Fifa denies 4 North Korean players are missing/defected.

[LazyLion]

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=2871&art_id=nw20100618115929285C970304

Football's world governing body Fifa on Friday denied rumours that four North Korea players listed as no-shows for their World Cup match against Brazil have gone missing in South Africa.

Fifa said it had "no information" that the four players had gone missing, amid reports they may have tried to defect.

The official teamsheet for the North Koreans' 2-1 defeat to Brazil on Tuesday listed substitute goalkeeper Kim Myong-Won, An Chol-Hyok, Kim Kyong-Il and Pak Sung-Hyok as "absent".

"We have no information that the players may have disappeared," a Fifa spokesman said.

"Our liaison officer with North Korea hasn't signalled anything to us."

The North Korean team is expected to hold a press conference in Johannesburg at 3pm on Friday, ahead of their next match against Portugal in Cape Town on Monday.

An official at the South Korean embassy in Johannesburg said they had not picked up any out-of-the-ordinary movements regarding the North Korean squad.

Media access to the players from one of the world's most reclusive nations has been extremely restricted since they arrived in South Africa to contest their first World Cup in 44 years.

In their only previous appearance at the finals, at the 1966 tournament in England, they created one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history by beating European giants Italy. - Sapa-AFP

 

[Keeper]

Quick question -
are north Korea even allowed to watch football?

 

[Ninja'd]

Damn Jong-Il. You could've waited for them to finish the group games.

 

[DreamKing]

Quick question -
are north Korea even allowed to watch football?

yes ...... but edited version ....... I mean "director cut".

 

[Carbon_Fibre]

I bet they defected. They couldn't wait for the last match because the nk security would have been too tight.

 

[boramk]

Wait, but are they missing? If they are then hell yeah they defected

 

[TheHiveMind]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...YERS?SITE=NCBER&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- Video shot by an AP Television News crew on Thursday night shows three of four North Korean players reported to have gone missing in South Africa sitting on the team bus.

The players - Pak Sung Hyok, An Chol Hyok and Kim Kyong Il - were all headed to a training session.

The fourth player in question is goalkeeper Kim Myong Won.

 

[ChilliGirl]

If they did dissapear....... I'm not surprised iven the country they're from...

 

[MyWorld]

Defected to SA???? Why do I find this very unlikely?

 

[Carbon_Fibre]

"Video shot by an AP Television News crew on Thursday night shows three of four North Korean players reported to have gone missing in South Africa sitting on the team bus."

Oh Oh they're in trouble. 5 years Hard labour for dem

 

[ChilliGirl]

"Video shot by an AP Television News crew on Thursday night shows three of four North Korean players reported to have gone missing in South Africa sitting on the team bus."

Oh Oh they're in trouble. 5 years Hard labour for dem

Ouch!

 

[Carbon_Fibre]

Defected to SA???? Why do I find this very unlikely?

HAHA. I don't think they defected to SA, but they would have pitched up at the US embassy (or some other) and claim political asylum

 

[Goldenrule]

"Video shot by an AP Television News crew on Thursday night shows three of four North Korean players reported to have gone missing in South Africa sitting on the team bus."

Oh Oh they're in trouble. 5 years Hard labour for dem

Way of an understatement.

Watch this. Incredible story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0EeXTG4mWw

More like death to your whole family.

 

[Alan]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...YERS?SITE=NCBER&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

hmm was it him who was beaten on his near post against Brazil?

 

[mo_mia]

Defected to SA???? Why do I find this very unlikely?

SA is currently the world's number one destination for asylum seekers and refugees.

 

[ponder]

Defected to SA???? Why do I find this very unlikely?

Almost any country would be better than NK for them.

 

[Alestorm]

SA is currently the world's number one destination for asylum seekers and refugees.

I think that's just because we happen to be in Africa already.

It's these guys first World Cup in years, so they'll take any chance to defect. And South Africa is way better than North Korea.

 

[Pitbull]

It's not the first time Players ran off when they reached a different country

 

[mine_dump]

SA is currently the world's number one destination for asylum seekers and refugees.

thank you, i never know what to say to statements like that, I was going to say a lot of pakistanis, mainland chinese, thais, middle easterns do in fact come here for a better life, not even counting all the africans storming into this