Fifa defends ban on 'political' questions to North Korea

Fifa has defended its attempts to limit journalists questions to the North Korean coach and players in South Africa, insisting that its priority is to facilitate a working relationship between the team and media.
At the North Korean coach Kim Jong-hun’s press conference before Tuesday night’s match against Brazil a Fifa media officer cut off journalists who he believed were asking “political” questions.



One such concerned whether the match would be screened in North Korea, a moot point after South Korea refused to pass on its feed of the match after having one of its warships sunk by the North.
he media officer’s actions were highly unusual and appeared to breach the commitment to open media access at the tournament. Given that the South African hosts have repeatedly set the tournament in a political context it also smacked of hypocrisy.
“We are here to talk about football not politics,” said a Fifa spokesman.
“What we are trying to do is facilitate a relationship between the teams and the media, and the media officer did what he felt was right to achieve that.”
On Tuesday night, a band of about 100 red-clad middle-aged North Korean men, directed by a cheerleader, were at Ellis Park to support their team.
Although surrounded on all sides by Brazilian fans draped in gold and green, they waved North Korean flags, clapped wooden blocks together and chanted in unison.
Before kick-off the Koreans were the centre of attention as other fans and media closed in for a better look.