Scalping soccer tix in N. Korea

[Captain Japan]

N.Korea set to allow Japan fans into Pyongyang

TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea is poised to allow Japanese fans into the secretive communist state for the first time to watch a World Cup qualifier, the Japan Football Association (JFA) said on Tuesday.

Officials visited North Korea's capital Pyongyang last week and gained an initial agreement that Japanese fans would be allowed to attend the Group B tie on June 8, JFA vice-president Junji Ogura said.

North Korean officials have asked the JFA for the number of their fans expected to make the trip.

The total is estimated at between 2,000 and 5,000 although the North Korean government has yet to announce how many visas will be granted.

One hundred Japanese journalists and 50 photographers will be permitted to cover the game, on strict condition they report on soccer only...the rest...

[FG Lurker]

I'd kinda like to go actually... Not for the soccer though, just for the experience.

The worry of course is that they won't let you back out.......... But that could just be my propaganda-fed paranoia talking.

[dimwit]

The worry of course is that they won't let you back out

Abducting a bunch of middle-aged beer swilling no-talents like myself is not what the government of North Korea needs. :P

[FG Lurker]

The worry of course is that they won't let you back out

Abducting a bunch of middle-aged beer swilling no-talents like myself is not what the government of North Korea needs. :P

Thanks for chopping off the other half of what I wrote!

I don't really believe NK would block the fans from leaving, but that thought would certainly be in the back of my mind if I went. Hence the 2nd half of that paragraph, "But that could just be my propaganda-fed paranoia talking."

[Captain Japan]

For this, if you are an American (or South Korean) citizen, most likely, you won't get a visa. But if you have any other nationality (or a passport) from anywhere else in the entire world, then you will probably get a visa and you'll get back out after the game no problem.

You could always pull "a Jenkins": down 10 cans of beer and put a white flag on your rifle.

I'd really love to give it a shot though. I'm gonna get HIS on the phone right now...

[tatsujin]

[quote="FG Lurker"]I'd kinda like to go actually... Not for the soccer though, just for the experience.

The worry of course is that they won't let you back out.......... But that could just be my propaganda-fed paranoia talking. ]

Well the soccer wouldn't be up to much either. I'd be amazed if Japan don't win this, so you'd wanna be one hell of a brave fan to go to that match!

[vir-jin]

... you'll earn the honorary title of R.F.G. - "Royally Fucked Gaijin" of the D.P.R.K.

... in case you bring back some original sample of baby blue original color for the FG archives I offer to analyze it under microscope

[dimwit]

Go while you can, just think of how many of us missed visiting Albania during Enver Hoxha's time. :P

[Captain Japan]

Japan-N. Korea soccer match is on_now about the tickets?
Asahi

Travel agents are still waiting for the North to allot seats.

Will Japanese soccer fans be in the stands when their countrymen play North Korea in Pyongyang in June?

Japanese travel agents are still awaiting word on seat allocations and accommodations for the match, an Asian zone final-round qualifier for the 2006 World Cup finals.

Last week in Pyongyang, the North Koreans told visiting officials of the Japan Football Association (JFA) that they would accept supporters who made reservations through Japanese travel agents they designate, according to JFA Vice President Junji Ogura.

But they failed to tell JFA how many seats would be allocated for Japanese fans.

The Kim Il Sung Stadium in central Pyongyang, where the match is expected to be held, can seat up to 60,000 people.

Instead, North Korean officials said that although Japanese supporters will be allowed in principle, they must first know how many to expect....the rest...

[kurohinge1]

Japan and North Korea to play World Cup qualifier in Bangkok

FIFA has ordered North Korea to play its World Cup qualifier against Japan behind closed doors in Bangkok next month following crowd trouble in Pyongyang during earlier games against Bahrain and Iran.


"The organising committee for the FIFA World Cup has announced that the North Korea-Japan preliminary competition match will be played on June 8 at a neutral venue in Bangkok, Thailand," FIFA said on its website.

"As no appeal was submitted by the North Korean Football Association within the time allotted by the FIFA disciplinary code, the disciplinary committee's decision is now final." ... more

You snooze, you loose.

My cunning plan must've worked

Cleverly disguised as an 11 year-old soccer fan, I wrote to FIFA's disciplinary committee last month saying:

Dear FIFA

I liek soccer alot. I'm even named after a soccer player who knocked up my mum 11 years ago. Anyway, I think the qualifier between north korea and japan should NOT be played in north korea. They are scary people. They kidnapped Japanese people and are now shooting them back to japan in rockets. And they are working on bigger rockets so they can kidnap and shoot back more japanese.

Besides, they lost the first three matches and are sh*t so they wil lose.

Yours faithfully

David Hagendaz