The Italian Parliament has claimed a North Korean footballer's contract with a local club may be in violation of international sanctions on the communist regime.

The lower house of the parliament on Wednesday asked the government to review the contract signed by Choe Song-hyok with Fiorentina's Primavera (youth) club in March. Michele Nicoletti, a member of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, led the efforts.

The lower house believes North Korea may be extorting salaries from its overseas-based athletes to evade international sanctions, imposed to cripple Pyongyang's economy following its recent missile launch and nuclear test.

The lower house argued that North Korea typically takes about 70 percent of the wages earned by its labor workers overseas and the money is used to bankroll government activities, and that young North Korean football players may be no exception.

Youth footballers from North Korea may be receiving anywhere between 50,000 euros and 100,000 euros ($56,000~$112,000) in signing bonus, according to the lower house. It called on both the Italian foreign ministry and labor ministry to study Choe's contract closely and make sure the player, not the North Korean government, is being properly paid.

In March, Choe became the first North Korean to play in Italy at any level. Choe had an impressive run for the North Korean side at the 2014 Asian Football Confederation U-16 Championship in Bangkok. He scored the go-ahead goal to defeat South Korea 2-1 in the final. Choe turned more heads at the FIFA U-17 World Cup last year in Chile, where North Korea reached the round of 16.

The secretary-general for the North Korean Football Association reportedly visited Italy to discuss terms of Choe's contract with Fiorentina.

More Italian clubs are said to be taking interest in teenage North Korean players, including goalkeeper Ri Chol-song, and forwards Jong Chang-bom and Han Kwang-song. They were all Choe's teammates at the U-17 World Cup. (Yonhap)