Seoul - It was not known whether reigning champions Italy were trembling on Wednesday night when North Korea qualified for the 2010 football World Cup.

North Korea's only previous participation at the finals dates back to 1966 in England, where they upset the Italians 1-0.

While the eliminated Italians were greeted with rotten eggs and tomatoes thrown by angry fans on their shameful return home, North Korea led 3-0 against Portugal in the quarter-finals before losing 5-3.

Whether or not the class of 2010 will make similar headlines remains to be seen.

But history was made on Wednesday, with some help from their cousins in the South whose draws against Saudi Arabia and against Iran helped the North advance with a
0-0 in Saudi Arabia, thanks to a series of saves from goalkeeper Ri Myong-guk.

It is the first time that both Korean teams will play at a World Cup, they they have met in qualifying on several occasions.

North Korea's qualifying comes at a time when the Communist state is under big international pressure for its nuclear weapons tests and threats against the South.

The four qualifiers against the South in the 2010 campaign were also not without tensions.

As North Korea refused to play the South's national anthem it was ordered by the ruling body FIFA to stage both of its home games in China.

And North Korea claimed a food-poisoning attempt on their players when the lost 1-0 in South Korea in the last meeting, the first three games ending in draws.

Whether or not the North sees the South's latest two draws as a big help was not known. But the games against Saudi Arabia and Iran came after South Korea had already qualified for the finals in South Africa.

South Korean football fans, for their part, reportedly had the desire to see the team from the North at the World Cup as well. (dpa)