Feb. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Next month's soccer World Cup qualifying match between North Korea and South Korea in Pyongyang is in doubt over demands that the south drop its flag, anthem and cheerleaders, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported.

North Korea wants the South to replace its national anthem and flag with a traditional folk song and flag representing the Korean Peninsula, a request the Seoul-based Korea Football Association won't accept, the newspaper said.

The association plans to ask soccer's governing body FIFA to mediate if North Korea doesn't back down this month, the paper added. Cho Joong Yon, the association's vice president, said the March 26 game could be held in a third country if the two Koreas failed to reach an agreement, Chosun Ilbo reported.

North and South Korea, still technically at war, were drawn in the same group in Asian preliminary qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and won their opening games. The top two from five pools of four teams advance to the final qualifying round.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Baynes in Sydney dbaynes@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: February 12, 2008 23:24 EST