Japan, South Korea Reach Accord

The opening ceremony and match of the 2002 soccer World Cup will be staged in South Korea and the closing ceremony and final match will be in Japan.

Delegates from Japan and South Korea met with officials of FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, in Zurich and made key decisions about co-hosting the 2002 World Cup.

FIFA officials said both sides agreed on most major points, but declined to release details until a meeting of FIFA’s executive committee in Barcelona on Dec. 7.

But South Korean news media, quoting South Korean officials in Zurich, reported that the closing ceremony and final match will be staged in Japan and the opening ceremony and match will be in South Korea.