A Pusan City administration official said Friday that Pusan will host the International Sailing Competition ahead of World Cup in May 2002. The official said that 30 sailboats and 2,200 sailors will participate in the event under the slogan, "peace, challenge and youth."

He said that "Sail Korea 2002" will be held in the South Korean cities of Pusan, Incheon and Yosu and Japan's Yokohama between May 25 and June 15 under the auspices of the International Sail Training Association (ISTA).

Participants will hold a ceremony on May 25 at Pusan Port, during which a parade will be held and the public will be allowed to board the vessels. They will move on to Incheon Port on June 1.

To promote peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula, the vessels from 15 countries will also hold a ceremony in waters near the Northern Limit Line dividing the Yellow Sea between the two Koreas.

The vessels will then sail to Yosu Port along the southern coast on June 8 where they will hold various events to help the city of Yosu in its quest to be chosen as the venue for the international marine fair in 2010.