The Japan Times - North Korea looking to replicate youth success at Women's Asian Cup

The North Koreans lifted the Women's U-17 World Cup in the Dominican Republic in 2024 and then defended their title in Morocco in November last year.

They also triumphed at the Women's U-20 World Cup in Colombia in September 2024, giving them a remarkable three world titles in just over a year.

Now their senior team are preparing for the Women's Asian Cup in Australia, which kicks off on Sunday.

They have been drawn in a first-round group with Uzbekistan, China and Bangladesh, and are seen as one of the favourites for the title along with the host country and Japan.

"I think it's a different kind of football than many other Asian teams, they are very physical, they can run and run and run and they have good quality players," said Japan coach Nils Nielsen.

"I think they have been dominating in youth football on the world scene. It hasn't quite reached the A team yet but it's getting there."

- Youth movement -

North Korea are one of Asia's most successful women's teams and have won the continental title three times, all in the 2000s.

Their momentum was checked when they were banned from 2015 World Cup qualifying for failed doping tests and they did not play any games from 2019 to 2023 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

They showed no sign of rust when they returned at the 2023 Asian Games in China's Hangzhou, taking the silver medal after losing in the final to Japan.

They came close to qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, missing out to Japan again in a play-off.

Lee Jung-woo, a senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh who specialises in sport and politics, says the foundation of the Pyongyang International Football School in 2013 has helped North Korea to remain competitive despite the disruptions.

"This is somewhere where, from a very early age to high school, they systematically train both men's and women's players," he said.

"It's like a state-sponsored boarding school where they systematically foster football players."

North Korea are likely to field a blend of youth and experience as they make their first Asian Cup appearance since finishing as runners-up in 2010.

Their star player is forward Kim Kyong Yong, who was the top scorer at the Asian Games with 12 goals and bagged nine in three games in Asian Cup qualifying.

- 'Political training' -

Some players from North Korea's successful age-group sides have stepped up to the senior team but Japan coach Nielsen believes that is no guarantee of success.

"At youth level it is a big advantage that they have so many days together, they can train, play with boys all the time, so they are of course perhaps more ready there," said the Greenland-born coach.

"But taking the next step for them is about the A team and how to make that work on the international scene."

Playing in Australia is unlikely to faze the North Korean players, who receive "political training" to cope with being in a foreign country, according to Edinburgh University's Lee.

He says the North Korean government sees sport as "one of the few channels through which they can interact with the international community".

Results will be keenly followed back home in Pyongyang, where Lee says both men and women professional athletes are treated with respect.

"If they win the competition, they will use it as political propaganda in a domestic situation," he said.

"At the same time, North Korea will consider it as another achievement in sport diplomacy as well, because those kind of victories attract positive international attention."

K.Inoue--JT