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Pyongyang, North South World Cup qualifier - no fans, media or goals
No fans, no media and no goals as Koreas play out World Cup qualifier in empty stadium
North meets South in Pyongyang amid blackout
Both national anthems played and flags displayed
The Guardian /Reuters 15 Oct 2019 21.30 EDT modified on Wed 16 Oct 2019 13.55 EDT
Long-time foes North and South Korea played a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, their first football match in the North in 30 years, but no fans were allowed in the stands and Pyongyang refused to broadcast the game live. There were also no goals.
The last time the two sides met in a World Cup qualifier was in Seoul 10 years ago, when the North lost 1-0 before accusing South Korea of poisoning their players’ food ahead of the match.
Reclusive North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 civil conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.
National anthems of both sides were played before the match kicked off at the Kim Il Sung Stadium and the flags of the two countries were on display, the South’s Korea Football Association said...
More: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/oct/16/north-south-korea-world-cup-qualifier
Unfortunate missed opportunity as North Korea resumes a hardline posture toward the South. It was also embarrassing for the visiting FIFA official who handled it well, considering the twilight zone like circumstances. One report indicated that foreign tourists who had already paid for seats in the stadium were denied access to the event.
