Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do and home to the winner of the 2001 Asian Club Championship.

Located 44 kilometres south of Seoul, Suwon is linked to the capital by the metropolitan subway system and served by frequent subway, rail and express bus services.

Suwon was built around the massive Hwaseong fortress during the Korean renaissance in the 18th century. Most of the fortified facilities are still perfectly preserved and in such excellent condition that the site was registered on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage list in 1997.

Visitors with a few hours to spare can still walk 5.7 km of the city walls that were restored in 1975. Only 421m is missing due to land development in the 1960s. The walls include ramparts, gates and watch towers that are outstanding examples of 18th Century fortress construction, drawing on both Asian and Western influences.

A number of other cultural and historical sites are also close to the city, including the Yongju temple, established in 854 and the Yeongneung and Gongneung Royal Mausoleums dating from the 18th Century.

Today, Suwon is home to more than one million people and is a thriving commercial and industrial centre. It is also at the centre of Korea's recreation industry, with the Everland theme park, Woncheon amusement park and a reconstructed traditional Korean Folk Village within half an hour's drive of the city. The Folk Village, with its exquisite reconstruction of Korean architecture from all periods and stations of life and regular displays of traditional performing arts, offers a fascinating glimpse into Korea's past.

Suwon is developing into a high-tech digital and venture business area. The city is also a major agricultural centre, home to the Office of Rural Development.

The Suwon Bluewings were founded five years ago and were officially recognised as Asia's no.1 football club in the latest World Ranking released by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS). The club was ranked joint 81st in the IFFHS's August ranking with Germany's Werder Bremen.

Information

Website: http://www.2002suwon.net

Tel: 82-31-228-2785

Fax: 82-31-228-3750

Key Facts Name: Suwon World Cup Stadium Type: Football Only Opened: May 13 2001 Cost: W252.2 billion

Total Capacity: 43,138 Spectator seats: Under cover: 25,972 Open: 17,316 VIP seats: 505 VIP Boxes: 22 ( 317 seats) Disabled seats: 64

Pitch Size: 114m x 77m Spectator Parking: 3,050 Distances to Stadium From city centre: 1 km From Incheon International Airport: 96 km From Gimpo Airport: 45.7 km From railway station: 2 km From subway station: 2 km Press Facilities Press seats: 400 Seats with desk and telephone: 400 Space for commentators: 600 Space for photographers: 100

Source: FIFA

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