By DPA,
Seoul : South Korea staged a last-minute entry into the competition for hosting football’s World Cup in 2018 or 2022, officials said Tuesday.
The world football association FIFA had been informed before the deadline for host applications expired Monday, South Korea’s national football association said.
South Korea hosted the 2002 World Cup finals with Japan, the first time the event was held in Asia.
Japan is also among the dozen candidates bidding to host the tournaments in nine and 13 years.
Other candidates who had already announced their candidacy or interest in the 2018 and 2022 competitions were the US, Canada, Mexico, Portugal and Spain in a joint bid, Belgium and the Netherlands in a joint bid, Russia, Qatar, Indonesia and Australia.
The next World Cup finals are to take place in South Africa in 2010, followed by Brazil in 2014.