© Reuters 2002

President Kim Dae-jung said on Monday that South Koreans were proud of the national team's performance against world champions France on Sunday which ended in a 3-2 defeat for the World Cup co-hosts.

"Our national team's match (against France) was very surprising. Our people must have felt very proud of our team. When you think 'you can do it', we can do it," Kim told a cabinet meeting.

"Our team's technique and capabilities have improved greatly."

France defender Frank Leboeuf slotted home the winning goal with just one minute remaining as South Korea stretched the world champions in front of 43,000 fans. It was South Korea's first defeat in eight matches.

"Korea's powerful soccer made the world champions sweat it out," said a banner headline in the daily Donga Ilbo.

Last year, South Korea, 40th in FIFA's world rankings, suffered a 5-0 defeat by France in a Confederations Cup match.

"Players' morale skyrocket.. Let's go beyond final 16 to the quarter-final," read a headline in the Daily Sports.

Park Sung-jun, 25, who works at the central Bank of Korea, told Reuters he had no doubt South Korea would make it to the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time.

"We will beat Poland and the United States, who rank lower than France, and probably lose narrowly to Portugal, which means we can reach the last 16," he said.

South Korea face Poland, the United States and Portugal in first round group D.

The World Cup finals kick off in Seoul on May 31 and end in Yokohama, Japan on June 30.