Stadium
22 September 2007
Seoul: KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Premier Sibusiso Ndebele, together with a
delegation from the province of KZN in South Africa, visited the Seoul Soccer
World Cup Stadium located in Sangam, Seoul, South Korea today (22 September
2007).
The stadium which was built for the 2002 Fifa World Cup has a capacity of 68
476 people (66 806 for regular, 916 for VIP, 754 for media). It has been home
to K-League club FC Seoul since 2004.
The stadium also boasts a soccer museum as well as a multi-level shopping
complex which is open 24 hours a day. These are the two main attractions which
keep people coming to the stadium all the time.
Thereafter, the delegation proceeded to a furniture manufacturing company in
Seoul and saw first hand how the Koreans, so simply, manufacture their own
furniture.
Premier Ndebele, who is currently leading the KwaZulu-Natal delegation to
South Korea, said the main purpose of the visit was to concretise trade
partnerships that could translate into investment catalysts for the
province.
The delegation from the KZN provincial government includes provincial
Director-General Kwazi Mbanjwa, newly appointed Head of the KZN Transport
Department Chris Hlabisa as well as the Mayor of uMshwathi local municipality
Councillor Marshall Gwala.
Premier Ndebele said that KwaZulu-Natal is ready and well positioned to host
the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
"Construction of our new soccer stadium in Durban is well on track and will
be completed on time. With the construction our new International Airport at La
Mercy also well on track and due to be completed before the 2010 Soccer World
Cup, I am certain that flights between Seoul and KwaZulu-Natal could also be a
possibility. We believe that towards the Fifa World Cup in 2010 and beyond,
more and more sporting fans will see KwaZulu-Natal as a destination of
choice.
KwaZulu-Natal Durban is the home of international events and anything
successful is hosted in KwaZulu-Natal. KwaZulu-Natal is proud to have already
successfully hosted several international sporting events such as the A1 Grand
Prix. We will continue to offer a number of international sporting events in
the water (the annual Dusi Canoe Marathon), on the road (the annual Comrades
Marathon), and on horseback (the annual Durban July) and many others.
"Plans for the 2010 Soccer World Cup Preliminary Draw to be held at the
Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre (ICC) in Durban on 25 November 2007 are
also well on track. KwaZulu-Natal is glad to be the host of this all-important
preliminary draw which will see international delegates and a projected 300
international journalists visiting our shores to be part of the draw. We take
this platform very seriously as it affords the country as a whole, and more
specifically the province of KwaZulu-Natal, an opportunity to demonstrate the
fact that we are ready to host the world in 2010.
"We want to emphasise that Team KwaZulu-Natal Durban is ready to roll out
the red carpet and give all the preliminary draw delegates a truly African and
memorable experience, one which will convince them to come back to our shores
in 2010 and well beyond," said the Premier.
South Africa and South Korea have established a good relationship over the
past years. Politically, the relationship between South Africa and South Korea
dates back to the South African participation in the Korean War (1950 to 1953),
when South Africa sent an Air Force squadron, the 'Flying Cheetahs,' as part of
a United Nations contingent to the Korean Peninsula.
The two countries established diplomatic relations on 1 December 1992 and
these relations were followed by a number of high level visits from both
countries. During apartheid Korean people were in solidarity with South Africa
and supported the struggle against apartheid.
Media contact:
Logan Maistry
Premier's Spokesperson
Cell: 82 18 699 8139
E-mail: maistryl@premier.kzntl.gov.za
Issued by: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
22 September 2007
