조선어English汉语
Ambitious woman of grit
Ambitious woman of grit

Probably everyone knows Kim Chun Hui, secretary general of the Weightlifting Association.

That much she is well known to the public as a successful coach.

She has remained the focus of interest and expectations of weightlifting experts and fans since she trained strong sisters who had attracted the attention of the world weightlifting circles.

During the whole period from when she worked as a coach at the Kigwancha Sports Club to when she worked as chief coach of the national women’s weightlifting team, she trained players with great efforts to demonstrate the country’s honour at the international events. Her trainees became Kim Il Sung Youth Honour Prize winners, Labour Heroes, People’s Athletes and Merited Athletes under the care of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

Kim Chun Hui is the mother of two children and wife in a family.

But she works with a determination to repay the love and trust shown by the motherly Workers’ Party of Korea that put forward her, an ordinary coach, as a winner of Kim Jong Il Prize, Labour Hero and People’s Athlete.

With an ambition to lead the world, she has radically improved the level of national weightlifting tournaments and tried hard to develop new game tactics and new training means and methods.

A tireless enthusiast and earnest searcher, she is very demanding but considerate for the players and is so persevering and assiduous as to attain the goals she sets without fail.

In only three years after she was promoted to secretary general of the Weightlifting Association, she not only changed the country rankings in the world women’s weightlifting which had remained for decades but also lifted the country to the top in the holding of world records: its men and women weightlifters hold 17 world records in nine weight categories at present.

She often tells the players and coaches:

“We must win first place in all weight categories. Can we do it? Yes, we can and we have to do it without fail.”

To achieve this goal she continues to work hard with players and coaches in the training ground.




... ... ...

2025.10.15.
Promising young weightlifter
Promising young weightlifter

A young weightlifter became the focus of attention of experts in the 58kg category of the girls’ weightlifting event of the 61st national sports school contest held this year.

She is Kim Yon Mi, student of Tongdaewon District After-school Sports School.

She grew up under the care of her grandparents after losing her parents due to an unexpected accident at the age of two.

The benevolent socialist system took all sorts of measures to bring her beautiful dream and gift into full bloom, paying closer attention to the orphaned girl than other children under the care of their parents.

In her kindergarten days, she was good at study and had a liking for music.

One day, after watching the DPRK weightlifting ace Rim Jong Sim bag a gold medal at an international game on TV, Kim said to her grandmother that she wanted to become a weightlifter.

Much surprised, her grandmother turned down her request, saying she should study music.

Luckily, she came to have the favour of Ri Un Sim, weightlifting instructor of the sports school, who was busy travelling around to select children with an aptitude for weightlifting.

When Ri visited Kim’s house and suggested her grandparents send Kim to the sports school, they rejected her suggestion. But Yon Mi said: “I badly want to do weightlifting, instructor. Please teach me weightlifting.”

This is how she started to learn weightlifting and she trained hard out of a desire to get gold medals just like Rim Jong Sim.

Her heart was filled with the determination to return the favour shown by the benevolent country which took good care of her so that she could grow up without a slight shadow on her face, supplying her like all other schoolchildren with beautiful-coloured uniforms, schoolbags and other school things.

Even on rest days and public holidays when others took rest, she went to school to lift barbells. She made it a rule to find her faults revealed during her daily training and the ways to overcome them every night before going to bed.

Her great passion and strenuous efforts paid off. She got three gold medals by winning the girls’ 59kg category snatch, jerk and total at the 59th national sports school contest.

Without resting on her laurels, she made redoubled efforts and snatched six golds last year by winning the 60th national sports school contest and the junior weightlifting championships-2024 and three golds this year at the 61st national sports school contest.

The weightlifting circles have great expectations for the future of Kim Yon Mi, who is growing up to be a weightlifting ace under the well-organized reserve athletes training system provided by the DPRK’s socialist education system.

... ... ...

2025.10.13.
Han Il Ryong, gold medallist at 20th Asian Marathon Championships
Han Il Ryong, gold medallist at 20th Asian Marathon Championships


Han Il Ryong, marathon runner of the Amnokgang Sports Club, won a gold medal by renewing the championships record in the men’s marathon of the 20th Asian Marathon Championships, thus demonstrating the dignity and honour of Juche Korea to the world.

Han was born into a an ordinary farmer’s family in Rinsan County of North Hwanghae Province, and his unusual aptitude for athletics was discovered by an instructor of the sports school in the county. Han was a gentle boy of few words, but once in training he was fiercely competitive not to lag behind others. So, the instructor worked hard to train him to be a good racer.

As a result, Han proved successful in national games in his days at the sports school before beginning to play at the Amnokgang Sports Club in September 2015.

After practising marathon techniques one by one under the guidance of Choe Hyong Chol, coach of the sports club, he made his debut and entered the rankings at an international marathon held in Pyongyang in 2019. Later, he kept training hard with an ambition to excel world aces and thus distinguished himself in several international competitions, including the men’s marathon at the 19th Asian Games.

At the 20th Asian Marathon Championships held in China in late March this year, he crossed the finish line over 30 seconds before the runner-up, establishing a new record of the championships by clocking 2 hours, 11 minutes and 18 seconds and winning the trophy and gold medal.

Without slackening his spirit, he trained harder and thus won the men’s 5 000m race at the Chinese Taipei Athletics Open 2025 held in June, amazing the spectators by leading all the other runners for nearly 4 000 metres.

Now, he is training hard to bag another gold medal.

... ... ...

2025.10.9.
People’s Athlete Ri Chong Song
People’s Athlete Ri Chong Song

Ri Chong Song, weightlifter of the April 25 Combat Sports Team, is one of the sportspersons of the new generation who glorified the dignity of the country by achieving successes in international and national games including the Asian junior weightlifting competitions from his teens.

Born into an ordinary army officer’s family in Mangyongdae District, Pyongyang, he took up weightlifting when he was 13 years old. He began to learn the rudiments of weightlifting systematically at the then juvenile sports school of the Weightlifting Gymnasium on Chongchun Street.

As he had a good brain and wonderful sensation of movement, he quickly acquired technical movements as soon as he was taught about them. So he mastered the rudiments of weightlifting in a short time and won the national juvenile sports school weightlifting competition, to be selected by the then Ryomyong Sports Club.

He trained hard with determination to fly the national flag at the international games and won the men’s 62kg weightlifting event of the second Asian juvenile games.

Later, he finished runner-up in the men’s 81kg weightlifting jerk event of the 2019 Asian Weightlifting Championships. He set himself an ambitious goal to win a gold medal without fail in the next international event and trained harder.

As a result, he snatched 169kg (new record of the Asian Games) and jerked 195kg to win the men’s 81kg weightlifting category of the 19th Asian Games with 364kg in total (new record of the Asian Games), thus demonstrating the dignity and honour of Juche Korea.

In the same spirit he bagged three gold medals in the same category of the 2023 IWF Grand Prix, and won nine gold medals at the international games including the 2024 IWF world championships the following year.

In March 2015, he was honoured to attend the Seventh National Conference of Sportspersons and have a photo taken with the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un. On January 2 this year, he had the honour again of having a photo taken with labour innovators and meritorious persons in the presence of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un at the office building of the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

He trains hard now to repay the loving care and benevolence of the Party which put him forward as a Merited Athlete and People’s Athlete.

... ... ...

2025.9.27.
Two-time world women’s boxing champion Pang Chol Mi
Two-time world women’s boxing champion Pang Chol Mi

People’s Athlete Pang Chol Mi won victory in the 52kg category of the IBA World Women’s Boxing Championships in 2025 after 2018 and became a two-time world champion.

Born into an ordinary farmer’s family in the city of Jongju of North Phyongan Province, Pang started to learn the rudiments of boxing at a sports school in the city with an extraordinary resolve to exalt the honour of the country with gold medals.

Though young, she selected the sport which is tough even for men and put all her intelligence and passion into training with a burning ambition.

She was picked to a sports club after distinguishing herself in national competitions. She trained hard to achieve success at the 18th Asian Games.

After winning the 51kg category event of the IBA World Women’s Boxing Championships in 2018, she earned a gold medal in the women’s boxing event of the 19th Asian Games.

And after getting a bronze in the women’s boxing event of the 33rd Olympic Games, she trained harder as she was guilt-ridden for having failed to live up to the trust and expectations of the Workers’ Party and the country which put her forward as a People’s Athlete.

Once she set a goal for training, she would attain it without condition. As she had such a temperament, she underwent rigorous training, overcoming enormous physical burdens.

As she was prepared physically, technically, mentally and morally, she could win the first place by overpowering all rivals at the 2025 IBA World Women’s Boxing Championships and brought a great joy to her country.

Today, she is training hard in the training ground with the patriotic mind to live up to the country’s expectations and trust.

... ... ...

2025.8.9.
Challenge the world
Challenge the world

Merited Athlete Ri Hyang Ok is a sportswoman who made a contribution to the DPRK women’s football team’s winning the Asian championship at the then 13th Asian women’s football championships, the 14th Asian Games and the 14th Asian women’s football championships in succession during her career as a footballer.

As a member of the DPRK women's football team which had the honour of being the strongest Asian team like the first-generation women footballers of the country, she had a dream she failed to realize.

The dream was to win world championship—World Cup.

After finishing her playing career, she acquired the qualifications for an international football referee by making tireless efforts with an ambition to beat the world. Later she acted as women’s World Cup “judge” in international football games for over ten years. In December 2023 she began to give guidance over the training and matches of the national U-20 women’s football team.

During her long career as a referee in international football competitions, she correctly grasped the world women’s football technique development trends, tactical features of the world’s strong teams and the technical level of foreign players. Thus her insight as expert and her high ability helped the DPRK women’s football team compete creditably with foreign teams.

She had the honour of meeting the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un to receive the glory and happiness to be handed down through generations as she contributed to the DPRK women’s football team’s winning the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in September last year.

She is still training women footballers of the new generation, instilling the spirit of DPRK women’s football in them.

... ... ...

2025.7.30.
People’s Athlete Song Kuk Hyang
People’s Athlete Song Kuk Hyang

DPRK weightlifters won 12 medals, including nine golds, at the 2025 Asian Weightlifting Championships held in May.

Among them is Song Kuk Hyang who won the MVP award of the championships.

Born in Unchon county town, South Hwanghae Province, Song was good at playing football when she was a little girl.

Her parents decided to raise her as an athlete as they saw their third daughter with a strong constitution kicking a ball with boys in the neighbourhood.

One day, Kye Song Il, weightlifting coach of the then Chobyong sports club, came to Unchon County and selected Song as a weightlifter of the club, where she began to learn weightlifting.

Taking advantage of her high physical abilities like great speed and strength, she took the first place in a national competition two years later and won four golds and two silvers in both the youth and junior-level events at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships held in Nepal after another two years.

Afterwards, she bagged three gold medals in the youth level of the 2019 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships and won 10 golds at four international games held in 2023 and 2024, including the 19th Asian Games.

This year, Song lifted 155kg in jerk (new world and Asian records) and 276kg in total (new world and Asian records) in the womens 71kg category event of the 2025 Asian Weightlifting Championships to take the first place in jerk and total respectively and bagged gold medals. She came second in snatch.

She was awarded the titles of Merited Athlete and Peoples Athlete under the loving care and trust of the Workers Party of Korea. On January 2 this year, she had the great honour of having a photo session with the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un.

She is now training hard to achieve higher goals.



... ... ...

2025.7.28.
Back possessed of high skills and stubborn fighting spirit
Back possessed of high skills and stubborn fighting spirit

Among the sportspeople who added brilliance to the honour of the country in the prime of life and continuously return favour even at present, there is Pak Chol Jin, football head coach of the Amnokgang Sports Club.

After starting football at the then Songyo District Juvenile Sports School, Pak was selected as a football player of the Amnokgang Sports Club and cut a conspicuous figure as a centre half in domestic games.

Especially, he contributed to the men’s football Group A team of the Amnokgang Sports Club in winning a tournament and coming third in the technical innovation games, which took place in April 2003. He took part in several international games as member of the national men's football team.

After contributing to the successful games of the DPRK team in different international games including the then East Asian Football Championships in 2005 and the international football games in 2007, he played an important role for the team to advance to the finals as a centre half in the Asian regional qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.

He was awarded the title of People’s Athlete thanks to the warm affection and trust of the Workers’ Party of Korea and had the honour of having a photo taken with the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un at the Seventh National Conference of Sportspersons.

While working as the coach of the men’s football Group A of the Amnokgang Sports Club, he led his team to win a tournament held in June 2016 and enter the rankings at the 13th People's Games and the then Hwaeppul Cup men’s football tournament in August 2019.



... ... ...

2025.6.17.
With same passion and spirit as he displayed as a player
With same passion and spirit as he displayed as a player

Among the male football players who made contributions to the DPRK team’s qualifying for the 2010 World Cup finals is Ri Kwang Chon, who played as a fullback of the then national men's football team.

Born to an ordinary worker's family in Pyongyang, the capital of the DPRK, Ri started learning football at Taedonggang District Juvenile Sports School at the time.

Later, he was picked out by the then April 25 Sports Team and took part in the then third military world games held in 2003, making a contribution to the DPRK team’s winning first place in the event.

Being active in the national men's football team from 2004, he took part in various international tournaments.

In the final Asian regional qualifying preliminaries for the 2010 World Cup finals, DPRK footballers including Ri Kwang Chon displayed extraordinary spiritual strength in the matches with all opponents including Iranian, Saudi Arabian and Japanese teams, which were known to be strong football teams in Asia. As a result, they succeeded in securing a berth in the 2010 World Cup finals.

Ri won the best back award in the international football tournament in 2009. Later, he gave full play to his talents and techniques in the international football tournaments.

In those years he was awarded the title of People's Athlete under the loving care of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

Ri Kwang Chon, a men’s football coach of the Ryomyong Sports Team now, works hard for the development of the country's football techniques with the same enthusiasm and spirit as he displayed as a player when he reliably defended his “position” at the football pitch.

... ... ...

2025.6.6.
Instructor keeps performing feats
Instructor keeps performing feats


Ri Un Sim, football instructor of Rangnang District Extracurricular Sports School, is one of reliable women footballers of preceding generation who are now dedicating patriotic efforts to the training of reserve players, while cherishing the love and trust of the Workers’ Party that brought her up and put her forward.

She started playing football at the then Yangdok County Juvenile Sports School at the age of 15 and was admitted to the then provincial sports club soon afterwards and picked to the national junior women’s soccer team in 1995.

She contributed to making her team finish runner-up in the 11th Asian Women’s Football Championships at the time and made a distinguished contribution to the DPRK team’s win at the Universiad in 2003 as its captain wearing a uniform numbered 10.

She received the title of People’s Athlete thanks to the love and trust of the Party and began to work as soccer instructor of the then Rangnang District Juvenile Sports School in 2010.

She worked hard from the beginning with the goal of training all the students into talented reserve footballers who would shoulder the development of the country’s sports, with the result that the girls’ football team of her school successively won the 50th and 51st national games of juvenile sports schools at the time and its boys’ football team won the 54th and 57th national games of juvenile sports schools.

She was honoured to attend the Seventh National Conference of Sportspersons and have a photo taken with the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un in March 2015. Today she continues to perform feats in her efforts to develop the football techniques of the country.

... ... ...

2025.6.6.