통일부 "월드컵 평양원정, 축구협회와 협의해 필요한 지원"

South Korea's national football team could play its World Cup qualifying match in Pyeongyang next month.
While Seoul is approaching the matter cautiously,... there are also hopes that it could act as a springboard to revive cross-border dialogue.
Won Jung-hwan has the full story.
The Unification Ministry said Tuesday... that they will provide all the necessary support to hold a World Cup qualifier match between two Koreas in Pyeongyang next month.
The statement comes a day after the ministry first announced that they have relayed a message to North Korea... offering to host the match in Pyeongyang.
While the ministry is still waiting for an official response from Pyeongyang,... it said they will closely coordinate with the Asian Football Confederation and the football governing bodies of South and North Korea.
The ministry also added that the formation of a joint cheering squad should also be considered between the two Koreas.
Details have yet to be ironed out,… but they plan to gradually sort out the size and composition... depending on the progress of their bid to hold the match in Pyeongyang.
As for the possibility of such sporting exchanges revitalizing the stalled inter-Korean dialogue,… the ministry took a cautious stance,… saying it is in no position to comment on the matter.
Last month, North Korea expressed its intention to host the match at Pyeongyang's Kim Il-sung stadium,... after the two Koreas were placed in the same group for the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
The match, if it takes place as planned in Pyeongyang on October 15th,... will mark the first time that the two Koreas will play a World Cup qualifier in North Korea.
During the qualification rounds for the 2010 World Cup,... South Korea played its two away matches against North Korea in China,... because Pyeongyang requested the games to be held in a third country.
Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News.