This collection of papers examines the background to the 2002 World Cup finals, to be held in Korea and Japan, and explores the event's profound social, cultural, political and economic significance. This book offers an understanding of the power of sporting "mega-events" and the increasingly complex relationship between sport and society, as well as insights into topics such as: the development of professional football in Korea and Japan; the political and diplomatic significance of the first co-hosted World Cup; FIFA and the "back stage" dealing behind the World Cup; and football as a global culture and its impact on "traditional" East Asian structures.