World Cup 2010 - North Korean flops shamed in public

Eurosport - Thu, 29 Jul 13:41:00 2010

North Korea's football squad have been subjected to a public humiliation in the wake of their World Cup failure.

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The team lost all three games in South Africa, where they were making their first World Cup finals appearance since 1966.

They took the stage at the People's Palace of Culture in the capital Pyongyang while 400 students subjected them to a six-hour reprimand.

Reports claim coach Kim Jong-Hun was made to work on a building site and expelled from the Workers' Party of Korea.

He was blamed for "betraying the trust of Kim Jong-Un", one of dictator Kim Jong-Il's sons, after the country went into the tournament with high hopes of qualifying from the so-called 'Group of Death'.

The criticism was led by Ri Dong-Kyu, a commentator for state TV, which made the 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Portugal its first ever live sports broadcast.

The decision to show the game live came in the wake of an encouraging 2-1 defeat to Brazil. North Korea lost their final game 3-0 to Ivory Coast.

Radio Free Asia claimed the dressing-down took place on July 2, but news only leaked out of the famously secretive country this week.

Japanese-born pair Jong Tae-Se and An Yong-Hak escaped censure, flying straight to Japan from South Korea.

A source from South Korea’s intelligence community told the Chosun Ilbo newspaper: "In the past, North Korean athletes and coaches who performed badly were sent to prison camps.

“Considering the high hopes North Koreans had for the World Cup, the regime could have done worse things to the team than just reprimand them for their ideological shortcomings."

Eurosport

Comment 287 - 306 of 306

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  1. it obviously happened. there is no smoke without fire.­ but thats really cruel. u win some , u lose some, noone­ gets into a competition and deliberately loses

    From nyaradzo mupfuti, on Mon 2 Aug 3:12PM

  2. thats cruel

    From sarah.j.wood, on Mon 2 Aug 2:15PM

  3. the North Koreans govt action is babaric

    From eugene, on Sat 31 Jul 10:31PM

  4. I have great respect for the North Korean team. As an­ African, what I saw in those players was determination,­ passion, and doggedness. I saw a player shedding­ tears when he was singing his country's anthem and­ I also wept. I wept because I felt if all of us can be­ this faithful and loyal to our countries, the world­ will be a better place to live. Politics apart, I love­ the spirit in the Korean players. Among all the teams­ in SA, they remain my heroes!

    From abayomi, on Sat 31 Jul 8:39PM

  5. What kind of nonsense from some posters here. ­ will_walsh06: To ban North Korea would not be to­ "discriminate a country or a team because­ they're communist", it'd be to protect the­ players and coach!!!.

    There's NO comparison with­ what happened in Colombia. That was a crime buy a­ nutter, and recognized as such. This is a government­ we're talking about. You know, a totalitarian­ government.

    And to those saying they don't believe­ it... it's Noth Korea we're talking about. ­ Just the fact that there's no way of actually­ getting any proof of what happened of didn't happen­ is proof enough that anything could happen there.

    An K­ P, no, no one is saying that this is somehow a problem­ for the Western world... it's a news article about­ the opression of a totalitarian regime on its people. ­ Not everything is about the interests of the western­ world or of the US, you know?.

    From Cristina, on Sat 31 Jul 7:42PM

  6. Yet more idiotic Western propaganda. First we are told­ that North Korea is showing rigged highlights that they­ beat Brazil etc. etc. then this @#$%. Grow up idiots!­ North Korea is the least of anyone's problems,­ especially when we have proper terrifyingly rogue­ states like USA, Russia, Israel, Pakistan etc.

    Ps - If­ anything like the above story did happen, it should­ ideally have happened to the worst England team (2010)­ to ever (dis) grace a WC Finals.

    From K P, on Sat 31 Jul 10:54AM

  7. It sounds to me like a cheap shot saying the team was­ subjected to hours of ridicule at the People's­ Palace of Culture without confirmation, or video to­ back up the story. I don't believe it happened.

    From Joe 2, on Sat 31 Jul 9:43AM

  8. As I am south of the boarder living in South Korea.­ I've not heard any of this. Infact, the North­ Korean team and South Korean team flew home together­ and were met sith cheers and jubilation for both teams­ here in the South. Press interviews took place before­ they moved on to the North. If anyone think North Korea­ didn't do greatly they should be put in jail­ themselves. For a country not famed for sporting­ achievements to just get there is amazing. Just like­ when other small countries qualify it is more a show of­ determination and desire than skill level. North Korean­ showed pride and passion, and yes more so than any­ England player did. I think it just goes to show that­ the only news England gets about North Korean has to be­ negative or it won't be seen or heard. Here in the­ South of Korea, the news of their reception was­ different. We heard that the North Korean players met­ their party members, that their coach believing­ he'd failed his country stepped down and that­ students questioned the players and staff about South­ Africa, other nations and cultural differences. I find­ it hard to believe that North Korea would subject their­ players to what is spoken of above. After all, their­ slogan for the world cup was simple, Put the politics­ away and play football...Also, North Korea had said­ before the tournaments they hoped for success but felt­ it impossible according to South Korean news­ networks...

    From EGK, on Sat 31 Jul 1:47AM

  9. maybe should do this to the england team....or even­ worse we could show the wags without there­ makeup....maybe thats too much humiliation for the­ players......ermmmmmmmm

    From Amon-Amarth, on Sat 31 Jul 12:44AM

  10. The Dictator of north Korea is just that a @#$% and a­ complete @#$% those lads done their country men proud­ they gave it their all and had the support of us Irish­ and im sure mre counrtys.
    Something stinks in north­ korea and it aint the football team but the­ government.
    Scumbags

    From brian k, on Fri 30 Jul 7:14PM

  11. Success comes through failures............ I salute the­ North Korean team for their valient efforts and for­ getting to the World Cup in the first instance­ ...........I do not salute a regime that openly­ ridicules bravery!

    From paulronanmaguire, on Fri 30 Jul 5:01PM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    North Korean Officials have announced the tragic­ aircrash, killing all their World Cup Squad, next­ Tuesday ...................

    From kingkeaw, on Fri 30 Jul 4:49PM

  13. They made it to the World Cup finals an achievement in­ itself, Losing 2 1 to Brazil was a great result, they­ played well, they gave it their best, you it can,t ask­ more than that. They did their country proud. The carry­ on since by the state and that @#$% of a commentor who ­ has made a name for himself by leading in this­ disgraceful treatment of the team and coach, is­ shameful.Iknow little about the country of North Korea­ and its politics but enough to know Iwant to hear no­ more about it. Consider this ,those guys were playing­ against some of the riches and best players in the­ world who are paid millions because they are that good.­ Who would want to play for North Korea with treatment­ like this when Iwatched them playing Portugal Iknew­ that team was in for a rough time when they got home­ F.I.F.A. must act and protect players like these,they­ could have been imprisoned or worse, if it means­ throwing countries like this out ,do it. North Korea is­ on cloud nine leave it there.

    From tonydunne.iakk, on Fri 30 Jul 4:30PM

  14. Politics has NO place in any sporting event, to Boycott­ any nation or discriminate any nation because they are­ Communist or otherwise is wrong. Luckily I'm from a­ democratic country and I can express these beliefs or­ wishes without scorn. Whereas the likes of China, North­ Korea, Zimbabwe, Cube etc public expressions of anger­ or disapproval will be harshly dealt with in the least.­ What happened in North Korea to their football team is­ dreadful and the likes of all of us writing on this­ blog can be grateful we can do so and maybe think about­ the other nations who can't.

    From will_walsh06, on Fri 30 Jul 2:47PM

  15. When Nigeria suspended her national team, FIFA­ threatened to suspend the FA, I'm waiting to see­ FIFA's reaction.

    From dammie, on Fri 30 Jul 2:46PM

  16. I think this has done alot of damage to NK PR. The­ teams scrappy and dogged performance against Brazil and­ to a lesser extent the Ivory Coast had alot of people­ soften their stance on North Korea, but this has­ reminded us all that it is perhaps the only country in­ the world today that is objectively ridiculous.

    From DaveM, on Fri 30 Jul 2:45PM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    oooohhh i just like it

    From Abdulrehman, on Fri 30 Jul 1:31PM

  18. FIFA were quite happy to ban dictatorial South Africa­ prior to 1994, and rightly so. Yet the like of China,­ North Korea, Zimbabwe and the Cuba's are welcomed­ not only by FIFA, but the very nations who supposedly­ scorn dictatorships. WHAT A HYPOCRITE WORLD in this­ instance

    From Spencer, on Fri 30 Jul 1:27PM

  19. comment 272: because you are under the illusion that­ they have a CHOICE in the matter?? But yes, if they­ did, who would let himself in for such humiliating­ treatment...Public and also self-criticism is part of­ their culture, I doubt it motivates anyone to do­ better.

    From arum, on Fri 30 Jul 1:05PM

  20. I think they should be left alone to sort things out­ their own way. It's a kind of national orientation­ to prevent low performance and boost productivity The­ team as a whole knew this as a possible outcome prior­ to the event.. After-all, it's a less a archaic ­ act compared to the Colombian shot-dead by fellow­ countrymen for an own goal in the World Cup.We can­ never forget that you know. Eddie

    From eddie, on Fri 30 Jul 1:01PM
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