July 30, 2010 -- Since North Korea players returned home, they have been publicly shamed, according to media reports. The manager has been forced to become a construction worker, and there are fears for his safety, according to Newsweek report.

The soccer team's first game was not televised in the country, for fear of embarrassment. But when the team put up a remarkably good show against Brazil, narrowly losing 2-1, hopes were raised and the second game against Portugal was shown. The team lost 7-0. And then lost again, 3-0, in their last game against the Ivory Coast.

According to mdeia reports, earlier this month the team and manager were forced onto a stage at the People's Palace of Culture in front of 400 government officials, students, and journalists and subjected to a "six-hour barrage of criticism" for their poor performances. The only players who missed out on the humiliation were Jung Tae-se and An Yong-hak, who are based in Japan.

The players were then asked to step up in turn and publicly criticize manager Kim Jong-hun, who had apparently been singled out for punishment. He has been forced into a construction job because, it is thought, his team's failure is seen as a personal betrayal of Kim Jong-un, the son of current leader Kim Jong-il.

Source: Newsweek