He has already built up a large following in the country according to the Korean ambassador to South Africa, Yoon Lee.

The 24 year old will make history in Daegu by becoming the first amputee athlete to compete at the able-bodied World Championships.

He achieved the feat after he clocked 45.07 seconds in the 400 metres at a race in Lignano in Italy last month to better the A standard time for the event.

His selection for the individual event and the 4x400m relay has drawn criticism from some, including South African sports scientist Dr Ross Tucker who told insidethegames that he believes Pistorius' prosthetic legs give him an unfair advantage over able-bodied athletes.

However, Lee revealed that Pistorius has already built up a massive fan base in South Korea as has been a constant feature in the media since he qualified for the World Championships in July.

"Oscar is a big name in the Republic of Korea," said Lee.

"His photos are splashed all over in the media.

"He has been featured in interviews since qualifying for the championships, at a meet in Italy last month, focusing on the human story.

"Oscar is a role model to many people in Korea and the people of Korea are looking forward to welcoming Oscar."

Pistorius is set to head out to the World Championships next week and is currently in heavy training for them.

He tweeted from his training base in Pretoria: "1 week till I leave again.

"Have to keep my head down, starting with a 350m time trial this am."

Pistorius first competed against able-bodied athletes in 2007 but the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) amended its rules to ban the use of "any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device".

The IAAF said scientific research had showed Pistorius enjoyed an advantage over able-bodied athletes and banned him from all its competitions but the decision was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The decision means that Pistorius is increasingly likely to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics next year, which he hopes to compete in before the Paralympic Games in the capital.

After being selected for the World Championships, Pistorius said: "This will be the highest profile and most prestigious able-bodied event which I have ever competed in and I will face the highest calibre of athletes from across the planet.

"If I manage to make it through the heats, I would be thrilled, a good performance for me would be to be consistent through the heats.

"If I ran anywhere close to my PB, I would be delighted."

The World Championships will take place from August 27 to September 4 and are the biggest event in the sport ahead of London 2012.

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