SEOUL– South Korea will mark the 20th anniversary of their improbable run to the semifinals at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in June, with key figures from the historic accomplishment on hand for the celebration, an official with the sport’s national governing body said Tuesday.
The official with the Korea Football Association (KFA) said June 1-6 will be designated as the tentatively named “Football Week” as part of the celebration of the 2002 World Cup.
South Korea co-hosted that tournament with Japan and reached the semifinals — the first time the country even made it out of the group stage in football’s showpiece event. South Korea lost to Germany 1-0 in the semis and then fell to Turkey 3-2 in the third-place match, but that march to the final four remains one of South Korea’s greatest sporting feats.
Also during that World Cup, South Korea recorded their first-ever victory, beating Poland 2-0 to open the group stage.
The KFA said Seoul World Cup Stadium and the adjacent practice field will host most of the celebratory events during Football Week.
The celebrations will also fall during the FIFA international match window. South Korea are trying to schedule friendly matches on June 2 and 6 in preparation for this year’s World Cup in Qatar. Brazil, the winners of the 2002 World Cup, could end up being one of the opponents.
The KFA added Guus Hiddink, the Dutch-born coach of that 2002 national team, will visit South Korea to join the celebrations, along with other members of that squad.
The KFA will host the official luncheon at a Seoul hotel on June 2 with the 2002 national team players and coaches, and officials from the World Cup organizing committee on hand. They will then attend South Korea’s friendly match later that same day.
Also during Football Week, the KFA will hold a bazaar to sell off World Cup memorabilia and run a football industry trade fair.
“We want to celebrate those glorious moments of the 2002 World Cup, and at the same time, we want to take this opportunity to see where Korean football stands today,” the KFA official said. “Hopefully, we will all be able to plan for a great future ahead for Korean football.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency