Reporter Han Jae-hyun= North Korea’s game against Japan was marred by unsportsmanlike behavior and violence.
North Korea lost 1-2 to Japan in the men’s soccer quarterfinals of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games at the Xiaoshan Sports Center in Hangzhou, China on Monday (June 1), failing to advance to the quarterfinals.
The game drew more attention for North Korea’s unsportsmanlike and violent soccer than for the result. North Korea engaged in rough tackling and physical play against Japanese players throughout the match.
Most notably, in the 25th minute of the second half, the North Korean goalkeeper tripped a charging Japanese player with his hand. It was a clear foul and the referee called for a penalty kick. The North Korean players rushed onto the field to protest, but the call was not overturned. Japan converted and celebrated a 2-1 victory.
North Korea’s anger continued after the game. All of the North Korean players jumped on the field and protested to the referee about the penalty kick. They pushed some players with their hands, threatened them, and created an atmosphere of fear.
The situation escalated to the point where tournament officials rushed in to separate the referees from the North Korean players. Assaulting and threatening referees is a disciplinary offense under FIFA. The likelihood of a post-mortem is also high.
North Korea’s violence has drawn international attention. “A shocking incident of North Korea attacking a referee after its loss to Japan has gone viral,” the British publication The Sun said in a report on Feb. 2 (KST), “and it has drawn condemnation from fans around the world.바카라사이트
This isn’t the only time North Korea has raised eyebrows with its behavior at the Asian Games. The women’s soccer quarterfinal against South Korea was marked by rough play and unnecessary nerves. It was one of the worst games of the tournament, with the referee even blowing a call. South Korea lost 1-4 to North Korea in a game that was characterized by violent soccer and blown calls.