The world's best footballers will descend on Japan and Korea for this summer's World Cup, where they will play in some of the snazziest new stadia on the planet. But what is the state of grass-roots football in the World Cup's two host nations? Jim Drewett investigates

Like Japan, Korea is baseball-mad. Indeed, the country's rich football history (they are traditionally the strongest team in Asia and have qualified for the last four World Cups) is remarkable considering the relatively small numbers of players and organised teams.

FIFA estimates that there are around 500,000 people playing football in Korea, while the Korean Amateur Football Association has just 300,000 officially registered players out of a population of 47 million.

More so even than Japan, the structure of Korean football is top-heavy. While tens of millions of pounds have been spent on ten stunning brand new stadiums for the World Cup, virtually nothing down the years has gone towards creating a grass roots soccer infrastructure. In 2000 the Government allocated 70 per cent of its sports budget on the country's national teams (which bring prestige and honour to the country), and only some 10 per cent on its "sport-for-all" programme for schools.

Part of the problem for football in Korea is a cultural one. The work ethic in a highly competitive, business-driven economy means that sports are well down the list of priorities at schools, colleges and universities. In a nation where the ruling classes have traditionally been scholars not warriors, participation sport is simply not that high on the educational agenda. In 2000 there were just 271 registered elementary school teams, out of 5,322 schools.

Maybe, however, things are changing slightly. Since the World Cup was awarded to Japan and Korea, numbers of players and clubs have increased dramatically, as World Cup fever has gripped the nation.

The number of schools playing soccer has also increased slightly, with some government assistance, but so-called "neighbourhood teams", run with virtually no outside assistance, are thriving (there are now 7,200 clubs with 265,000 members). One internet-based football league, set up as a commercial operation, now has 2,000 registered clubs.

Again, much rides on the success of the World Cup. Soccer pioneers hope that the surge of football enthusiasm this summer will prompt the Government to spend money on grass-roots football, particularly in schools, as willingly as it did on this summer's tournament. Even if they don't, however, it seems that football in Korea will continue to thrive against all the odds.