EXCLUSIVE: Our Man in Pyongyang Experiences a Heavy Defeat
21st June 2010
So how did the people of North Korea react to a heavy defeat at the hands of Portugal? And what was it like watching the game in Pyongyang? Once again, The Football Ramble brings you exclusive access to the coverage of the World Cup from Kim Jong Il´s secretive regime....
First there was optimism. Then there were screams of excitement. Then there was silence. And finally, there were tears. Lots of tears. This just about sums up one of the most surreal nights of my life when I had the opportunity to watch live coverage of the DPRK’s Group G clash with Portugal in Pyongyang which, by the end, had done nothing for national pride and left the Korean fans I viewed the game with totally despondent.
I received a tip-off at about 4 o’clock local time that the North’s clash with Portugal would be shown live on the nation’s number one channel, Korean Central Television. I must admit that the possibility surprised me a little; OK, they had put in a battling performance against Brazil and had surprised a few folk with their dogged resilience, but for a nation who rely on shows of strength to galvanise their self-belief, this was a bit of a risk. Things could go wrong. Portugal are no mugs, and while football fans in DPRK appreciate this fact, they were probably not expecting to have their backsides handed to them as transpired by the end of a demoralizing 90 minutes. Not long after I had arrived in Pyongyang, and as part of my getting to grips with local culture and customs, I learnt that, for a Korean, losing face is a fate worse than death. Unfortunately, the DPRK’s second-half capitulation has left the country’s propaganda experts with a major headache. There is going to have to be a fair amount of poetic license used in dressing this up as anything other than a night of embarrassment.
It wasn’t all bad, it has to be admitted. The Chollima’s first half performance was half decent. They set out their stall in a more attacking fashion, rode their luck in the early stages, but crafted a number of decent opportunities before Portugal eventually broke the deadlock on 29 minutes. Cha Jong Hyok and Ahn Yong Hak sent efforts just wide, and sandwiched in-between was a glorious opportunity for Pak Nam Chol, who headed over with the goal pretty much at his mercy. And Cha, who looked every part the attacking wing-back that I’d seen a few times during the qualifying campaign, might have earned his side a penalty had he not been incorrectly flagged for offside immediately prior to Raul Meireles’ well-taken opener. The DPRK made it to the break without any further breaches, but, as we all know now, they lost their shape, composure and confidence, conceded a bucketful and looked a shadow of the side who had pushed Brazil so hard in their opening game.
So, what was it like watching the game in Pyongyang? Quite different, I must admit. My plan was to watch the first half with friends from the ex-pat community in one of the bars on the international compound. I got there about two hours before kick-off and discussed the upcoming match with the staff there. I’m surprised by how enthusiastic women in North Korea are about football; I attribute this to the DPRK’s women’s team enjoying many recent successes and breeding a lot of female followers. The ten pretty, young waitresses in the bar have spoken previously of their love of the game and they were nervous but excited as kick-off approached. One joked that they would celebrate long into the night if DPRK emerged victorious, but added that there might be a few tears if the result went against them. They posed for a few photos with the massive DPRK flag that I’d brought along, waited expectantly for the Korean Central Television coverage to begin and stood proudly for their national anthem. Each touch of the ball by a North Korean player was cheered enthusiastically no matter where they were on the pitch. Near misses were cursed, and Portuguese efforts on goal were met with nervous shrills.
As soon as the first Portuguese goals went in, the waterworks started. In the UK, we take for granted matches televised live and know from sometimes bitter experience that games can change in the blink of an eye. The North Korean girls, who have no such frame of reference, were crestfallen from the moment Meireles’ lovely little finish found the back of the net. But half-time came with the Koreans just the one goal behind, and with DPRK having created some decent opportunities, there was still reason to be optimistic.
It was at this point that I made my exit. A wonderful little bar/restaurant has popped up just opposite the Tower of the Juche Idea, a monument to Kim Il Sung’s political philosophy, and it was from there that I had intended to watch the second half. It would also give me the opportunity to drive around and see if the screening of the game had had an effect on vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the city. Clearly it had; there were less cars than usual on the road (admittedly, Pyongyang is not prone to traffic jams), and less wanderers on the streets. The electricity supply was conspicuous by its presence, and we managed to look in a few windows to see people tuned into the game. Alas, in all the excitement, I had totally forgotten that most restaurants in Pyongyang close at 9pm without exception, and my attempt to watch the game with the Korean proles was dashed.
We returned quickly to the international bar, just in time for the start of the second period. And from there it went rapidly downhill. The DPRK conceded three times in the opening 15 minutes of the half, and it was then a case of how many. The Koreans were gutted, the decibel levels, which would have drowned out 60,000 vuvuzelas at the start of the game, dropped dramatically, and all hope was lost. At the end of the game, the waitresses said that the result wasn’t brilliant for national pride, but we tried to console them with the usual clichés; it’s only a game, there’s always the next match, and all the other bollocks. The hurt remains. For football fans from countries with political viewpoints as diametrically opposed as the UK and the DPRK, some things are just the same.
Our Man in Pyongyang
« Return to blogs
James Wood
:::2010-06-21 20:30:48
This blog is amazing - can´t believe you´ve got these contacts.
Thoroughly enjoyable, thank you.
Russell Glencross
:::2010-06-21 21:29:52
Great read - I honestly thought you were joking when you announced this blog. It´s fascinating.
Sam
:::2010-06-21 22:14:40
Brilliant stuff!
Ed Wenn
:::2010-06-21 22:50:09
Cheers for the insight. Nice to get an almost local insight into events in the DPRK as the competition progresses. I´ve been fascinated with the country - and the capital in particular - ever since reading Guy Delisle´s wonderful graphic novel, "Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea" (http://www.amazon.com/Pyongyang-Journey-North-Guy-Delisle/dp/1896597890) and having North Korea in the world cup is therefore a definite bonus.
I was in Vietnam, traveling around during the 1998 World Cup and the trip was enhanced a hundred-fold by the way the football gave you an "in" to areas and people who normally would have been more distant. Little kids running up to you shouting, "England football; number one!" and asking which team we supported was always fun and I´ll never forget the Vietnamese commentator describing Owen´s goal against Argentina.
:-)
Adam
:::2010-06-21 23:43:12
People say North Korea is cut off from the world and their citizens believe any propaganda. But we are also cut off from North Korea and it´s fascinating to hear about what it´s like instead of hearing nonsense from our own media about what things are like there.
Jacko
:::2010-06-22 01:12:49
I love the "lovely little" reference, fantastic stuff and looking forward to next blog entry.
Andy
:::2010-06-22 08:02:28
Brilliant. This is so wonderful to read. I too have been an avid enthusiast of all things North Korean and am now adding this blog to the list. Thank you so much!
« Return to blogs
Catch up on the latest Ramble by clicking below. You can stream through our media player or subscribe through iTunes.
