North Korea punished World Cup team manager: report

Published : Aug. 2, 2010 - 13:34

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North Korea's football manager has been punished for the team's World Cup flop by being made to work on a building site, according to The Sun.

The report said Kim Jong-hun, 53, will be grafting as a laborer for up to 14 hours a day.

The coach received his sentence after he and his players faced a six-hour grilling from 400 officials of the Communist country's hardline regime, the daily reported.

Kim was also stripped of his membership of the Workers' Party of Korea, led by pint-sized Kim Jong-il.

The Sun said the dictator was furious as the team lost all three matches, including a humiliating 7-0 thrashing by Portugal.

What made it worse for the tiny tyrant was his decision to allow that match to be shown on state TV after North Korea's narrow 2-1 defeat by Brazil in their opening game.

The North Korean team’s manager, players and backroom staff were ordered to a World Cup inquest at the People's Palace of Culture in the capital Pyongyang when they returned from South Africa.

North Korean striker Jong Tae-se shed tears ahead of a match with Brazil during the World Cup in South Africa. (Yonhap)

(AP-Yonhap)

The players were then allegedly forced to blame their coach for the defeats. Kim was being punished for "betraying the trust of Kim Jong-Un", Kim's son, the report said.

북한 축구대표팀 감독 건설현장서 강제노동

남아공 월드컵에서 3게임 모두 패한 김정훈 북한 축구대표팀 감독이 건설현장에서 강제노동을 하고 있다고 영국 더 선지가 1일(현지시간) 보도했다.

북한 축구대표팀이 브라질과 첫 경기에서 1대 2로 선전하자 김정일 총서기가 두번째 예선전인 포르투갈과의 경기를 중계하기로 결정했었다.

이 경기에서 0대 7로 굴욕적인 대패로 끝나자 김정일 총서기의 노여움을 산 것으로 알려졌다.

이 신문은 북한 축구대표팀이 월드컵 경기후 귀국하자 정부 당국 고위층에게 6시간에 걸친 조사를 받은데 이어 선수로부터 김 감독 비판을 강요했다고 전했다.

김 감독이 김정일 총서기의 3남인 김정운의 신뢰를 배반했다는 이유로 강제노동 처벌이 내려진 것으로 전해졌다. (헤경뉴스)

North Korea punished World Cup team manager: report

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