PSV Eindhoven striker Luc Nilis had put the Belgians ahead in the seventh minute but Korean captain Yoo Sang-Chul equalised in the 71st.

After a drab first half, with a couple of Fifa dignitaries apparently dozing in the VIP box, the match came to life in the second as the Koreans pushed the Belgians in search of a win.

The Koreans, already eliminated and with a new coach after taking a 5-0 drubbing by The Netherlands, had only their pride and the hope of a historic first World Cup win to play for but that proved to be plenty enough.

In five World Cups, they had never got past the first round and had scored just one goal in France before today but Yoo restored pride with his lunging shot.

After that, Choi Yong-Soo twice headed over the bar in the space of three minutes.

Previously it seemed thatBelgium, who needed a win to go through if Mexico lost to The Netherlands, were seemingly heading for the second round after Nilis had scored.

They thought the victory was in the bag and the repeated squandered chances did not seem to matter after their goal.

Luis Oliveira thumped in a corner, captain Enzo Scifo headed it on to Gordan Vidovic whose own header was headed off the line by Kim Do-Keun. The ball went out to Nilis, who shot cleanly past Kim Byung-Ji from about 10 metres out.

Yet the `Red Devils', playing in white against a red-shirted Korean side, could and should have scored more.

Veteran midfielder Scifo, captain in the absence of exhausted Franky van der Elst whose 37 years caught up with him after the Mexico match, drilled a twisting shot at Kim in the fifth minute that the goalkeeper clawed away.