North Korea appears in international sports for the first time in five years, criticized from abroad for its lack of sportsmanship

The actions of the North Korean national team, which lost to Japan in the men's soccer quarterfinals of the Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China, on the 1st of this month, are causing a stir. During the match, North Korean national team players made a series of dangerous plays.
In addition, he took water from Japanese staff members and made threatening gestures. Immediately after the match, they attacked the referees, causing an uproar in the venue. This North Korean national team player can be called an “outrageous act”
Their actions have been reported not only in Japan but also in foreign media. North Korea has unilaterally decided not to participate in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The Olympic Committee (IOC) has suspended him from participating in international competitions until the end of 2022. Now that the punishment has been lifted, North Korea will be hosting a comprehensive international sports festival for the first time in five years.
Participated. Over 190 players have registered and are participating in competitions such as soccer, table tennis, gymnastics, and shooting. On the 28th of last month, a women's clay shooting target group and a women's gymnastics group held a total.
won three gold medals. However, the North Korean team is causing some controversy at this tournament. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) bans North Korea from displaying its national flag at international competitions
However, during the Games, they were seen being displayed in the Olympic Village and at competition venues. The flag bearer entered the opening ceremony holding a large national flag. WADA holds responsibility to host country China
It shows a policy of asking questions. During the men's soccer quarterfinal match against Japan on the 1st, action that deviated from sportsmanship has been criticized. North Korea's rough play was noticeable in the match. Also, the match
During the match, North Korean players approached Japanese staff members who entered the pitch for treatment, stole water from them, and made threatening gestures. In this match, North Korea had six yellows in 90 minutes.
- A card was played. The match ended with Japan winning 2-1, but the North Korean players rushed to the referees immediately after the match, probably because they were not satisfied with the penalty decision that decided the game.
I protested fiercely. Some players tried to stop the match, but one of the players got heated and pushed the referee away with his arm. This was an unusual situation, and tournament staff rushed onto the pitch to stop the incident.
The North Korean athlete's outrageous behavior has been reported by media in Japan, South Korea, China, and other countries. South Korean media outlet Export reported that during the match, North Korean players stole water from Japanese staff and threatened them.
``The North Korean player went beyond common sense and was ugly.The referee immediately gave him a yellow card,'' the report said. Regarding the outrage after the match, Korean media outlet E-Daily said, ``Japan's
The North Korean players, angry about the penalty decision that resulted in the deciding goal, stormed the referee after the match and violently protested, including attempting to ram their bodies, creating a strange atmosphere. If the coaches
If the tournament staff had not stepped in to stop them, they might have lost control in their anger and caused an even bigger scandal. Either way, it was an unbelievable act." Also, Korea
The Korean Economic Newspaper newspaper pointed out, ``It's common for players to protest against referees' decisions, but it's rare to see them getting involved and even physically attacking the referee.'' In addition, the United Kingdom and the host country of the tournament
・Chinese media also reported on the situation at the time in detail. In Japan, heavyweights in the soccer world were quick to call the actions of the North Korean national team players problematic. Kawabuchi, the first chairman of the J League
Saburo wrote on his X (formerly Twitter), ``The referee kept overlooking terrible plays that were obviously intended to cause injury. I can't believe it was a FAFA referee. I wonder if a Japanese player will get seriously injured.
I looked at him worriedly. He continued to attack the referee even after the match was over, but this was an act that should have been punished in some way,'' he said, rejecting North Korea and complaining about the referee.
On the other hand, North Korea's coach Shin Sung-nam said at the post-match press conference, ``It's true that two or three players got a little excited,'' but added, ``If the referee isn't fair, then it's just football.''
"It's an insult to the players," he said, as if justifying the players' protest actions. North Korea is participating in this comprehensive international sports festival for the first time in five years. On stage after a long time
The team showed a severe lack of sportsmanship, which is common knowledge in international sports.