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(2nd LD) FIFA won't penalize N. Korea over World Cup behavior: Blatter
By Sam Kim
BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- FIFA President Joseph Blatter said Thursday his organization will not penalize North Korea over its persistent refusal to allow South Korea to use its national symbols at a World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang.
His comment came a day after FIFA announced that the venue for the Sept. 10 World Cup qualifier between the two Koreas has been changed to the neutral Chinese city of Shanghai.
North Korea succeeded in moving an earlier World Cup qualifier in March to Shanghai after refusing to allow South Korea to raise its flag and play its national anthem in Pyongyang, despite FIFA rules calling for such a ceremony.
"We're not interfering in politics, and that's why we're always looking for the sports solution, and in this case, it is a sports solution," Blatter said at a news conference, defending the decision to relocate the match out of the original venue, Pyongyang.
"We should not penalize associations when they find ways and means to avoid problems there may arise if they have to play under FIFA's conditions," he said, as he spoke on a variety of football issues related to the Beijing Olympics.
Blatter added it is unfortunate that the two countries were again drawn in the same qualifying group for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, resulting in repeated political tension over national symbols.
"It is bad luck that in the second round of the qualification in Asia, again, these two teams are in the same group. But this is coming out by the draw," he said.
The March 26 match, which ended in a scoreless draw, was part of the third Asian qualifying round for the World Cup. The two countries will again face each other in the final round set to begin next month.
Blatter, 72, suggested that relocation could apply again in the future if a similar situation occurs.
"We hope that this will be a good solution also for the future," he said.
The two Koreas, which remain divided since 1945, are still technically at war, with no peace treaty signed at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. Their relations have worsened since the conservative government of President Lee Myung-bak took power in Seoul in February.
The two countries also recently failed to agree to a joint march at the Aug. 8-24 Beijing Olympics. They had marched together at the openings of the 2000 and 2004 Games.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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