TOKYO Less than three weeks before tickets for the 2002 World Cup go on sale, Japan's organizers were locked in a dispute with cohost South Korea over whose name appears first.

Asked whether they would print Japan before Korea on tickets and official documents for the 2002 World Cup, officials of the Japanese Organizing Committee for the 2002 World Cup (JAWOC) said they were negotiating with soccer's world governing body FIFA.

"Regarding our basic stance, we are continuing our talks with FIFA," said Ko Yamaguchi, director of JAWOC's Media Coordination Department.

Although the event's official title is "2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan", Japan had angered South Korea with plans to print Japan before Korea on ticket applications for the finals.

While "Korea/Japan" was printed in English on top of the ticket application guide released by the Japanese organizers on Monday, the official name of the event was written in Japanese as "2002 FIFA World Cup".

"While holding talks with FIFA, we are preparing to make tickets available in time," JAWOC Director General Shinichiro Misono said.

South Korean organizers said earlier this month that FIFA resolved a ticketing row between South Korea and Japan by ruling the title of the 2002 World Cup would stay the same: "2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan".

The controversy comes as both sides prepare to start printing tickets, which are set to go on sale on February 15.

Japan's 35-year occupation of the Korean peninsula, which ended in 1945, has made the two sides keen rivals both on and off the pitch ever since.

The Japanese organizers said there would be about 1.35 million tickets for 32 matches to be held in Japan.

JAWOC said it would accept applications for about 675,000 tickets from February 15 to March 14.

FIFA would handle the sale of the remaining half on the international market, JAWOC said.

The tickets for the final in Yokohama would be priced at 34,000 yen ($289.4), 56,000 yen and 84,000 yen.

(Reuter)