Deadlock in inter-Korean relations spreads to football with N. Korea's lack of cooperation
Arirang News
2019-10-15
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There are just five-and-a-half hours to go until South Korea's national football team take on North Korea in Pyeongyang.... as the two sides try to book spots in the 2022 World Cup Finals.
It's a historic moment, with the previous match between the two in the North Korean capital happening close to three decades ago.
But analysts say North Korea's behavior in the lead up to the match and its block on broadcasting the game is just the latest example of how far backwards relations have gone this year.
Oh Jung-hee tells us why.
It's the first football match between South and North Korea in Pyeongyang in 29 years... but unfortunately, Tuesday's match is expected to be a lonely one for South Korea's players... with no cheering squad or any broadcasting teams covering the game.
The match kicks off at 5:30 p.m., Korea time, at Kim Il-sung Stadium in the North Korean capital in the second round of Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Only 55 South Koreans traveled to Pyeongyang on Monday 25 footballers and 30 officials.
"We reached out to the North on several occasions about broadcasting the match and sending a cheering squad, but there was no response."
Seoul contacted Pyeongyang through various channels via authorities at the joint liaison office,... between the two Koreas' football confederations,... and through the Asian Football Confederation.
But, the North didn't reply to any of them.
Watchers see this as an extension to the deadlock in inter-Korean relations... that started to fracture since the breakdown of the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi early this year.
For whatever reason, the North is showing no interest in trying to rebuild relations with the South.
"Since the Hanoi summit, the North has deliberately put its relations with the South on the back burner and has explicitly shown discontent toward Seoul. It has refused to respond to Seoul on other issues as well,... like rice aid and the African Swine Fever outbreak."
As the match won't be televised live, fans will likely have to check the score on the internet, but even that is unclear at this point.
However, prior to kick-off, South Korea's national anthem will be played and South Korea's national flag will be raised as per the usual procedure at World Cup qualifiers.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.
It's a historic moment, with the previous match between the two in the North Korean capital happening close to three decades ago.
But analysts say North Korea's behavior in the lead up to the match and its block on broadcasting the game is just the latest example of how far backwards relations have gone this year.
Oh Jung-hee tells us why.
It's the first football match between South and North Korea in Pyeongyang in 29 years... but unfortunately, Tuesday's match is expected to be a lonely one for South Korea's players... with no cheering squad or any broadcasting teams covering the game.
The match kicks off at 5:30 p.m., Korea time, at Kim Il-sung Stadium in the North Korean capital in the second round of Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Only 55 South Koreans traveled to Pyeongyang on Monday 25 footballers and 30 officials.
"We reached out to the North on several occasions about broadcasting the match and sending a cheering squad, but there was no response."
Seoul contacted Pyeongyang through various channels via authorities at the joint liaison office,... between the two Koreas' football confederations,... and through the Asian Football Confederation.
But, the North didn't reply to any of them.
Watchers see this as an extension to the deadlock in inter-Korean relations... that started to fracture since the breakdown of the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi early this year.
For whatever reason, the North is showing no interest in trying to rebuild relations with the South.
"Since the Hanoi summit, the North has deliberately put its relations with the South on the back burner and has explicitly shown discontent toward Seoul. It has refused to respond to Seoul on other issues as well,... like rice aid and the African Swine Fever outbreak."
As the match won't be televised live, fans will likely have to check the score on the internet, but even that is unclear at this point.
However, prior to kick-off, South Korea's national anthem will be played and South Korea's national flag will be raised as per the usual procedure at World Cup qualifiers.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.
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