Korea DPR – the country, the football
It is officially called the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, but it can also be referred to as North Korea. Around 24 million people inhabit this East Asian state which has a heavy history based on politics and militarization.
Worldwide, Korea DPR aren’t portrayed as a pacific nation with many branding it as a country under the totalitarian Stalinist dictatorship. But at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the North Koreans will want to prove how much respect the world owes them actually.
The Chollima, as the national team is known, don’t have a humiliating history of football behind them – neither at the continental level nor on the international stage. More than forty years ago, they created an impact as they reached the quarter-finals of the 1966 World Cup which was eventually won by England.
Now with the liaison between North Korea’s native and Zainichi Koreans, how will the team perform in togetherness? Will they surmount the hurdles that Group G’s big guns will certainly present?
Korea DPR – the road to the 2010 FIFA World Cup
As part of the Asian Football Confederation, North Korea followed the rules that gave them one of the four automatic qualifying berths along with Japan, Australia, and South Korea.
First two rounds
Being ranked 9th in Asia, the Chollima were sectioned in Pot A (6th to 24th) ahead of the draws for the first two rounds. They had to play against a team from Pot B (25th to 43rd) and win before entering into the third round.
Korea DPR were instructed to face Mongolia in an easy encounter. They ran away 9-2 winners on aggregate and eventually secured themselves a place into the next stage.
Round Three
Put in Pot B according to the seeding, North Korea subsequently fell win Group 3 when the 2010 World Cup qualification draws took place in South Africa in November 2007. Incredibly, they were paired with their old rivals South Korea. Jordan and Turkmenistan completed Group 3’s four-team table.
The campaign kicked off in February 2008. Korea DPR travelled all the way to Jordan to play at the Amman International Stadium where Hong Yong-Jo’s 44th minute goal offered the visitors’ three vital points thanks to a 1-0 win.
A month later, the qualifiers resumed and for some reasons, North Korea had to host South Korea in Shangai, China. The game ended goalless and left none of the sides really satisfied of the result. The same score line occurred at the end of the 90 minutes when Korea DPR played Turkmenistan away in Ashgabat.
In the return leg of this fixture, Korea DPR had the last word; Choe Kum-Chol’s 72nd minute goal ensured that the North Koreans celebrated on home soil for the first time in the qualifiers. The match was staged at the Kim II-Sung Stadium in Pyongyang in front of around 25,000 fans.
Playmaker Hong Yong-Jo then showcased more of his talent when he scored a brace to help Korea DPR beat Jordan 2-0 at home. But once again, it finished 0-0 against the Korea Republic when they met in Seoul this time. Still, the Chollima did exactly what was required to reach the Round Four as they clinched the second spot behind South Korea on goal difference.
Round Four
On June 27, 2008, a random draw took place in Malaysia to determine each and every team’s opponents in Round Four. As the law stated, only the top two countries in each group automatically qualified to the finals of the World Cup in South Africa.
Meanwhile, the two third placed teams had to enter the AFC play-off before knowing their fate. During the draw, Korea DPR were put in Pot 4 along with Uzbekistan the United Arab Emirates, and Quatar.
They were eventually put in Group B where they met again the likes of bitter rivals South Korea. Saudi Arabia and Iran also fell in the same group but Korea DPR’s opening qualifier in the Fourth Round was against the United Arab Emirates.
This match was played in Abu Dhabi in front of only 10,000 supporters. The visitors scored twice with ten minutes late into the second period of the game. The UAE’s Saeed pulled a goal back on 86 minutes but there was no comeback for the hosts. Korea DPR had effectively sealed their win for a good start.
Four days later, on September 10th 2008, North Korea played the Korea Republic at the Hongkou Stadium in China. Hong Yong-Jo broke the deadlock with a 64th minute penalty but South Korea’s Ki Sung-Yong quickly equalized five minutes later.
The score line remained 1-1 until the end. They two sides had to settle for one point a piece heading into match-day three. Next, Korea DPR travelled all the way to Tehran to play Iran away from home. Surprisingly, they conceded as a goal as early as at the 9th minute only to suffer from a setback.
Nekounam doubled the lead for the Iranians on 63 minutes and somehow rang the alarm for the Koreans who responded nine minutes later through Jong Tae-Se’s strike. But it was never enough for Iran to be well and truly troubled. Korea DPR consequently experienced their first defeat in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
The pressure was on the North Koreans to bounce back in order to keep their dream of reaching South Africa alive. Indeed, they got back on track in the year 2009 as they defeated Saudi Arabia 1-0 in Pyongyang thanks to Mun In-Guk’s first half goal.
They followed this positive result with another win in March; They defeated the United Arab Emirates 2-0 and there was another goal for Mun In-Guk which came deep into injury time. But Korea DPR finally tasted bitterness when they gave in to their rivals from South Korea. It looked like the game was going to end in a goalless draw in Seoul. However, the home side’s Kim Chi-Woo broke the deadlock with four minutes left in the match to bring defeat over Korea DPR.
In their last qualifier at home, North Korea drew goalless against Iran before sealing their campaign with the same result away to Saudi Arabia on June 17. Korea DPR finished with four points of the leaders South Korea in Group B.
All the same, their (+2) goal difference helped them to edge Saudi Arabia despite having 12 points like them. Therefore, they kept hold of the second spot and ultimately qualified automatically for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Korea DPR – 2010 FIFA World Cup group stages
North Korea fell in what is being regarded as the most difficult group. Brazil, Portugal, and Cote d’Ivoire will be their first three opponents.
Match-day One: Brazil vs Korea DPR
Could there have been anything more intriguing and more difficult for Korea DPR than to kick off their 2010 World Cup campaign with a game against Brazil?
Both teams will meet at the Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg at 20:30 South African local time on June 15. It battle will present an enormous challenge for the Koreans but also a mental combat for the South American giants.
Will there be any brave performance from North Korea and a major upset for the five-time World Cup winners Brazil?
Match-day Two: Portugal vs Korea DPR
Once again, Korea DPR will have to travel from their base to play. They’ll come up against Portugal in Cape Town on June 21st at 13:30 South African local time.
Korea had a good run throughout the 2010 World Cup qualification campaign and their defensive statistics were positive. If they can carry on like this against the 2006 World Cup semifinalist Portugal, then they’ll surely put a twist in the tale of their opponents.
Match-day Three: Korea DPR vs Cote d’Ivoire
In an Afro-Asian battle, Korea DPR will play host to Cote d’Ivoire at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on June 25. The two sides have not been tipped as the group’s favorites but let’s see if there will be much significance in this fixture.
It will be interesting to see how Korea DPR capitalize on Cote d’Ivoire’s ignorance concerning the football of this Asian nation. The match, which will be the 45th at the 2010 World Cup, is expected to kick off at 16:00 South African local time.
Korea DPR – 2010 FIFA World Cup squad
Goalkeepers:
Ri Myong Guk; Kim Myong Won; Kim Myong Gil
Defenders:
Pak Chol Ri Kwang Hyok; Pak Nam Chol; Nam Song Chol; Ri Kwang Chon; Ri Jun Il; Cha Jong Hyok
Midfielders:
Kim Yong Jun; Kim Kyong Il; An Yong Hak; Pak Nam Chol; Ri Chol Myong; Pak Sung Hyok; Mun In Guk; Ji Yun Nam
Forwards:
Kim Kum Il; Choe Kum Chol; Jong Tae Se; An Chol Hyok; Hong Yong Jo
Korea DPR – Expectations from the country and their stars
Many people certainly forget about North Korea’s inclusion in Group G when they think about the “Group of Death”. Actually, those people could be mistaken if Korea DPR manage to show their dangerous face of underdogs.
Reaching the sky is every team’s dream at the 2010 World Cup but realistically, North Korea have nothing to lose. Anyways, stunning the planet will bring them a lot of respect and fear from the people; this is something that the Chollima will not want to miss for sure.
There will be no reason for the North Koreans to get scared off by Group G’s big guns – Brazil, Portugal, and even Cote d’Ivoire. Playing with passion and belief could help them perform wonders and thus create history in a fashionable manner.
No North Korean footballer is among the world’s top 100 most popular players. However, the team will try to keep working as a unit and also rely on the remarkable potential of one particular man.
Hong Yong-Jo
The forward’s inclusion in Korea DPR’s national football squad is extremely vital. In his first 11 games for the Chollima, Hong Yong-Jo scored 9 goals – 4 of which were netted during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
As the captain of the North Koreans, Hong Yong-Jo will be expected to spread his influence over the entire squad as the Chollima will be facing tough challenges in South Africa. Brazil, Portugal, and Cote d’Ivoire will all try to make it tough for Korea DPR to inscribe even a single goal. However, Hong Yong-Jo could help his side open up their counterparts’ defense and stun them.
Korea DPR – Relevant quotes
Korea DPR assistant-manager, Jo Tong-Sop: “We’ll fight till the end”
“We face a difficult task at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. […] All we can do is to ensure that we perform to the standard required. […]
“We’ll fight till the end to qualify for the second round despite the enormity of the task. As usual, we’ll rely on our own characteristic style which is built around team work and fighting spirit so as to achieve our aim.”
Korea DPR – FIFA World Cup record
Like Cote d’Ivoire, Korea DPR will be participating in their second World Cup finals. They didn’t enter into the tournament between 1930 and 1962, and between 1998 and 2002. They also withdrew from the 1970 and the 1978 World Cups.
2010: Qualified
1966: Quarter-finals
44 years after impressing the world by reaching the quarter-finals of the 1966 World Cup, what can Korea DPR do? Follow LivesoccerTV.com where you will get coverage on the national football team of North Korea and on the rest of the participants throughout the 2010 World Cup in South Africa!
