FIFA and Korea Organizing Committee for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan (KOWOC) will launch an investigation regarding some 3,500 vacant seats at the Sangam World Cup Stadium's opening game, France against Senegal, on May 31. FIFA spokesman Keith Cooper said at the daily briefing, Saturday, that a section of the stadium was empty at a supposedly sold-out opener, suggesting a possible problem in the ticket issuing process.

He said soccer's governing body would conduct an investigation with ticketing agency Byrom. KOWOC’s media support chief Im Chae-min added that Byrom claimed to have secured a spare section in case of possible double booking. Some 1,000 tickets for the opening match were to be sold on the spot, however, the ticket sales were suspended as some were duplicated. (Lee Taek-jin, tjlee@chosun.com )