Losing in the World Cup is difficult. Losing in the World Cup when you're from North Korea is dangerous.
According to a report in Newsweek, the North Korean soccer team was forced to take a stage in front of 400 government officials and journalists and withstand a "six-hour barrage of criticism." They were then forced to publicly criticize their manager, who himself was forced into taking a construction job. His safety is also a concern, according to the report.
That, however, was a light punishment compared to past Korean losses. The report says that in the past, "athletes and coaches who displeased the regime were sent to prison camps."
North Korea lost all three of its games in this year's World Cup, scoring just one goal and allowing 12. The lowlight of the tournament came in a 7-0 loss to Portugal.
