Ruling party head to visit FIFA headquarters, Davos forum

SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's ruling party chief was set to travel to
Switzerland this week to visit FIFA headquarters and promote the country's bid
for the 2022 World Cup, and attend an event at the annual World Economic Forum in
Davos, his aides said Sunday.
Chung Mong-joon, chairman of the Grand National Party, will embark on the
seven-day trip Monday and will accompany South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on
his visit to the headquarters of FIFA, football's world government body, in
Zurich on Wednesday to meet FIFA President Joseph Blatter.
Chung, a tycoon-turned-legislator, currently serves as vice president and an
executive committee member of FIFA. He was president of the Korean Football
Association from 1993 to 2009. He was also co-chairman of the organizing
committee of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup finals.
President Lee, currently on a four-day state visit to India, is scheduled to meet
with the FIFA head to express South Korea's strong desire to host the 2022 World
Cup finals.
South Korea, which co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with Japan, submitted last year
an official bid to host the World Cup for 2022.
Chung will later travel to the Swiss ski resort of Davos, the venue of the World
Economic Forum's annual meeting, and attend the "Korea Night" event to be held on
Thursday at the sidelines of the meeting. He will return home on Jan. 31.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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