On Tuesday, the World Cup qualification match between the North Korean and South Korean national teams took place in Pyongyang. The match between the tense neighbors ended in a 0:0 draw, making this match the most unusual football derby.
The South Korean national football team played in the northern neighbor's country after a 29-year hiatus. However, regular fans were not allowed into the stadium, and the hosts did not broadcast the match live. Foreign journalists were not allowed in either. Only individuals selected by the organizers were seated in scattered seats in the stands.
"In all matches, we always had some support from fans in one way or another. We played completely for the first time without any support," observed defender Kim Min-jae of the South Korean national team.
The last time both teams competed against each other was almost a decade ago. It was during the 2010 World Cup qualifying match in Seoul. The Southerners won with a score of 1:0, and the Northerners accused their opponents of doping their footballers.
Both Koreas have not agreed since the war that took place from 1950-1953. A ceasefire was declared after the war, but a peace treaty has not been signed to this day.
The match at the Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang took place only after FIFA received confirmation that the hosts would raise the South Korean flag, play their national anthem and hand over recorded footage of the match after the game.
The North Korean news agency KCNA later released a brief statement announcing the goalless draw and the host team's numerous "attacks and counterattacks."
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who visited Pyongyang, was disappointed by the empty stands and the fact that foreign journalists were not allowed to work at the match. "FIFA believes that freedom of the press and freedom of speech are the most important," he added.
Even members of the South Korean delegation had limited internet access, so they could only report on the progress of the match through sporadic messages.
In 2018, it seemed that there would be a significant improvement in relations between the two neighbors, as the joint North and South Korean women's ice hockey team competed at the Pyeongchang Olympics. The Olympic spirit even inspired North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. However, in recent times, diplomatic relations between the countries have cooled.
After this draw in Pyongyang, both Korean national teams share the first and second places in Group H of the Asian qualification zone, where five teams compete. Both teams have accumulated 7 points each in 3 rounds, surpassing Lebanon (6 points), Turkmenistan (3 points), and Sri Lanka (0 points). The top 8 winners from eight groups and the four best second-place teams will advance to the decisive qualification stage.
