North Korean Soccer Star Han Kwang Song Returns After Mysteriously Vanishing In 2020

Popular North Korean footballer Han Kwang Song has returned to international football after a three-year hiatus. He has made appearances in two recent World Cup qualifiers, including scoring in a match against Myanmar.

What Happened: Han made his first reappearance in a match against Syria on Nov. 16 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Despite North Korea’s 1-0 loss, Han made a significant impact, scoring a powerful header in the 38th minute against Myanmar at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, reported CNN.

Han, who earned worldwide recognition playing for multiple Italian football teams, mysteriously vanished after playing for Qatari club Al-Duhail on Aug. 21, 2020. CNN disclosed that he was deported from Qatar in early 2021, after which he moved to Rome, residing at an undisclosed North Korean embassy until flights to Pyongyang resumed in August 2023.

Neither the North Korean Football Federation, the Asian Football Confederation, nor FIFA have commented on Han’s unexpected return. His reappearance has sparked curiosity among football fans, who were concerned about his abrupt disappearance and the potential effects on his promising career.

See Also: Trump Signals RNC Shake-Up Threat If GOP Debates Get Green Light

Former Serie A club Cagliari's Under-19 coach Max Canzi expressed his joy over Han’s return, while Nicholas Pennington, a former teammate at Cagliari, expressed hope for Han’s continued visibility and return to his previous form.

Han made history in 2017 by becoming the first North Korean to score a goal in one of Europe’s five major soccer leagues. He was later transferred to Italian giant Juventus in 2019, and subsequently to Qatar’s Al-Duhail. His sudden vanishing act in 2020 left fans speculating about his whereabouts.

Han’s career was hampered by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) imposing sanctions against North Korea for conducting its sixth nuclear test in 2017. These sanctions mandated the repatriation of all overseas North Korean workers by the end of 2019. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic further complicated matters, as North Korea sealed its borders, leaving Han and other repatriated nationals stranded abroad.

Read Next: Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ‘New Idea’ For Probing Jan 6 Capitol Riots Panel ‘May Be Her Dumbest Yet,’ Says Jimmy Kimmel

Image Via Shutterstock