The comradeship displayed toward the feisty Koreans, who went down in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of powerful Brazilians, is inspiring. North Korea's star player shed a tear when he saw his Chinese fan club mouthing the national anthem of his country. Even more impressive, a Chinese sports PR firm arranged the junket, which including snappy matching uniforms for the fans plus tiny flags of the Hermit Kingdom. The power of PR, indeed.
What's next? Will North Korea's "Dear Leader" serve as cheerleader-in-chief for the upcoming expected slaughter at the hands of the Portuguese? Why not? What a coming out party that would be? Also, Kim Jong Il is said to phone-in game-time strategies to the North Korean coach, who praises him for a deep knowledge of the game. One doesn't want to get on the Dear Leader's bad side.
Just as President Richard Nixon's ping-pong strategy opened China to the West, soccer (okay, football) may do the trick for the nuclear-armed and torpedo-firing North Koreans.
A bold PR strike is needed. China is North Korea’s sole supporter. There are U.S. PR firms that have extensive operations in China. Edelman, Hill & Knowlton and Ogilvy come to mind.
They should lobby the Chinese Government to convince/pressure Kim Jong il to make the trip to South Africa. It’s the patriotic thing to do. The vuvuzelas would blow long and hard for the Dear Leader.
That good cheer may convince Kim to open up a bit.