An international soccer match between North Korea and Japan’s under-17 teams erupted into chaos before it even kicked off—after North Korean players reportedly punched their Japanese rivals instead of exchanging the usual fist bumps.
Video from the game, held at an international tournament in Qatar, shows the North Korean players turning what should have been a friendly gesture into full-on punches, prompting the Japanese Football Association to call for an investigation, according to Chunichi.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
Strange Salute Between The North Korea And Japan Football Teamspic.twitter.com/5OcDEi0JEP
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The high-stakes match was part of a quarter-final qualification round. Despite the pre-game violence, North Korea fell 5-4 to Japan, who then went on to lose 1-0 to Austria in the next round.
This isn’t the first time North Korean soccer players have made headlines for aggressive behavior. In a 2019 World Cup qualifier against South Korea, the adult team played a match that Choi Young-il, vice president of the Korea Football Association, described as being “like war.”
North Korean athletes travel abroad under strict supervision and intense pressure to win. Past defeats have had severe consequences: after the 2010 World Cup, the team and manager were publicly scolded for six hours, and the manager was reportedly forced into construction work following the loss.
The under-17 team’s shocking behavior in Qatar adds yet another dramatic chapter to the history of North Korea’s notoriously intense approach to international soccer.
Ah . . . but the peace of the Lord can help.