The global media has focused a lot of attention on striker Jong Tae-Se, a fascinating blend of Korean identity, youth, and soccer talent.

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Captain Hong Yong-Jo missed an eighth-minute penalty for the Koreans, who qualified for the 2010 World Cup but lost all three matches, after Hamdan Al Kamali fouled Germany-based striker Jong Tae-Se.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

North Korea defended a little more stoically in the second half and could have halved the deficit when Jong Tae-Se had the best opportunity of the match with Toure's brother Kolo blocking his goalbound effort.

BBC: North Korea 0-3 Ivory Coast

In the previous blog post I mentioned how the global media had a series of stories on North Korean World Cup soccer team striker Jong Tae-Se, a North Korean passport-holder born and raised in Nagoya, Japan.

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With star striker Jong Tae-se - who cried during their national anthem - leading the line magnificently, they were giving Brazil as good as they got in a first half that swung from end to end in hugely entertaining fashion.

BBC: Brazil 2-1 North Korea

If I met Jin again today in Beijing, she would most likely know of Jong Tae-Se since she probably follows South Korean Internet news and entertainment sites (Jong was featured in a South Korean TV commercial), and may even read his blog.

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