PAJU (Yonhap News) ― Asian football rivals South Korea and Japan have agreed to revive their regularly scheduled friendly matches starting next year, the South’s top football official said Friday.
“We have agreed with the Japan Football Association to hold a friendly match some time in October or November next year,” Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, told reporters at the National Football Center.
“We haven’t settled on a specific date yet, but the two sides have agreed to hold a friendly match every year,” Chung added.
The two countries first held their regular match in Tokyo in September 1972, with the aim of trying to develop football for both countries. They played to a 2-2 draw.
They met almost annually after that, except for years when they had to play in World Cup qualifiers, World Cup finals, the Asian Games or the Olympics.
The series was put on hold after the 15th match in Nagasaki in July 1991. Korea prevailed 1-0, improving its record to 10 wins, three losses and two draws.
