South Korea is offering huge cash rewards as an incentive for the nation to win its first world athletics championships medal when Daegu hosts the next edition of the event in 2011.

The Korea Association of Athletics Federations and the ministry of culture, sports and tourism have offered 1 billion won - approximately £525,000 - to any gold medallist, with another 500 million won going to the coach, local newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported.

A silver medal would fetch 500 million won, while bronze would be worth 250 million won to the athlete, it said.

The highest bonus in Korean sport was being offered to avoid the humiliation of none of the country's athletes winning a medal, it added.

No Korean has ever won a medal at the athletics world championships. Some 19 Korean athletes took part in the most recent championships in Berlin, but all were either eliminated in qualifying events or finished well down the field.