Feb 19
NORTH Korea’s Winter Olympic team could be facing a trip to the gulags after failing to land a single medal at this year’s games.
After imposing an Olympics sex ban and offering the likes of a free flat and Mercedes for a decorated win tubby tyrant Kim Jong-un may take an a leaf out of his grandfather’s book and seek to punish failed athletes.
The entire 1966 North Korean World Cup squad were arrested and thrown into a concentration camp for failing to bring about national glory
Kim Il Sung had the entire 1966 World Cup squad arrested in disgrace after being knocked out of the competition in the second round.
Having qualified for the tournament for the first time North Korea thrashed European giants Italy 1-0, seeing them up against first-time qualifiers Portugal in the next round.
Despite being 3-0 up by half-time North Korea managed to lose 5-3 once the final whistle was blown.
It later turned out the squad had been seen drinking in public and “carrying on” with women two nights before the big awaited match.
Former gulag prisoner Kenneth Bae previously spoke out about the regime’s notorious concentration camps
Their homecoming saw them publicly shamed, arrested and thrown into a concentration camp for failing to bring about national glory.
North Korea defector Kang Chol-hwan revealed in his tell-all book The Aquariums of Pyongyang that footballer Pak Seung-zin became infamous for his ability to endure torture.
One inmate was even dubbed “The Cockroach” after gobbling any bug he could find to fight off the hunger pains while suffering torture at the hands of the “Sweatbox”.
Their punishment acts as a chilling reminder of the despot regime’s attitude towards defeated sportsman.
