Reports of Mistreatment of North Korean Football Team

The World Cup is, in a certain sense, what being a Global Citizen is all about. Every four years, the entire planet comes together in a spirit of sportsmanship, friendly competition, and celebration as some of the finest athletes in the world play "the beautiful game" to the delight of hundreds of millions of fans who breathlessly follow every match.

How infuriating, therefore, to read the reports that the North Korean football has suffered mistreatment at the hands of its government for their lack of success at the tournament.

The North Korean team was probably the biggest underdog of the 2010 World Cup, especially as they were drawn into a so-called "group of death" against Brazil, Portugal, and Cote D'Ivoire. Nevertheless, although North Korea was roundly defeated by Portugal and Cote D'Ivoire, they played very well against Brazil, losing only by a single point against a side widely considered the best in the world. The North Korean players could have left the tournament with their heads held high.

This was apparently not good enough for North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il. According to the BBC, the players were publicly humiliated for six hours and then ordered to insult their coach, who has reportedly been sentenced to hard labor. This is not the way for a civilized nation to behave. But then, so long as Kim Jong Il remains at its head, North Korea cannot be included among the ranks of civilized nations.

Quite properly, FIFA has launched an investigation into the accusations. Under FIFA rules, governments are forbidden from interfering with their national football team. If the accusations are true, North Korea could be banned from participating in international football. However, considering the extreme isolationaism of North Korea, it is open to question whether the investigation will be able to find out much.

Until such time as North Korea allows a full FIFA investigation of the charges, and until such time as the North Korean government allows its international football team to operate without interference, it should be banned from further participation in international football.