One year later

Proud World Cup memories continue in Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- A year after South Korea co-hosted the 2002 World Cup and surprised the world with its magical run to the semifinals, the country is still basking in soccer glory.

"Before the World Cup, when we asked other countries for a friendly match, we had to beg, beg, and beg some more," says Sohn Ki-ryong, an official at the Korea Football Association. "Now almost all of them readily accept our proposals for friendlies. They recognize us as a soccer power, as a dark horse in world soccer."

For co-hosts South Korea and Japan, the first World Cup in Asia boosted their status in world soccer. At last year's tournament, which began May 31, South Korea became the continent's first team to reach the semifinals and Japan advanced to the second round for the first time. As co-hosts, the two countries charmed soccer fans with traditional hospitality and newfound zeal.

A year later, soccer's popularity remains high in both Japan and South Korea, with more children enrolling in clubs. Attendance in their professional leagues has risen, albeit slightly, since the tournament. And since the Cup, Japanese and Korean players have been signed by team in England, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.

"We're seeing a 15-20 percent increase in enrollment," said American Tom Byer, who coaches young soccer players for Coerver Coaching Schools in Japan. "I think that's a direct result of the World Cup and the influence of players like [David] Beckham and Ronaldo."

A survey by Seoul's Hankyoreh newspaper in May placed the tournament at the top of a list of "most meaningful events" in South Korea in the past 15 years, surpassing the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics.

As the Reds upset Italy and Spain and advanced to the semifinals, a record 5 million people wearing red T-shirts spilled onto streets and shouted "Dae Han Min Guk!" -- or "Republic of Korea!" They sang, danced and hugged each other, celebrating a badly needed boost to their ego as a small country surrounded by big powers.

The number of soccer players registered with the KFA rose from 18,000 in 2001 to 21,000 this year.

Only a few years ago, soccer players in South Korea were relatively unknown, somewhat like their U.S. counterparts. Today soccer players, especially those playing overseas, are staples of the daily news and celebrities endorsing products from computers to cosmetics, and set trends on hairstyles and jewelry.

Most European clubs, virtually unknown in Asia a few years ago, are now household names in South Korea. All newspapers dutifully reported Beckham's new cornrow hairstyle. TV stations beam daily highlights of European matches.

Yet at home, the fallout of possible World Cup corruption has surfaced. Two businessmen, an aide to a lawmaker and a former organizing committee official have been arrested on bribery charges in connection with selling World Cup logos.

Prosecutors are also investigating allegations that several legislators received alleged bribes.

The domestic K-League still has difficulties filling the 10 new stadiums built for the World Cup at a cost of more than $2 billion -- partly because more games are broadcast on TV. But the tournament was such a morale booster that few Koreans argue that hosting the Cup was a waste of money.

Average attendance this year is 10,730, a 9.5 percent increase from the average of the season before the World Cup, the league said.

"The stadiums are too big for the size of the K-League," says Kim Sam-woo, a soccer commentator for Seoul's Daily Sports. "But the World Cup gave important soccer infrastructure" to a country where professional clubs had often played on dirt-and-gravel fields, he said.

The Seoul World Cup Stadium, the venue for Senegal's upset of defending champion France in the opener and Germany's semifinal victory over South Korea, is the only stadium making money. It hosts more music concerts, operas and religious and cultural festivals than soccer matches. This week, it opened a huge shopping mall, multiscreen movie theater and sports center.

Chinese movie director Zhang Yimou mounted a lavish outdoor production of Puccini's "Turandot" in the stadium in early May, attracting a total of 110,000 fans for four night performances.

Young South Korean soccer fans transformed their jubilant World Cup street rallies into nationalist protests. They called for reconciliation with communist North Korea and less dependence on the United States, South Korea's chief ally.

Pundits dubbed these young Koreans a "World Cup generation," and President Roh Moo-hyun tapped this new force. During the campaign for his December election, Roh pleased young voters by vowing not to "kowtow to the Americans."

 

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