FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-Joon on Saturday accused world football governing body leader Sepp Blatter of misusing a planned trip to North Korea to boost his bid for reelection.

Chung, co-chairman of the South Korean World Cup organising committee, said that he and another rival of the FIFA president would stage their own visit to Pyongyang before the World Cup finals start on May 31.

The South Korean soccer supremo renewed his attack on Blatter on returning from an explosive FIFA executive meeting in Zurich which aired corruption allegations against several top football officials.

Blatter is due to visit North Korea on Monday and Tuesday in a bid to persuade the Stalinist state to get involved in the World Cup which starts in less than four weeks.

Chung, who has been strongly involved in attempts to engage the North through sport, told reporters: "The visit to the North should be part of a project for football development but it has strong political overtones aimed at the FIFA presidential

election.

"I am not accompanying him because I don't support Mr Blatter and on top of this, I was not consulted."

Chung said that he and African Football Confederation leader Issa Hayatou would stage a rival trip to

CHUNG MONG-JOON

Pyongyang this month. Hayatou is standing against Blatter in the FIFA presidential election to be held at a congress in Seoul on May 28 and 29.

Chung said he would go to the North alone if Hayatou was unable to go.

Blatter will try to persuade the North Korean authorities to allow a delegation of North Korean coaches

and players to watch World Cup matches in the rival South and Japan, the co-hosts.

Chung said he would also discuss the invitation with North Korean sports officials.

Blatter's trip could be in doubt following the stormy FIFA executive meeting on Friday at which FIFA general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen submitted a report containing allegations of corruption within FIFA that could lead to criminal charges against two executive committee members.

He also alleged misleading accounting and conflicts of interests that need to be seriously looked at.

Chung was among five of FIFA's seven vice-presidents in Zurich who called on Blatter to resign because of the crisis facing the body.

Blatter refused, insisting that only the FIFA congress could dismiss him.

Chung said in Seoul that "Zen Ruffinen unveiled a huge amount of loss caused by FIFA's financial mismanagement. This is a situtation where our common sense dictates that President Blatter, who is responsible for causing this trouble, should resign."

The South Korean soccer supremo had considered taking on Blatter in the FIFA election but finally decided to back Hayatou.