© Reuters 2002

By Eoghan Sweeney

SEOUL, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Brazil and Poland have chosen their training camps in South Korea for the soccer World Cup finals, with the South Americans selecting an industrial city that South Korean officials see as the country's top football centre.

South Korea and Japan are co-hosting the May 31-June 30 FIFA World Cup and each country has 10 venues with several training bases on offer around each.

Officials said Poland had selected Taejon while Brazil had gone for Ulsan, home to the world's largest shipyard and a car plant but also to a compact yet atmospheric soccer-only stadium.

Ulsan city officials said they had reached an agreement with the Brazilian Football Confederation.

"Our city officials will visit Brazil for the signing ceremony in mid-February, but the exact date is still under negotiation," said Ulsan's foreign press information officer, Lee Kyoung-sook.

She said by telephone Brazil would be joining Spain and Turkey in selecting the Ulsan area for their training camps, underscoring the city's role as a major soccer centre.

Brazil are already familiar with the city, having played there in the third-place playoff in last year's Confederations Cup. Despite losing 1-0 to Australia on that occasion, the party were obviously pleased with what they saw.

"They told us they feel comfortable with the accommodation and transportation in Ulsan," Lee said.

Like the stadium in Taejon, Ulsan's Munsu stadium is a football-only venue and holds more than 40,000. As well as two first-round matches, it will host one of the quarterfinals.

Brazil meet Turkey in Ulsan in the opening match of their group before going on to play China at Sogwipo on South Korea's Cheju island and Costa Rica in Suwon.

An official in the South Korean city of Taejon said by telephone Poland had selected the town for its base.

"The Polish team will come to Korea on around May 24, and this will be their base throughout the World Cup," said Cho Sung-bae, an official at the World Cup preparation office at Taejon city hall.

The spokesman said the Polish Football Association would sign the contract in the next few days. Taejon city officials would travel to Poland for the signing.

Poland, who have been drawn in the same first round group as South Korea along with Portugal and the United States, will play the last of their three group matches in Taejon against the United States.