North Korea - Champions of the World



Analysis North Korea – Champions of the World Gerard Clare March 13, 2012 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Supplied by author Part 1 of 2 On November 15th 2011, North Korea overcame Japan 1-0 in Pyongyang in a World Cup 2014 qualifier. To the average football fan, it was a meaningless game in faraway Asia, if it registered on their radar at all. For those who follow the unofficial football world championships, however, this was a day where footballing history was made; North Korea became the champions of world football.[1] In a system whereby defeating the ‘champions’ earns the title, they are now the lowest ranked team to have ever won the accolade, 124th in the FIFA rankings at the © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update & Podcast Updates Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

Analysis

North Korea – Champions of the World

Gerard Clare March 13, 2012

Supplied by author

Part 1 of 2

On November 15th 2011, North Korea overcame Japan 1-0 in Pyongyang in a World Cup 2014 qualifier. To the average football fan, it was a meaningless game in faraway Asia, if it registered on their radar at all. For those who follow the unofficial football world championships, however, this was a day where footballing history was made; North Korea became the champions of world football.[1] In a system whereby defeating the ‘champions’ earns the title, they are now the lowest ranked team to have ever won the accolade, 124th in the FIFA rankings at the

About the Author

Gerard Clare

Gerard Clare is a research student at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, specialising in issues of regionalism and centre-periphery relations in the Russian Far East, including how citizens on the periphery can identify with central representations of what it means to be Russian, and in what ways these representations may conflict with regional identities. His knowledge extends through to Russia-DPRK relations in the post-Soviet era, with particular focus on engagement, expectations and wider themes around energy and security. He has previously completed both his undergraduate degree in Central and East European Studies in 2011, and his MSc in Russian, Central and East European studies in 2012, at the University of Glasgow. He has contributed a number of articles to NKNews since 2011, looking at Russia-DPRK relations, Six-Party Talks and even football within the DPRK.

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