Aggressive gesture before the game exposes historic rivalry between North Koreans and Japanese

The match between North Korea and Japan in the round of 16 of the U17 World Cup was marked by an unexpected moment even before the opening whistle. In the usual greeting between players, there was a tense and less than cordial gesture, with hand contacts made in a harsh and visibly aggressive manner, which quickly caught the attention of those watching.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw in regular time, followed by a penalty shoot-out, where the Japanese team ended up coming out on top. However, it was the behavior demonstrated before the game that generated the greatest impact, being interpreted as a reflection of the historically troubled relations between the two countries.

Frictions between North Korea and Japan have deep roots, linked to the period of Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula at the beginning of the 20th century and persistent geopolitical tensions, also fueled by North Korean missile tests that frequently fly over or approach Japanese airspace.