Surreal North v South Korea football match 'like war'

South Korea's footballers h idea ir surreal World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang would be played in an empty stium -- a match Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min described as "very aggressive" and one official likened to warfare. contest against rth Korea ended 0-0 on Tuesday, with FIFA president Gianni Infanti one of just a handful of spectators at a match almost completely blocked off from outside world.

It was first-ever competitive encounter between men's sides hosted by rth -- a historic face-off between two countries still technically at war -- but took place with live brocast and foreign media in attendance. debacle raises doubts over prospects for furr rth-South sporting co-operation, once a driver of nuclear diplomacy. Until very last minute, South's team h idea that even rth Korean spectators would be absent.

"We expected 50,000 people to come pouring in once door opened but y didn't come," said Korea Football Association vice-president Choi Young-il as team arrived back at Incheon airport early Thursday. " gates never opened. I was really surprised. players and coach were surprised too." Choi said he h asked a rth Korean official about absence of local fans, who retorted: "Maybe y didn't want to see it."

Tottenham's Son, who captained South Korean team, was taken aback by rrners' rough tactics. " match was very aggressive to a degree that I think it's a huge achievement just to return safely without being injured," Son said. "re was a lot of severe swearing." Choi ded he h never seen such aggression on pitch before: "It was like war."

Tuesday's match came in wake of a series of rth Korean missile tests that raised tensions in region, and after breakdown of talks with US over Pyongyang's weapons programs.

Since collapse of Hai summit between rth Koren leer Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump in February, Pyongyang has regularly excoriated Seoul, ruling out prospects of inter-Korean dialogue.

It is a far cry from cross-border warmth of last year when South Korean President Moon Jae-in seized on Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to broker Pyongyang-Washington discussion process. At time, Moon and Kim discussed and agreed on furr sports exchanges including a joint bid to host 2032 Olympics.

But rth's official Korean Central News ncy issued only a two-line dispatch on Tuesday's match, saying: " game of attacks and counterattacks ended in a draw." In a commentary Thursday South's Joongang Daily said: "We may just have to thank rth Korea for sending our football team back home safely.

"How can South Korea think of co-hosting Olympics with such a treacherous counterpart?" FIFA president Infanti said he was "disappointed" after attending event and "surprised" by absence of fans, along with or issues. Infanti has previously proposed idea of two Koreas jointly hosting 2023 Women's World Cup.

But outrd South Korean fans, who h to settle for basic updates provided by FIFA throughout match that was limited to yellow cards and substitutes, said y were fed up with sporting exchanges with rth. "How can a country that blocks spectators and bans live brocasts host World Cup?" asked an online user. Ar user ded: "Don't ever talk about joint teams with rth Korea or co-hosting anything.