In its third year, the eight-team pre-season tournament starts on July 12 and runs for nine days. The draw will be held in Seoul on May 22 and the event will consist of two groups of four.

Each team will play three games and the group winners will meet in the final.

Reading manager Steve Coppell is convinced travelling all the way to South Korea to compete is the perfect way to prepare for the club's second season in the Premiership.

Coppell has already raised plenty of eyebrows by declaring he fears that qualifying for the UEFA Cup - which will be made even more likely if Watford are beaten on Saturday - would put the club's league position in jeopardy.

But the former England winger regards the July tournament, won two years ago by Tottenham, as both potentially lucrative and far enough ahead of the all-important domestic schedule to be invaluable to his squad.

He said: "It is our only opportunity to play against South American and Asian teams - and we will still have three weeks afterwards to make sure we are re-acclimatised in time for the English season.

"By no means it will be a holiday. We will make sure as a pre-season project it will be physically demanding but in a totally different environment.

"We didn't ignore the fact that if you win the competition you can win a lot of money but that wasn't the main consideration. It was what I thought was a unique opportunity at this time for us.

"It is a tick in the right box as far as we are concerned, although it is not going to help us next season.

"Pre-season can be a boring process in many ways but this really breaks it up and keeps it fresh."

Reading are the first club to confirm their participation in the nine-day tournament, which will feature a minimum of three games and be worth £1million to the winners.

The UEFA Cup however was riddled with potential pitfalls, Coppell insisted.

He said: "One - we are not going to win it. Two - it is not a great money-spinner for the club. Three - we would need more players which may make us cumbersome. So I really don't think it would be that beneficial.

"We could tick a box and say "great, we have got into Europe" but it doesn't mean a great deal - and it could turn out to be detrimental to us in the long term.

"I am being purely selfish in thinking what is best for this club for next season.

"We can have a little party at the end of this one but it won't help us next season in the Premiership - which is 100% my only concern.

"Awaydays to wherever may be great for someone else but not for me. Whereas in July a nice day out in Seoul would do me fine.

"I do want to finish with as many points as possible. People might be thinking I'm sabotaging from within but absolutely not.

"Wherever we finish we will have earned whatever we get - but don't expect me to celebrate getting into Europe especially if we then get knocked out by some eastern European team.

Royals director of football Nick Hammond said: "[Manager] Steve Coppell and I are happy that the Peace Cup will provide an excellent part of our pre-season preparations, due to the quality of the tournament and the opportunity for our players to experience everything that comes with being a top-level Premiership performer."

Chairman John Madejski added: "Sport is a truly international way of bringing people together, and there can be no finer sentiment than a Peace Cup, which is the desire of every civilised nation.

"I am delighted that Reading Football Club will be participating in this trophy."

Funds raised from the tournament will be donated to the Peace Cup Foundation.