senegal, while the opposite end was a sea of blue-clad France supporters.
Many fans have come from abroad to support their national teams playing in South Korea and Japan, while South Koreans also have organized groups to welcome and cheer on various squads.
Hundreds of security officers vetted fans and journalists as they passed into the stadium, thoroughly inspecting all bags and even passing metal-detection devices over bulky books.
Missing from the festivities, however, was Japan's Emperor Akihito.
Though officials on both sides have tried to play it down, Akihito's conspicuous absence from yesterday's ceremony reflects the limits of soccer diplomacy -- and how deeply the wounds of war and occupation continue to affect relations between the two Asian neighbors.
Representing the palace was Akihito's cousin, Prince Takamado, and Takamado's wife, Princess Hisako. They are the first members of Japan's royal family to visit Korea since the end of World War II. Japan's surrender in 1945 opened the way for the independence of Korea, which had been a Japanese colony since 1910.
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