The history of football in Korea dates back to the seventh Century when it is commonly believed that an ancient game called 'Chukguk' was brought from China. The modern game, however, was introduced in 1882 when the crew from the British warship 'Flying Fish' brought a football to the piers of Jemulpo (now known as Incheon). Since then football has become a national pastime in the peninsula. It was a good and effective way of communicating and acted as a way of uniting people under Japan's colonial rule.

Following liberation, the Korea Football Association was founded in 1948 and affiliated to FIFA in the same year. Despite the hardship in the aftermath of the Korean War (1950-53), which divided the country into the Korea Republic (South) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North), the former managed to make their first appearance in the 1954 FIFA World Cup. Their journey to Switzerland ended in disappointment, however, as the South Koreans suffered heavy defeats to Hungary and Turkey.

Still, the Korea Republic remained one of the strongest sides in the region, winning the first two Asian Cup tournaments in 1956 and 1960. But it was the North Koreans who stunned the world by reaching the quarter-finals of England 1966, while their neighbours in the South had to wait for two more decades for their next appearance in world football's showpiece event.

The launch of the Korea Republic's professional league in 1983, the first of its kind in Asia, heralded the opening of a new era in which the country established its reputation as one of the continent's strongest nations. They have participated in every FIFA World Cup since 1986 but a victory in the finals was elusive until they co-hosted the tournament with Japan in 2002, when they beat Italy and Spain on the way to becoming the first Asian team to reach the semi-finals.After the disappointing result - an early exit in the group stage - in Germany 2006, the country is turning the eyes on grassroots football as the FIFA U-17 World Cup kicks off in August 2007. South Koreans have a fond memory of youth football in 1983 when their U-20 side finished fourth in Mexico and earned the famous nickname, the Red Devils. However, the next generation of Taeguk Warriors will be hoping to do better on home soil this time round.

Previous record in the FIFA U-17 World Cup:
Korea Republic's U-17 side have not been successful as their senior counterparts on the world stage. They have reached the finals twice but failed to make a considerable impact on both occasions. After being eliminated at the group stages at Finland 2003, with their best showing coming at 16 years earlier at Canada 1987, where they reached the quarter-finals.

Did you know?
Korea Republic has a population of 48 million. About half of that number live within the metropolitan area of Seoul, which means 'capital city.'

The country's English name 'Korea' derives from Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled the country from the 10th to the 14th Century.

The currency is the South Korean Won, which trades at around 1,000 to the US dollar.

Despite the rich tradition of Confucianism, the major religions in Korea are Buddhism and Christianity, which account for 52 per cent of the population.

Koreans also consider newborn babies to be a year old. Therefore, if a Korean person tells you that he is 21, he may only be 20 years old!

Location
Korea Republic on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, which is surrounded by the Yellow Sea to the west, the East Sea (Sea of Japan) to the east, and the East China Sea to the south. It shares its border with Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the north. Traditionally, the peninsula has been a place of strategic importance in the Far East and incessantly exposed to external aggressions from China, the Mongol Empire, and Japan.

Geography
About 70 per cent of the surface area (99,646 square kilometres) is covered with mountains and valleys, especially in the east, where the Taebaek Mountains make up a backbone of the peninsula. There are over 3,000 islands on the western and southern coasts, including Jeju, the country's biggest island which is also famous for the highest mountain, Hallasan (1,950 metres).

Korean Overseas Information Service
The climate is generally temperate, with heavy rainfall and typhoons concentrated during the summer months. Four seasons are distinct throughout the country except for the southern island of Jeju, which boasts mild weather all year long thanks to its location.

Politically, the country is divided into nine provinces, six metropolitan cities, and Seoul. The city has been the capital for more than 600 years and is also the centre of economy, culture, and transportation. The country's major exports include automobiles, electronics and ships, while Korean music, television dramas, and movies are becoming more and more popular around Asia.

Host cities
Suwon, Jeju, Ulsan, Gwangyang, Changwon, Cheonan, Goyang and Seoul.