North Korea boosted its hopes of reaching the 2010 World Cup with a key win in Wednesday's round of Asian qualifiers, while Australia and Japan also shored up their chances of making it to football's showpiece event.

North Korea beat perennial qualifier Saudi Arabia 1-0 at home to jump to second in Group 2 of Asian qualifying, with the top two teams from each group to qualify directly for the 2010 event in South Africa.

At the halfway mark of the final round of Asian qualifying, North Korea was on seven points, one point below neighbor South Korea, which snatched a 1-1 draw away at Iran on Wednesday thanks to a late Park Ji-sung goal. That left Iran third on six points.

In Group 1, Australia recorded a valuable scoreless draw away at Japan, keeping the Socceroos two points clear atop the group and in prime position to reach successive World Cup finals, as three of its remaining four qualifiers are at home.

Despite the disappointment at not winning the match, Japan remains well placed to make it to 2010, as it sits four points above third-placed Bahrain.

Bahrain got a late goal to win 1-0 away at Uzbekistan, and while it is at long odds to catch Australia or Japan, the Gulf state boosted its chances of finishing third in the group and going into further playoffs for a 2010 berth.

North Korea's only appearance in a World Cup was its famous run to the 1966 quarterfinals, but it could be set for a return after Mun In Guk's goal secured a 1-0 win over struggling Saudi Arabia.

The sole goal came in the 29th minute, as Hong Yong Jo cleverly flicked the ball through a crowd of players on the edge of the area for Mun to collect and fire in from close range.

Saudi striker Yasser Al Qahtani had good chances to equalize just before halftime and again late in the second period, but Saudi Arabia left empty handed and likely needing a result from its next game away at Iran on March 28.

North Korea, which has conceded only four goals in its 10 games over the two group stages of Asian qualifying, again relied on its defense for most of the second half as the visitors became increasingly frustrated at the massed ranks of red shirts behind the ball.

South Korea kept its nose in front of its neighbor with the draw away at Iran.

Osasuna midfielder Javad Nekounam put Iran in front on the hour, but Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung struck in the 81st minute to keep his team top of the group.

In Group 1, the qualifying picture was beginning to firm up. Australia set out its stall to get a draw away at Japan and succeeded, as it crowded the midfield and defense to stifle the hosts.

The Socceroos, who have kept clean sheets now in all four games of this qualifying stage, rode their luck in the second half as Japan came close to a breakthrough on three occasions.

"We are six points ahead (of third place) with four games to go so we are doing very well," Australia coach Pim Verbeek said. "We made a big step today and we're very pleased. You always want to win but under the circumstances a draw is a satisfying result for us."

Japan, which has drawn both its two home games but won each of its two away games, can put one foot in the World Cup should it win its next home fixture against Bahrain on March 28.

"It was a home game that we should have won," said Japan defender Yuji Nakazawa. "We created a lot of chances in the game and didn't get the result we wanted but have to stay positive for the next game."

Bahrain, with four points from four games, moved above idle Qatar on goal difference after midfielder Mahmood Abdulrahman struck deep into stoppage time to secure a 1-0 win away at Uzbekistan.

The loss left Uzbekistan adrift at the bottom of Group 1 with only one point, and with all realistic chances of automatic qualification now gone, it will look to make up ground on Bahrain and Qatar in the battle for third spot over the remaining matches and go into further playoffs.