North Korea boss fears execution

WHILE Fabio Capello kept his £6million-a-year job despite England’s World Cup debacle, one of his fellow managers in South Africa has been left fearing for his life.

Kim Jong hun has been punished Kim Jong-hun has been punished

North Korea coach Kim Jong-hun has been sacked, publicly ridiculed, expelled from the Worker’s Party and forced into the construction industry as a labourer in the strict and secretive communist regime. But it is the accusation that he has “betrayed” General Kim Jong-un – the shadowy son of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-il – that has raised fears he could be executed.

In recent months, North Korea has executed two top officials – one who oversaw a disastrous currency revaluation and another who was in charge of diplomatic talks with South Korea. The North Korea team were praised for their spirited display in their opening group game against Brazil, when they lost 2-1.

On the back of that performance, the despotic leadership took the unprecedented step of broadcasting live the team’s second group game against Portugal.

But they were left stunned when the team lost 7-0. Commentary of the second half – when the North Koreans conceded six of the goals – stopped and the match went unreported in the next day’s newspapers.

They finished their campaign with a 3-0 defeat by the Ivory Coast.

On their return home, the squad were forced to stand for six hours on a stage at the People’s Palace of Culture while an audience of 400 party officials, athletes and students reprimanded and ridiculed them.

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