Media Monster

North Korean Soccer Coach Put Into Labor Camp After Disappointing World Cup

The North Korean soccer team, after losing all three of their games in the 2010 World Cup, sat through six hours of public shaming upon their return to their home country.

After their surprisingly close opening game against Brazil, North Korean officials agreed to show the team’s next two games on air. Bad idea. North Korea lost 7-0 to Portugal, then 3-0 to the Ivory Coast. Naturally, then, they dealt with this when they got home:

Earlier this month the team and manager were forced onto a stage at the People’s Palace of Culture in front of 400 government officials, students, and journalists. According to the Guardian, the athletes were subjected to a “six-hour barrage of criticism” for their poor performances that was led by a TV commentator and sports minister Pak Myong-chol.

If that wasn’t enough, players were then forced to go on stage and make disparaging comments about their coach, Kim Jong-hun, who has since been put into a labor camp.

The reason that he’s been singled out is because the team’s poor performance is “seen as a personal betrayal of Kim Jong-un,” who is the son of current crazy North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il. A strong showing at the Cup would have been credited to Jong-un, thus making the transition of power easier. That was not the case, and now the coach must pay.

[North Korean Soccer Team Punished for World Cup Failure] Newsweek

[h/t Bill Simmons' Twitter]