Korean soccer team manager offers to resign

Huh Jung-Moo, 45, who commanded the Korean eleven in the Sydney Olympics, expressed his intention to resign from his managerial post in the wake of the team's failure to enter the quarterfinals.

"We prepared for the games for over two years in Adelaide, yet we failed in our bid to enter the quarterfinals of the current Olympics. I'm ready to resign from my post to assume full responsibility for the poor performance," he said Wednesday.

Huh, who took over the reins of the soccer team in October 1998, signed a 2-year contract with the Korean Football Association. It is set to expire on Oct. 14 and calls for an annual salary of 150 million won plus a 100-million won deposit. The contract is renewable for two more years depending on the team's showing in the Olympic Games. Huh has said that he would give up his post if the Korean team remained under par because he considers the Olympics a test of his leadership.