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Inter-Korea summit to affect formation of single soccer team |
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May
20, 2000
SEOUL, MAY 19 (AP) - South Korea's proposal to form a soccer team with North Korea for international competition will depend on the success of an upcoming inter-Korea summit, Seoul's top soccer official said Friday.
"The most important factor in forming a single Korean team is whether the June summit will succeed," said Chung Mong-joon, head of South Korea's Football Association.
Meeting reporters upon arrival at the airport from Kuala Lumpur where he attended an annual meeting of the Asia Football Confederation, Chung said he would like to visit North Korea to discuss the issue.
AFC, Asia's soccer governing body, overwhelmingly approved Chung's proposal that the two Koreas field a unified team at this year's Asia Cup competition in Lebanon in October.
South Korea has earned a berth in the Asian version of the World Cup, while North Korea was eliminated in qualifying rounds.
If the two Koreas can field a single team for the Asian Cup, that would help them form another unified team for the 2002 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Japan and South Korea, Chung said.
North Korea previously was negative to the South Korean proposal.
But Chung said the North's communist government may change its stance if tension on the Korean peninsula eases as a result of the June 12-14 summit of leaders.
South Korea is willing to share with North Korea some of the 32 World Cup final matches it will host. The 32 is half the total number of World Cup games in 2002. |