South Korea opened the scoring in the 28th minute when a curling free-kick by mid-fielder Ha Seok Ju from 25 metres deflected off Duilio Davino's head, leaving goalkeeper Jorge Campos rooted to the spot.

But Ha turned from hero to villain two minutes after scoring when he was dismissed for a scathing tackle from behind on Jesus Ramirez.

The South Koreans, chasing their first victory in five World Cup finals appearances, withstood the pressure until the 51st minute when substitute Ricardo Pelaez hit the net.

Pelaez, who had come on as a second-half substitute, pounced on a rebound from a corner.

Mexico, who had won only eight of their 33 previous World Cup matches, then piled on the pressure and Luis Hernandez, dubbed `The Matador', tapped in a high Ramirez cross from the left in the 75thminute.

It was only a matter of time before the Mexicans struck again and Hernandez was on target once more in the 84th minute when he picked up a neat pass from fellow striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco and fired low into the far corner of the net.

It was the ninth defeat in 12 World Cup finals matches for the South Koreans.