SEOUL (AFP) -- North Korea wants South Korea to provide it with TV coverage of the 2006 World Cup starting next month in Germany, officials said here Tuesday.

The request was made on May 29 by North Korea's Central Broadcasting Commission to its South Korean counterpart, the Korean Broadcasting Commission, said an official at the Unification Ministry here.

"North Koreans have requested our cooperation in getting access to the World Cup broadcasting," said Yang Chang-Seok, a spokesman at the ministry which handles relations with North Korea. "The government will be considering the request positively in terms of facilitating inter-Korean exchanges."

South Korea has purchased the broadcasting rights to televise the entire the June 9-July 9 football tournament.

North Korea has no broadcast rights to the event.

"We hope they can also enjoy watching the World Cup games, but we need discussions with FIFA and other agents involved," a KBC official said.

Four years ago North Korea asked for free coverage of matches when the World Cup was staged in South Korea and Japan.

No live broadcasts were provided but South Korean broadcasters sent videotapes to the North a day or two after games were played, officials said.

For the 2004 Athens Olympics, South Korea offered a live feed of major Olympic events including the opening and closing ceremonies and North Korea for the first time officially secured broadcasting rights for free after consultation with the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union.

South and North Korea, which have been technically at war since the 1950-1953 bloody conflict, have increased ties since the peace summit between their leaders in 2000.