North Korea withdrew from 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup maybe based on national pride rather than genuine fears of COVID-19 pandemic

North Korea was competing for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as well as the 2023 Asian Cup held in neighbouring China when the country surprisingly announced its withdrawal from the qualifications in early May 2021. Prior to North Korea's withdrawal, the country was fourth in the group, but only one point behind Turkmenistan, the group leader, gathering eight, including two important draws to South Korea and Lebanon, and a win against the latter, leave aside its easy win over Sri Lanka.

North Korea's withdrawal, as we later know, proved disastrous for Turkmenistan, since they were the only team in the group to beat North Korea prior to the Chollima's disqualification - they lost three points and was no longer able to decide its fate, while South Korea utilised this advantage to crush Turkmenistan 5-0, officially confirmed its qualification for Asian Cup 2023 and the final round of 2022 World Cup. But we won't talk so much about Turkmenistan and South Korea. Instead, we would rather wonder, why did North Korea insist to abandon the campaign when they still had the chance?

Officially, North Korean state media claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic was ravaging many countries, including South Korea. The fear has its understandable. Yet North Korea rebuffed AFC officials' offer to vaccinate North Korean players for free and finally closed its own chance.

However, there is another reason that tends to be overlooked: national pride.

North Korean government or you can point out, the Kim family regards sports as one of the most important pillars of the regime's ideology, belongs to the Juche. The country's national football team has been a World Cup participant, albeit not on a large scale. The 1966 World Cup was the country's debut, but it was a successful campaign as they stunned Italy 1-0 before losing to Portugal 3-5 in the quarter-finals, the first team from Asia to do so. It took 44 years to return, but instead, it was a disaster when they failed all games, scoring one while conceding twelve to Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast.

It was the 2010 World Cup game against Brazil (losing 1-2) that the Kim government decided to broadcast the tournament with the hope to encourage the team, but the government suspended the broadcast following the country's heavy 0-7 defeat to Portugal. The national team was believed to be punished, but in the end, there was no punishment, as FIFA investigators could not confirm it.

Still, North Korea's action to blackout when the team got thrashed by Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal perhaps suited what I expected from: the fear of losing face was strong for the dictator. It became clear when North Korea's three subsequent major tournaments, both in Asian Cup, didn't contribute a better outcome: the 2011 Asian Cup, the team won only one point and no goal scored; the two later editions in 2015 and 2019 were a complete humiliation, losing all games, scoring only three. The patience of the Kims might have faded when North Korea was not among one of the final 32 in both 2014 and 2018 World Cups, not to say they were knocked out early in the second stage.

Of course, everyone was afraid of the pandemic, but it could not deny the fact they must accept and go on. Think of its fellow communist states China and Vietnam still sent their national teams to compete in the qualification, North Korea's weird decision was seen as utter rubbish.

Unfortunately, we will never know the real reason why the North Korean regime decided to pull the national team out of the phase. But just one thing for sure: North Korea is secretive, and obtaining information will have to rely on some very rare info. Football is no exception.