The opening ceremony of the Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, South Kyongsang Province, was held Saturday afternoon 398 days before the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan kick-off.

The 1.14 billion dollar stadium, with a seating capacity of 43,550 is one of the ten South Korean venues for the 2002 FIFA World Cup matches in May and June next year.

The ceremony was preceded by a variety of events, including face-painting and strolling around the nearby lake in which 2,002 people participated.

There was also a public briefing session on the proceedings of the World Cup preparations before the opening ceremony of the main gate.

The ceremony's main events included a display of football players' skills, cheerleaders' performances, a Samulnori (Korean traditional music using four instruments) performance, a contemporary dance performance, a paragliding parade and finally an Ulsan Municipal Orchestra performance with singers.