SHANGHAI, March 26 (Reuters) - North and South Korea played out a goalless draw on Wednesday in a World Cup qualifier moved to China after the North had refused to play the anthem and fly the flag of its rival at the original venue of Pyongyang.

The home side had proposed to play a folk song respected on

both sides of the border and fly the joint flag the countries

march under at Olympic Games but FIFA ordered the match be moved

after South Korean officials appealed against the proposal.

Thousands of South Koreans filled the stadium to sing their

anthem and unfurl huge flags but their side, including forward

Park Ji-sung of Manchester United and Fulham midfielder Seol

Ki-hyeon - were frustrated by a stubborn defence.

North Korea also had chances with forward Jong Tae-se, who

plays for Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale, and Hong Yong-jo of

Serbia's FK Bezanija coming close to scoring as the teams met

for the third time in World Cup qualifiers.

South Korea won the first two meetings between the teams in

the qualifying campaigns for the 1990 and 1994 World Cups.

South Korea top Group Three in Asian third round qualifying

on four points after thrashing Turkmenistan 4-0 while the North

beat Jordan 1-0 in February's opening matches.

The two Koreas, who have yet to sign a peace treaty to

officially end their 1950-53 war, state in their respective

constitutions that the government on their side of the heavily

armed border is the rightful one for the entire peninsula.

South Korea has allowed the North to fly its flag and play

its anthem in past home games and hae said they will do so again

in June's return World Cup qualifying match in Seoul.