People's Rooney backs joint South-North Korean plan

April 9 – North Korean’s best-known player, Jong Tae Se, has backed plans for matches to be held north of the 38th parallel if South Korea’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup is successful.

Jong, who plays for Kawasaki Frontale in Japan’s J-League, is known to fans as the People’s Rooney - a nod to England striker Wayne Rooney.

“As a national team player of North Korea, I support the bid of South Korea for the 2022 World Cup,” Jong told the Associated Press.

Jong, who was born and raised in Japan but educated in the North Korean system and holds a North Korean passport, believes that hosting the tournament on the divided peninsula would contribute to peace between the North and South.

Especially if, as has been suggested by the bidding committee, two or three games could be held in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, a plan first proposed on insideworldfootball by Han Sung-joo, the chairman of South Korea’s bid.

“It may not be easy politically to be united, but sport can make people united and can contribute to world peace, peace in East Asia and peace on the Korean peninsula,” said Jong.

Jong is a popular player in the South and has appeared in television commercials along with South Korea’s Manchester United star Park Ji-sung.

North Korea is currently preparing for a first appearance at the World Cup since 1966 and the idea of being part of the 2022 tournament is an attractive one for 26-year-old Jong.

“If some World Cup matches could be held in Pyongyang then it would be an historic occasion,” he said.

“It is beyond our wildest dreams and I would be happy and all Korean people would be happy.

“They are already excited about the World Cup in South Africa, having a World Cup on home soil would be something else.”

South Korea co-hosted the 2002 tournament along with Japan and famously reached the semi-final. Jong believes that playing at home could have a similar effect on his team.

“It was impressive watching South Korea reach the last four back in 2002, and if North Korea also has home advantage then we could perform well also,” he said.