A North Korean shocked global football when he scored in Serie A. Then Han Kwang Music went lacking

CNN
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In 2017, Han Kwang Music become the primary North Korean to attain a purpose in one in every of Europe’s 5 primary football leagues or even made a surprise switch to Italian large Juventus in 2019, then later to Qatar’s Al-Duhail.

However his promising occupation was once minimize quick when he disappeared from the arena football degree in 2020, leaving enthusiasts with a query: “The place is that North Korean participant?”

“The Little North Korean,” as an Italian commentator as soon as described him, Han was once now not particularly tall, however along with his sizzling tempo, robust tackling and deadly heading in entrance of purpose was once nonetheless able to competing amongst Europe’s best possible.

The younger striker from Pyongyang temporarily drew consideration from football pundits and enthusiasts – now not only for his distinctive background, however for his technical prowess as smartly.

“His body wasn’t large, however he was once fast along with his positioning and may just rating headers smartly,” South Korean soccer commentator Hahn June-hea advised CNN Recreation.

Han was once praised again house as “a promising participant who drew the eye of the Ecu soccer global,” in line with North Korea’s propaganda media Sogwang.

However the excellent occasions didn’t remaining after the United Countries Safety Council (UNSC) imposed sanctions in opposition to North Korea for undertaking its 6th nuclear check in 2017.

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The sanctions ordered member states to repatriate all North Korean nationals running of their respective jurisdictions amid issues that international cash was once being transferred to strengthen Kim Jong Un’s nuclear and guns methods. The UNSC solution set the top of 2019 because the cut-off date for repatriation.

However the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in North Korea absolutely sealing its borders, making it unimaginable for Han and fellow repatriated North Korean nationals to go back house. He were because of fly out of Qatar in 2021 in keeping with the UN sanctions – and has since vanished. A CNN investigation into his tale has shed new mild on his disappearance.

Han was once born within the North Korean capital of Pyongyang in 1998. Little is understood about his lifestyles except for his enrolment within the prestigious Pyongyang World Soccer College based in keeping with Kim Jong Un’s well known love of sports activities.

When Kim took the reins of the regime in 2012, recreation become a unprecedented window into a rustic this is ceaselessly hidden from the remainder of the arena.

The North Korean chief used sports activities as an workout in comfortable energy, making an investment in elite recreation to advertise his nation across the world and public recreation to support protection and exertions energy, in line with South Korea’s unification ministry record.

North Korea started to step up participation in primary world wearing occasions, together with the 2012 Summer time Olympics in London and the 2018 Wintry weather Olympics hosted by way of South Korea – which technically stays at conflict with its northern neighbor.

At PyeongChang 2018, then again, the 2 international locations even marched in combination beneath the Korean Unification Flag all through the Opening Rite and took part as a unified Korean group in girls’s ice hockey. The hole of North Korea via recreation gave the impression of a door that will now not be closed any time quickly.

“All sports activities are in style. They adopted the Olympics and football,” former North Korean males’s football nationwide group head trainer Jørn Andersen advised CNN Recreation, including that he had restricted touch with the North Korean public all through his time in Pyongyang between 2016 and 2018.

“There have been some native TV channels – by no means reside video games – which might on occasion display Ecu football within the week. Perhaps one from the Bundesliga [in Germany], one from [Spain’s] Los angeles Liga, one from Italy, England … I believe many watched,” Andersen defined of the wearing occasions that air on North Korean state broadcaster KCTV nearly on a daily basis.

In 2013, Kim based the Pyongyang World Soccer College within the capital’s Rungna Islet to foster football ability, ship scholars out of the country, and host professionals – representatives from global football governing frame FIFA have been invited to Pyongyang in 2014 to lend a hand train native groups and instructors – and football avid gamers from in a foreign country so that you could lift the rustic’s usual within the recreation “to the arena’s stage,” in line with state information company KCNA.

The football college additionally featured unique amenities and methods designed to lend a hand nurture younger ability.

Simply months after its founding, 14 scholars have been despatched out of the country to Spain and 15 to Italy on the expense of the state to be told from established football golf equipment, in line with Sogwang. Among the numerous who graduated from the distinguished elite program, Han Kwang Music stood out probably the most. 

His nationwide reputation is obvious in a YouTube video printed on a channel run by way of YuMi, a vlogger professionals consider is most likely associated with high-ranking North Korean officers and could also be a part of a propaganda marketing campaign geared toward rebranding the rustic’s world symbol.

“I love Han. His abilities are cast and he is excellent at dribbling,” a Pyongyang citizen can also be observed announcing in Korean.

Han become the largest luck tale from Kim’s efforts to show the rustic right into a sports activities powerhouse when he was once recruited by way of Italian adolescence scouting heart ISM Academy by way of its Ability Identity Program.

In 2015, the then bold youngster packed his baggage for its base in Perugia – the capital of Italy’s central Umbria area, situated about 105 miles north of Rome – along fellow North Korean prospect Choe Music Hyok.

On the ISM Academy, the pair joined younger footballers from around the globe, sharing the similar dream of creating it during the aggressive pathway to the pro recreation in one in every of Europe’s peak leagues.

The academy proudly displays a photograph of Han on its web page as a participant who “reached their purpose and entered the arena {of professional} soccer.” Additionally featured is Han’s buddy Choe, who went directly to play for AC Perugia Calcio, which performs in Italy’s decrease leagues.

Han spent no less than a 12 months on the academy prior to a a hit try-out with the adolescence group of Cagliari. The transfer put him at the map and gave him regional reputation.

“I keep in mind my director Mario Berreta stated we had a North Korean testing and requested me to peer if he was once excellent sufficient,” Cagliari’s then-under-19 trainer Max Canzi advised CNN Recreation.

“I used to be roughly disenchanted as a result of we had the most important fit that Saturday,” Canzi stated, recalling that he to begin with refused to peer the participant.

“He began coaching, and after 20 mins, I checked out my assistant trainer and stated, ‘Inform Mario he has to return out. We’ve got an issue – he’s excellent.’”

Striking pen to paper, then again, took longer than standard given what Canzi described because the “bureaucratic issues” and “voices going round.”

“Anyone in [the Italian] parliament even put out a query to whether it was once the correct factor to do as a result of we [Italy] had an embargo in opposition to [signing contracts with] North Koreans,” he stated.

However it grew to become out to be a profitable pursuit for Cagliari.

The North Korean striker, who joined the membership’s adolescence group beneath Canzi in March 2017, temporarily proved his price by way of scoring in his first actual adolescence fit, incomes him a right away promotion to the primary group in Serie A, in line with Canzi.

Han headed in his first top-flight purpose – the primary time a North Korean participant had scored in one in every of Europe’s 5 primary leagues – only a week after his skilled debut on April 2, 2017.

Han had arrived from North Korea now not understanding learn how to talk English or Italian, however it didn’t take him lengthy to conform to Western tradition – one thing forbidden in his fatherland.

“Initially, it was once now not simple as a result of he didn’t know English or Italian. However he realized Italian moderately speedy,” Canzi recalled to CNN Recreation.

Nicholas Pennington, a former Cagliari adolescence teammate, recalls Han as “an excessively, excellent participant” at the pitch and “somewhat shy however in reality great man” off it.

“I was once probably the most first to prevent and contact him and lend a hand him to combine. I’d select him up within the automobile a couple of occasions and he got here to coaching with me,” he advised CNN Recreation.

Pennington recalled asking Han and Choe about North Korea a couple of occasions.

“However they in reality didn’t say anything else. I believe you need to even see that they have been somewhat scared to mention anything else. They’d say, ‘I don’t know,’ little issues, however most commonly very reserved and didn’t need to say anything else about it,” he stated.

Han additionally slightly spoke about his circle of relatives again in Pyongyang, Pennington stated.

“I keep in mind [Han] speaking about his circle of relatives, announcing his circle of relatives was once there, he misses them, he didn’t know when he will get to head house and spot them, as a result of clearly on the time I don’t suppose it was once simple for him to only commute again house and commute again to Italy. I keep in mind in my head pondering it’s loopy how little he says about again house in comparison to what I do,” he stated.

Canzi, who lived in Seoul for 3 years as a kid, additionally stated Han was once “very shy, very well mannered.”

“When Han arrived for the primary time, I used the few Korean phrases I knew and stated annyeonghasaeyo [hello in Korean], and he stated, ‘Wow, what’s taking place right here?’ And when he handed the water at our first meal, I stated kamsahabnida [thank you in Korean],” Canzi stated.

“Soccer is odd, as a result of while you play in a group and also you’re a excellent participant, everyone likes you. He arrived and everyone noticed in an instant how excellent a participant he was once,” Canzi recalls.

“Right here in Cagliari, everyone loves me. I believe like I’m at house,” Han stated in fluent Italian in a video posted by way of Cagliari in 2018.

Whilst beneath contract with Cagliari, Han was once despatched on mortgage stints to AC Perugia and to Juventus’ under-23s prior to Juventus secured his surprise switch for $3.74 million (€3.5 million) in January 2020, in line with Transfermarkt.

“That was once moderately a discount for Cagliari as a result of he arrived for not anything,” Canzi stated.

“Sure, I used to be moderately stunned [Juventus was interested]. I assumed he was once an excellent participant, however he was once younger and I couldn’t consider how some distance he may just move. We had any other avid gamers within the group moderately very similar to him that, in fact, had so much much less information made [of them] as a result of the truth that he was once a North Korean was once a large factor.”

Taking part in in Serie A was once a milestone for Han however shifting to the Bianconeri – as enthusiasts name Juventus – was once a good larger success.

“It’s been far however after all I will be able to say my dream got here true [after] scoring my first purpose within the Serie A and changing into the primary North Korean to decorate such the most important blouse as Juventus. My dream got here true!” Han stated in a written publish by way of the ISM World Scouting Middle.

Han’s dream of dressed in the famed black and white stripes, then again, lasted just a week as Juventus due to this fact bought him to Qatar’s Al-Duhail in that very same month for a switch price of $7.7 million (€7 million), in line with a UNSC record of the Panel of Mavens.

Whilst Han was once starting his adventure within the Ecu peak flight in 2017 – marking a number of milestones for North Korea – his house country was once ramping up tensions at the Korean Peninsula by way of trying out what it claimed as its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

Then on September 3, 2017, the North performed its 6th nuclear check, which caused the UNSC to impose an inventory of sanctions over issues that the reclusive country’s “ongoing nuclear- and ballistic missile-related actions have destabilized the area and past.”

The sanctions required all member states to prevent offering paintings authorizations for North Korean nationals of their jurisdictions, and 3 months later, the UNSC moreover determined that each one North Korean nationals running out of the country and “producing international export income that the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or North Korea] makes use of to strengthen its prohibited nuclear ballistic methods” be repatriated by way of no later than December 22, 2019.

Preserving a North Korean passport, Han was once no exception to those sanctions, in spite of his preternatural football ability. However it stays unclear how Juventus and Al-Duhail went ahead with the switch in January 2020, which fell after the UNSC’s cut-off date.

CNN has reached out to Han’s former agent, Sandro Stemperini, and Al-Duhail for a remark, however didn’t in an instant listen again.

Juventus would now not remark at the factor.

“I don’t know if he was once on the stage to play for Juventus on the time. Then what came about after, I don’t know. He went to play someplace in Qatar,” Canzi stated.

Han’s promising occupation in Italy had come to an finish, however the gifted teenager was once warmly welcomed by way of Qatar’s top-tier membership Al-Duhail.

Since becoming a member of the membership in January, in the midst of the Qatar Stars League 2019/20 season, he went directly to play in 10 league video games, scoring 3 targets and taking part in a vital position within the membership’s league identify win.

Qatar had signed the North Korean on a five-year, $4.60m (€4,310,000) contract till the 2023/24 season; as such, Han was once remunerated round $296,200 (€270,000) between February and April 2020, in line with the UNSC record of the Panel of Mavens from mid-2020.

Although Han was once acting admirably at the pitch, questions remained over whether or not he was once sending a refund to his fatherland, because the UNSC stated of different North Koreans running out of the country.

The UN report displays Han had signed a pledge to a Qatari financial institution not to switch “any cash value or quantity to North Korea in any circumstances.”

Fellow football ability and buddy Choe, who had traveled to Italy with Han, ignored out at the alternative to play for Serie A membership Fiorentina after the Italian parliament opened an investigation over issues that his wages have been being appropriated by way of the Kim regime. 

CNN has reached out to the Courtroom of Arbitration for Recreation (CAS) for a remark referring to Fiorentina interesting over an invalid contract breaching EU sanctions referring to Choe. Having checked its data, CAS stated Choe’s case does “now not seem to have ever been referred to” the group.

Even if it’s unclear in Han’s case whether or not he were sending a refund to the Kim regime, it’s broadly reported that North Korea ceaselessly forces its staff out of the country to ship cash to the federal government again house. The UNSC Panel of Mavens in every other record launched in March 2020 stated it’s investigating North Korea’s nationals suspected of incomes source of revenue in a foreign country, which additionally come with “consultants comparable to sports activities avid gamers.”

Han’s remaining recreation for Al-Duhail was once on August 21, 2020, when he got here off the bench in opposition to Al-Ahli within the season finale.

The then 21-year-old Han threw his arms up within the air as he and his Al-Duhail teammates lifted the Qatar Stars League trophy, dressed in a pink t-shirt that learn: “CHAMPIONS.”

It will be the remaining time football enthusiasts would see Han play a qualified recreation. By the point the brand new season kicked off the next month, Han was once long past – now not within the beginning line-up nor at the bench, with out a information rising of any switch.

Months handed with none replace referring to Han’s whereabouts till a UNSC ultimate record of the Panel of Mavens launched in March 2021 showed that the participant’s contract were terminated with Al-Duhail previous that 12 months and he was once deported from Qatar.

CNN has reached out to Al-Duhail and Qatari government for remark however didn’t listen again in an instant.

On the other hand, as the arena entered the second one complete 12 months of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, North Korea saved its borders sealed and limited all individuals and items entering the rustic out of worry of the virus.

Kim Jong Un even fired a number of senior officers in 2021 who didn’t implement the rustic’s stringent Covid-19 prevention efforts. The ensuing tricky border shutdown left Han stranded.

Han boarded a Qatar Airlines flight from Doha on January 26, 2021, when he was once deported, in line with a letter connected within the UNSC’s ultimate record of the Panel of Mavens. On the other hand, with out a house to go back to, the flight took Han again to Rome, an respectable acquainted with the subject showed to CNN Recreation.

“I do know his control took him again to Italy. I believe he’s nonetheless there, however he can’t play extra soccer … It was once very unfortunate for him not to be nonetheless taking part in and making improvements to,” Han’s former trainer Andersen advised CNN.

CNN has reached out to the Italian international ministry and FIFA however didn’t listen again in an instant.

Han was once remaining reported to be dwelling in an unspecified North Korean embassy in 2021, anticipating the resumption of flights again to Pyongyang, in line with every other respectable on the subject of the problem.

Choe, who had traveled to Italy with Han, was once nonetheless within the nation in 2021 “because of the suspension of world flights to go into the DPRK,” in line with the UNSC’s ultimate record of the Panel of Mavens.

The respectable added that some North Korean embassies were accommodating the rustic’s nationals not able to go back house because the borders stay closed, with “some housing many tens [and more] of North Korean nationals in long-term ‘transit’ in lodging blocks.”

A South Korean executive respectable advised CNN Recreation that in spite of the UN sanctions, “greater than 100,000 North Korean staff are staying in some 40 international locations, principally in China and Russia, incomes greater than $200 million to $300 million in foreign currency echange yearly.”

Whilst his standing stays the topic of hypothesis, for Canzi and Andersen, it’s the fading of Han’s desires of taking part in for a celebrated football membership – only for his circumstance of start – which is in all probability the largest disgrace.

“It’s going to now not be simple to return again at that stage, however it’s imaginable. If he has an opportunity to return again, it’s an excellent motivation … After all, it will were a excellent occupation and excellent cash, so it’s a waste,” Canzi stated.

“[For] nearly two years, he [hasn’t] performed football, I believe he’s most effective been coaching with a small group, I don’t know which, however he [isn’t] taking part in football. So, he’s misplaced numerous his high quality,” Anderson stated regretfully.

“I’m very sorry for him that he needed to forestall taking part in football. He was once this type of large ability.”