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On his four-day official visit to Korea, German President Johannes Rau had a full schedule, including a reception to celebrate this year's World Cup finals. The gathering was attended by both Korean and German dignitaries, including Franz Beckenbauer, President of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee, and Cha Bum-keun, a former player in the German Bundesliga and Korean national team head coach. In a speech, President Rau said the 2002 games were the most successful in the World Cup's 72-year history and was a chance for Europeans to learn more about this part of the world.
"It brought us closer together and the hospitality in Asia was wonderful and we are fascinated from your country and from the people in your country. They're full of heart and very, very kind and friendly and we are happy and we are not sure that we are able to have the same manner in four years."
The head of the Korean organizing committee also spoke proudly of how well the games went overall.
"This is the most successful World Cup in the history of FIFA in terms of facilities, management, and operation. Well, this is the largest festival in 5,000 years of Korean history and we, Korean people, deserve this kind of big party."
The big party returns to Germany in 2006, 32 years after the European country held its first World Cup finals in 1974. And Germany is preparing for the day when all the soccer greats of the world will gather again four years from now with its slogan "Welcome to the Land of Football."
(Arirang TV)
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