Question about N Korean players under high security

[jkjsooner]

Since the N Korean players were supposedly under high security (to keep them from leaving) at the World Cup it got me to thinking...

Let's say the World Cup was in the U.S. and one N. Korean player made a phone call to the police saying that he is being held hostage and wants to leave the hotel. What would we do?

I've heard of plenty of guys sneak out of the Olympic Village back in the old Cold War days but in a Western country did they really need to sneak out? Wouldn't the host country be required to enforce its false imprisonment laws or is there some type of special international law that would be applied?

I recognize that the player's family could be at risk and that is probably the main concern for the player...

[PrideTrombone]

You'd assume that the player could probably request political asylum or something like that.

[jkjsooner]

You'd assume that the player could probably request political asylum or something like that.

And what if the N Korean guards resisted our efforts to free the player?

[SoonerStormchaser]

Then we'd clean their chronometers!

[NormanPride]

I don't know why we'd risk an international incident over a soccer player...

[Leroy Lizard]

Do soccer players get diplomatic immunity? Or can we arrest the best team and hold it until the World Cup is over?

[GottaHavePride]

You'd assume that the player could probably request political asylum or something like that.


A lot of artists and athletes used to do that under Soviet rule. Mikhail Baryshnikov and Nadia Comaneci come to mind. A lot of Cubans still do: baseball players and even musicians (Arturo Sandoval).

The catch is, it's usually up to them to get away from their chaperones - our forces aren't going to start an incident by "busting them out". But if they turned up at a US government installation and request asylum, they'll probably get it.

[badger]

Kim Jong Il is already insane. As NP said, we don't need to risk him finally doing more than sinking a South Korean ship for the benefit of one soccer player.

In this instance, it should be up to the people to decide that enough is enough, not hope for an intervention from another country. When Kim is gone, I really hope there's a revolution in North Korea to get the leader's family ousted from power and they unite with South Korea for more than just the Olympics.

[NormanPride]

Ain't gonna happen. It's been separate too long, and there's been too many generations of propaganda going on there. Plus, they're all malnutritioned and their brains form poorly. It's science.

[Leroy Lizard]

Actually, it's more like: The people have become addicted to Big Government managing their lives. They can't ditch the system because freedom is too scary.

We should learn from the North Koreans.

[soonerboomer93]

Ain't gonna happen. It's been separate too long, and there's been too many generations of propaganda going on there. Plus, they're all malnutritioned and their brains form poorly. It's science.

When I was there, the South Koreans who would talk about really disliked the North Koreans. Possibly as much or more so then they dislike the Japanese.

[NormanPride]

Asian cultures tend to be xenophobic in my experiences. Not saying they all are - India and its surrounding neighbors are much more open, but it's a good lens to view their politics through.

[homerSimpsonsBrain]

The north korean players dont defect for a couple of reasons.

1. They will be leaving family behind and its made clear to them their families will pay a price if they leave. Folks without family back home dont generally make an international team.

2. The level of isolation for those folks is pretty hard to comprehend. They are told from their earliest days Kim is a virtual deity. We're talking preschool. They literally teach that
Kim Jong-il's birth was foretold by a swallow and heralded by a glorious double rainbow and the appearance of a new star. And there isnt anyone around (for long) that contradicts the party line.

[Leroy Lizard]

Kim Jong-il's birth was foretold by a swallow and heralded by a glorious double rainbow and the appearance of a new star..

I didn't know that.