South Korea has failed to win the bid to host next year's Asian Cup. 

The Asian Football Confederation(AFC) announced in a statement on Monday that Qatar will stage the 2023 Asian Cup. 

The AFC made the decision on Monday during its executive committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Qatar, the host country of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, will stage the Asian Cup for the first time in 12 years since 2011. The Gulf Arab country hosted the Asian football tournament in 1988 as well. The oil-rich country will also host the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in 2024. 

The 2023 Asian Cup was initially awarded to China, but the original host relinquished its rights in May this year due to COVID-19. 

The AFC re-opened the bidding process and South Korea was among the three candidates considered by the executive committee. 

South Korea, which had not staged the event since 1960, worked to win the bid with the active support of the government, but failed to do so.