SEOUL, Sept 7: South Korea and North Korea played out a scoreless draw Saturday in a friendly in the Seoul stadium where this year’s World Cup began and South Korea’s stunning tournament campaign ended.

A near-capacity crowd of about 60,000 watched a determined defence from the North Koreans hold off a late surge by the taller, more creative South Koreans.

Midfielder Lee Young-pyo showed some nimble footwork to provide service to his forwards but the South Korea front line failed to beat North Korea goalkeeper Jang Jung-hyuk.

South Korea’s Kim Eun-jung had possibly the best chance, blasting just over the bar in the 74th minute.

North Korea created fewer chances but did test keeper Lee Woon-jae, who was forced to make a diving save in the 10th minute after Jon Yong-chol unleashed a curving blast toward the bottom right corner.

A neat header from North Korea substitute Hong Yong-jo drew gasps in the 69th minute but was ruled offside.

South Korea keeper Lee was one of six players from the South Korea side that finished fourth in World Cup in June, the best by an Asian side in the tournament’s 72-year history.

None of the South Koreans playing in Japan’s J League or Europe returned for the match, but popular former coach Guus Hiddink, now at the helm of Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, debuted in his new role as special adviser to coach Park Hang-seo.

The two Koreas last played in 1993 when South Korea won 3-0.

Earlier, rival players from North and South Korea who walked onto the field holding hands and wearing the same unification flag.

Tens of thousands of South Korean fans packing Seoul’s 60,000-seat Sangam World Cup Stadium chanted: “Jo Kuk Tong Il!” _ or Unified Fatherland!

“No matter which side wins, we are one nation!” read a large banner at the stadium, summarizing the political symbolism of the match.

Hours ahead of the match, students wearing blue shirts reading “Korea is One” handed out unification flags to fans flocking to the stadium. The flag _ with a blue Korean Peninsula on a white background _ symbolizes many Koreans’ yearning for reunification.

The same flags festooned streets leading to the stadium.

“Through these matches like this, I hope the two sides will understand each other a bit more,” said Kim Hyo-sup, a Seoul college student at the stadium.

“I came to the South because I hated communists in the North,” said Byun Jang-shik, an 80-year-old North Korean native who moved to the South during the Korean war. “But I think it’s time for reconciliation. We can’t live hating each other forever.”

The inter-Korean soccer match Saturday - the first in 12 years - is part of a broader political agreement in August that revived stalled reconciliation moves on the divided peninsula after months of tension.—AFP/Reuters