After the game had ended in a scoreless draw following 120 minutes of play, goalkeeper Noor Sabri saved Yeom Ki-hyun's spot-kick and Kim Jung-woo hit the woodwork with South Korea's final penalty as the 2002 World Cup semi-finalists' drought at the continental championship continued.

Iraq will now face the winners of the day's other semi-final between Japan and Saudi Arabia in the final in Jakarta on Sunday, while South Korea's quest for a first Asian Cup win since 1960 will have to wait another four years.

The game was the second straight knockout match in which the South Koreans had failed to score, but after downing Iran on penalties in the quarter-finals their luck ran out against the Iraqis.

Jorvan Vieira's team had almost managed to win the game without the need for penalties when, just a minute before the end of the first period of extra time, Hawar Mulla Mohammed hit the post after Lee Woon-jae flapped at Mahdi Karim's deep cross and Kim Jin-kyu cleared off the line.

In a game that lacked many clear-cut chances, Younes Mahmoud always presented a threat and as early as the 16th minute he sent a close-range shot into the side-netting.

The South Koreans, for their part, were limited to weak or off-target efforts, with Cho Jae-jin trundling his attempt through to Sabri five minutes later while Lee Chun-soo shot woefully over the bar from distance.

Karrar Jassim Mohammed came within millimetres of connecting with Haider Abdul Amer's 28th-minute cross from the right that left the South Korean defence flat-footed, but it was Mahmoud who came closest to opening the scoring five minutes before the break.

The Al Gharafa striker received Hamar Mulla Mohammed's pass before turning on the edge of the area and firing low beyond Lee Woon-jae, only for the ball to slide agonisingly wide of the South Korea keeper's left-hand post.

After a disappointing opening period, the second half was a marked improvement, with the South Koreans looking the more lively without fashioning any clear-cut chances.

The Iraqis, though, caused concern for the South Koreans 18 minutes after the restart. Nashat Akram's powerfully-driven free-kick slid under the opposition wall and ricocheted into Lee Woon-jae's arms off the boot of Hamar Mulla Mohammed.

Yeom Ki-hun then tested Sabri at the other end with his free-kick, with the Iraq keeper parrying the ball to safety before Mahdi Karim's run at the other end resulted in a shot that saw the ball go just wide of Lee Woon-jae's goal.

With 19 minutes remaining, Lee Chun-soo volleyed just wide when he had time and space to control the ball in the penalty area while Hamar Mulla Mohammed's header four minutes later was just off-target.

Both teams became more frantic as extra time loomed, but neither could stop the game going into an additional 30 minutes.

Lee Chun-soo forced a fine save out of Sabri four minutes into the first period of extra time when he latched onto a ball over the top of the defence, only for the keeper to drop to his right to keep the shot out.

Hamar Mulla Mohammed then hit the post as both teams tired and with seven minutes to go he went close again, this time pulling a left-footed shot beyond Lee Woon-jae but across the face of goal.

That sent the game into the penalty shootout and, after three successful attempts from each team, Yeom saw his attempt saved by Sabri as he dived to his right to push the ball away.

Ahmed Menajed scored to put the pressure on Kim Jung-woo and he buckled, hitting the left upright to deny the South Koreans their first appearance in the final since 1988.