YONHAP NEWS

S. Korea launches bid to host 2022 World Cup

By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea launched a bidding committee Wednesday to host the 2022 World Cup, joining the competition to stage the international sports event for a second time.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) named former foreign minister and ambassador to Washington, Han Sung-joo, as head of the committee.

"It is most important to persuade the 24-member executive committee of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)," Han said at a news conference.

South Korea's tycoon-turned-legislator Chung Mong-joon currently serves as vice president and an executive committee member of FIFA.
"With Chung a member of the executive committee, we have a chance if we prepare strategically," Han said.

   The winning bid requires 13 votes from the governing body, with a decision due in December 2010.

   South Korea and Japan, fierce rivals in the bidding for the 2002 World Cup finals, went on to co-host the event for that year.

   As FIFA selects the hosts for 2018 and 2022 tournaments simultaneously, Han said selections would be fairly distributed among countries from different continents.

   "I think the 2018 games will be held in Europe, and South Korea will compete against non-European countries, such as the U.S., Australia and Japan for the 2022 games," he said.

   Upon winning the bid, he said the committee will consider sharing some of the games with North Korea, which is technically at war with the South since the Korean War (1950-1953) ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

   "In fact, hosting a World Cup game will provide a good opportunity for South and North Korea to cooperate with each other," Han said. "It could contribute to peace on the Korean Peninsula."
The other bidders for the 2018 and 2022 games are the U.S., England, Russia, Australia, Indonesia and Mexico. Spain teamed up with Portugal, and the Netherlands with Belgium to propose jointly hosting the event.

   South Korea and Qatar have applied only for the 2022 games.

   ejkim@yna.co.kr
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