Editor’s note: What If? is an NK News series featuring scenarios about North Korea’s future. Articles in this series draw on verified facts and rigorous analysis to explore hypothetical events in the years and decades ahead.

150,000 people cheer as Kim Jong Un walks toward the center of Pyongyang’s refurbished Rungrado May 1 Stadium, to the glittering trophy at the center of the pitch.

Soaking in the applause, the dictator joins South Korea’s president and FIFA’s chief on a stage where the legendary K-pop group BTS reunited for a special performance just minutes before.

Many thought the dream of a