Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 26, 2002
No Chinese Cancellations for World Cup Finals Despite Air Crash
Chinese fans have not cancelled plans to attend next month's World Cup finals despite the air crash in South Korea last week that killed 122 people, South Korea's police chief said on Thursday.
Chinese fans have not cancelled plans to attend next month's World Cup finals despite the air crash in South Korea last week that killed 122 people, South Korea's police chief said on Thursday.
The Air China Boeing 767 hit a foggy mountainside on Monday last week near the South Korean port city of Pusan, one of the 10 World Cup venues in South Korea, which is co-hosting the finals with Japan where there are another 10 venues.
"There will be no security impact on the World Cup," commissioner-general Lee Pal-ho told Reuters.
Thirty-eight of the 166 passengers and crew survived and six people are missing. The cause of the crash has not yet been established, but Lee said it did not involve terrorism.
"After that incident the travel agencies of China and the Chinese people have not cancelled reservations to visit Korea and other foreign visitors are coming to Korea as expected," Lee said.
China, who will be appearing in their first World Cup finals, play their first round matches in group C against Brazil, Turkey and Costa Rica.
The games will be played in South Korea and up to 60,000 Chinese fans are expected. China play South Korea in a warm-up on Saturday at the Inchon stadium near Seoul.