As South Korea's controversial World Cup odyssey came to an end yesterday, reporter Adrian Worsley visited the region's largest enclave of Korean nationals to see how they took the defeat.

IT WAS the polite applause at the end of a devastating defeat which marked them apart from typical football fans.

Not for them the clench-fisted, tear-stained despair of England fans. Instead, the South Korean contingent in the Samsung factory at Wynyard, Teesside, simply thanked their deposed heroes and rose as one for a much-needed break.

The North-East's biggest community of South Koreans - all 30 of them - took over a small corner of the factory canteen in front of the TV for what they hoped would be the latest improbable chapter in this fantasy football World Cup.

Black clouds of suspicion may have dogged the latter stages of the Red Devils' astonishing campaign, but as the Korean contingent munched on their pre-match noodles, conspiracy theories were now about as relevant as Spanish protests.

Young Lee, 33, a junior finance manager who has worked for Samsung for four years, reckoned South Korea were being made a scapegoat for other teams' failings.

"I feel sorry for the fans of Portugal, Italy and Spain, especially because they believe there is some great conspiracy to keep Korea in the World Cup to the end," he said.

"It's obviously wrong because we have gone out ourselves today."

Such has been the controversy surrounding the Italian and Spanish defeats to the supposedly inferior South Koreans, some Englishmen were even prepared to think the unthinkable - support Germany.

Dougie Mortlock, sharing the canteen with the South Koreans, said: "I never thought I'd say it, but I wouldn't mind the Germans winning.

"It's supposed to be the World Cup but look at the stadium. I can't see any Germans, and I certainly can't hear any.

"Korea have had five goals disallowed against them. Most Premiership teams would count themselves unlucky if they had that many chalked off in a whole season."

Young Lee, who acted as unofficial interpreter for his countrymen throughout the match, did not care what anybody else thought. His team had done him proud.

"Our record in the World Cup is awful - we have never won a game before - so no matter what happened today I would always be proud of them," he said.

"The referees are only human beings and make mistakes. South Korea have just taken advantage of them.

"Their success has brought a lot of unity for the Korean people. The team have made history, and if they had won today, they would be in schoolkids' text books.

"The scenes from home are amazing - I wish we could be there. Although, by the time we got there I expect all the beer in Korea would have gone."