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World Cup 2002 Korea-Japan travel information

by Edward Hasbrouck, author of "The Practical Nomad"

When and where is the 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament?

FIFA World Cup 2002 soccer matches will be played 31 May 2002 - 30 June 2002 in South Korea (Republic of Korea, ROK) and Japan. This is the first time that the World Cup tournament has ever been played in Asia.

Where are the matches?

World Cup 2002 matches will be played in 20 cities, 10 in South Korea and 10 in Japan. Almost all of the stadia (stadiums) are newly built specifically for the World Cup.

• South Korea:
  • Seoul World Cup Stadium
  • Incheon Munhak Stadium
  • Suwon World Cup Stadium
  • Daejeon World Cup Stadium
  • Jeonju World Cup Stadium
  • Gwangju World Cup Stadium
  • Daegu World Cup Stadium
  • Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
  • Busan Asian Stadium
  • Jeju World Cup Stadium
• Japan:
  • Sapporo Dome
  • Miyagi Stadium
  • Niigata Stadium Big Swan
  • Ibaraki Prefectural Kashima Soccer Stadium
  • Saitama Stadium 2002
  • International Stadium Yokohama
  • Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa
  • Nagai Stadium
  • Kobe Wing Stadium
  • Oita Stadium Big Eye

Where and when will the USA play?

The USA is in Group D, and will play all its first-round matches in South Korea::

1. 5 June 2002, 18:00, vs. Portugal at Suwon (35 miles from Inchon Airport, Seoul, airport code ICN)
2. 10 June 2002, 15:30, vs. host nation South Korea, in Daegu (airport code TAE), 160 miles from Seoul
3. 14 June 2002, 20:30, vs. Poland in Daejeon, 95 miles from Seoul and 76 miles from the previous match in Daegu

All of the times above are local kickoff times at the match venues. All of Korea and Japan are in the same time zone. USA/Canada Pacific Daylight Time is 7 hours later than Japan/Korea Summer Time. USA/Canada Eastern Daylight Time is 10 hours later than Japan/Korea Summer Time. Locations and opponents for subsequent matches will be determined on the basis of first-round results.

Where can I find World Cup 2002 visitor and travel information on the Web?

Some Web sites for information, schedules, transportation and budget accommodations are as follows. All these sites are in English or have English versions -- look for the "English" link or the USA or UK flag if the main site is in Korean or Japanese.
• General World Cup 2002 information for both Korea and Japan:

  FIFA World Cup 2002 official Web site:

  http://www.fifaworldcup.com

  Complete schedule with matchups, locations, and times:

  http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/en/t/s/g.html

  Hostel reservations worldwide (including South Korea and Japan):

  http://www.hostelbooking.com

• South Korea:

  Korean Organizing Committee for the World Cup:

  http://www.2002worldcupkorea.org

  Korea National Tourism Organization:

  http://www.knto.or.kr

  Korean National Railroad

  http://www.korail.go.kr/eng

  Korea Youth Hostel Association:

  http://www.kyha.or.kr

• Japan:

  Japan Organizing Committee for the World Cup:

  http://www.jawoc.or.jp

  Japan National Tourist Organization:

  http://www.jnto.go.jp

  JNTO information for World Cup visitors to Japan:

  http://soccerjapan.jnto.go.jp

  Japan Rail (including Japan Rail passes for visitors):

  http://www.japanrail.com

  Japan Youth Hostels:

  http://www.jyh.or.jp

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