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NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 488 (February 28, 2008)
*** INTER-KOREAN RELATIONS
Inter-Korean talks fail to reach agreement on World Cup qualifier
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- South and North Korea failed to reach an agreement on political issues surrounding their 2010 World Cup match in South Africa during talks in the North Korean border city of Kaesong on Feb. 26.
The two Koreas are scheduled to hold their World Cup qualifier in the North Korean capital Pyongyang on March 26, but the North has insisted that South Korea's national anthem and flag cannot be used during the game. Instead, the North suggested that the two sides jointly use a neutral flag depicting the Korean Peninsula and the traditional Korean folk song "Arirang."
The Korea Football Association (KFA), South Korea's football governing body, rebutted that there is no reason not to use the South Korean national flag and anthem during the match, citing FIFA regulations. It also noted that the South has allowed the North to hoist its flag and play its anthem when the two sides have played in the South.
"Today, we've met three times with North Korean officials, but could not narrow differences of opinion," KFA Public Relations Director Yoo Young-cheol said after the talks.
The North is also known to have expressed a negative opinion on the visit of a South Korean cheering squad to the qualifier.
Later in the day, the KFA decided to seek FIFA arbitration without additional negotiations with the North.
A KFA official asking anonymity said, "The North's claim is against both FIFA regulations and international standards. We don't think there will be any problem in seeking arbitration," adding that the KFA will soon send a mediation application to the world's football governing body.
The two Koreas are grouped with Turkmenistan and Jordan.
(END)
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