A footballer surnamed Cristiano Ronaldo of North Korea has been forced to return home after being accused of violating UN sanctions.
Former Juventus striker Han Kwang song, 22, who recently played for Qatari club Al-Duhail, may have returned much of his £ 80,000-a-month salary to Kim Jong-un’s ruthless regime, experts say.
Han, the first North Korean to score in Serie A, was seen as a promising young talent and was previously linked with major moves to Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Everton.
But Al-Duhail released him from the multi-million pound contract he signed last year amid an investigation to break sanctions by UN officials.
Athletes are not exempt from international rules that prevent North Koreans from making money overseas in case it funds Kim’s nuclear program.
Experts told The Sun it was likely Han would have been forced to return most of his big payroll package to the North Korean regime – which would have been a blatant violation of UN sanctions.
Dr Ramon Pacheco Pardo, associate professor of international relations at King’s College London, said: “Most if not the full salary would go to the government.
“The worker, in this case a football player, would only keep a small part of the salary to pay for his living expenses. “
Edward Howell, a researcher in international relations at the University of Oxford, said Han’s position in Qatar was in violation of UN sanctions, but pointed to the “weak enforcement” of the measures.
He added, “Han’s income would have been an obvious source of income for the North Korean regime. “
“ORDINARY YOUNG MAN”
South Korean media dubbed Han the “North Korean Ronaldo” for his flamboyant ball skills and his ties to European football giants Juve.
Born in Pyongyang into a working-class family, Han played at an academy in Barcelona before returning to his homeland to join FC Chobyong.
After a strong performance at the Under-17 World Cup in Chile in 2015, he was invited to join the ISM Academy in Italy by Italian Senator Antonio Razzi, who is said to be a close friend of Kim Jong-un.
Insiders described him as a professional, dedicated and humble player – both quick and technically gifted – and an “ordinary young man” who considered himself to be as much Italian as North Korean.
He broke into the top flight with Cagliari, and he quickly started to impress on loan at Perugia.
It was around this time that Han reportedly met a Liverpool FC scout in 2017.
They had an embarrassing moment when it appeared he had never heard of club legend Steven Gerrard, signale FirstTimeFinish.
Other Prem clubs were also interested in the young star – but any move to the UK would likely have been blocked by the government as concerns grew over the Kim regime’s nuclear ambitions.
A few months later, in December 2017, UN Security Council Resolution 2397 was adopted in response to the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
He ordered all North Korean nationals who earn income abroad to return to the DPRK within two years.
But Han continued to play in Qatar after leaving Italy and signing a new contract last year.
The Sun has obtained a UN report on sanctions violations that details his earnings over the past few years, with his five-year contract with Al-Duhail expected to net him some £ 3.8million.
His starting salary was £ 80,000 per month which then dropped to £ 60,000 in the 2020/21 season.
He was also in line for a £ 120,000 bonus with the club.
Han’s contract also required a car provided by the club, a housing allowance of up to £ 4,000 per month and four round-trip business class air tickets from Doha to North Korea.
He signed a pledge not to transfer “money, fees or amounts to North Korea” to a Qatari bank.
But experts say North Korea often uses creative workarounds to evade sanctions.
The UN report notes that the sanctions committee has contacted Qatar about “relevant resolutions concerning the case.”
Mr. Howell told The Sun: “Han’s alleged return to North Korea highlights the role of UN sanctions, although they have been rightly criticized for their weak enforcement power in the process. limitation of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. “
North Korea is believed to be using money collected by workers overseas to help finance its nuclear program.
Kim also uses other sanction-evading trades and criminal enterprises to fill the coffers of his impoverished regime, experts say.
The sanctions appear to have sabotaged Han’s promising career, not to mention Kim’s plan to make North Korea a force in world sport.
Kim, an avid basketball enthusiast, is said to be personally interested in Han’s career.
Sports world claimed Kim was a father figure to Han and always wanted to be in control of everything he did.
The North Korean dictator was even said to have been a staunch Serie A observer to follow his compatriot’s progress.
In Perugia it was forbidden to give interviews by order of the North Korean regime.
He was a guest guest on the TV show La Domenica Sportiva, but withdrew after frantic phone calls as he waited in his Milan hotel to be taken to the studio, according to The print.
The president of Perugia, Massimiliano Santopadre, declared: “A call from an unclear ministerial figure arrived and he blocked everything.
“Negotiating was impossible because Pyongyang wants to speak only and exclusively with Han.
“The situation with their government became even more rigid and their footballers were banned from appearing on television, otherwise they would have repatriated him. Han is afraid. “
Han was arrested by Al-Duhail last January after a short spell at Juventus in which he failed to make the first team once.
He made his last appearance in August last year in a 2-0 victory over Al-Ahli Doha, and was not on the roster at all for the first half of the 2020/21 season.
Reports have cited friends who said that while Han was unable to play in Qatar, he was hoping to find a new club elsewhere.
Han may have been the leader of North Korea’s footballing dreams of glory, but he’s unlikely to receive a hero’s welcome upon his return to Pyongyang.
Dr Ramon told Sun Online: “There is indeed recognition of stars in the sport but it does not reach the levels of other countries.
“That’s because adulation is reserved for the Kim family. And no one can overshadow that.
“Plus, sports stars would be secondary to the military in North Korea anyway, which is not the case in many other countries these days. “
The Sun Online has reached out to Al-Duhail and the United Nations to comment on Han’s departure from the club.
North Korea remains under heavy sanctions despite the warming overtures made by former US President Donald Trump.
President Joe Biden has reportedly ordered a review of US policy towards North Korea as he assesses further actions against the regime.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration sees North Korea as a “growing problem” which “has worsened in all administrations.”
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