I've always heard that Cuba doesn't allow their athletes to play in professional teams. So once they sign with a professional team in another country, they can't represent Cuba anymore. I thought it was going to be the same thing with North Korea, but North Korea's captain Hong Yong-Joplays in FC Rostov in Russia. Anybody knows if NK players can play in Europe? (I'm guessing that they can) http://www.goal.com/en/news/1863/wo...-north-koreas-hong-yong-jo-the-brazil-game-is
The North Koreans from North Korea cannot play overseas, but they are essentially professional - the government supports them so they can play football fulltime. Similar to Soviet athletes in the USSR. The North Koreans who play for professional clubs mainly (all?) started out in the J-League. They are the descendants of emigrants from the old (unified) Joseon Korea to Japan in the late 19th century. These 'Zainichi' Koreans have never elected to take up Japanese citizenship, and retain their inherited citizenship of the old Joseon state. The governments of North and South Korea both recognise this inherited citizenship. Zainichi are mostly divided into two quasi-political groups - Chongryon (pro-North) and Mindan (pro-South). The North Korean footballers obviously identify with the former faction. It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's basically it.
Yes, I gave 1 example of it, that doesn't mean that it is a government policy (that's my question). Their government could easily make an exception for a guy that is extremely good and could help their team do better. That doesn't mean that when those players get offers from Europe, that they are allowed to take it.