SKorea seeks punishment for NKorea over World Cup qualifier

By: Kim Tong-Hyung, The Associated Press Posted: 3:54 AM CDT Friday, Oct. 18, 2019 Last Modified: 5:22 AM CDT Friday, Oct. 18, 2019

Advertise with us

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of - The South Korean soccer association said Friday it has requested that North Korea be punished for blocking rival fans and media from attending a World Cup qualifier between the countries at an empty stadium in Pyongyang.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/10/2019 (2502 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of – The South Korean soccer association said Friday it has requested that North Korea be punished for blocking rival fans and media from attending a World Cup qualifier between the countries at an empty stadium in Pyongyang.

The Seoul-based KFA’s letter to the Asian Football Confederation argues that the North failed to uphold rules requiring host nations to grant visas and entries for travelling supporters and media without discrimination, KFA official Shin Jung-hoon said.

The KFA did not share the actual letter with journalists.

South Korean national soccer team player Son Heung-min answers a reporter's question upon his arrival at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019. South Korea's national soccer team has described their World Cup qualifier against North Korea in Pyongyang as a "rough" and strange match. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

The game, which was cast into media darkness because the North refused a live broadcast from Kim Il Sung Stadium, ended in a 0-0 draw. South Korean players later said the North Korean players were unnecessarily physical and verbally abusive during the match.

North Korea in recent months has suspended virtually all co-operation with the South amid deadlocked nuclear negotiations with the United States, and ignored the South’s calls for discussions on media coverage and allowing South Korean fans to attend ahead of Tuesday’s game.

“(The letter) expressed regret over North Korea’s failure to separate sports and politics and said its actions over the match should be reviewed for discipline,” Shin said. “We also called for AFC efforts to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again.”

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, Seoul’s point man on North Korea, told lawmakers on Thursday that the way the North handled the game was “very disappointing” and reflected the standstill in inter-Korean relations.

During qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, North Korea chose to host games against South Korea in Shanghai, refusing to hoist the South Korean flag and play the South Korean anthem on its soil.

The fate of the game in Pyongyang was uncertain until last month when the AFC informed the KFA that the North decided it would host its Group H match against the South as scheduled.

Group H also includes Lebanon, Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka.

___

More AP soccer https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports