Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports of the DPRK

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.

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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.

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Kim Song Hui, women’s football coach at the Pyongyang Sports Club, was among the women footballers of the DPRK who won the trophy at the third Asian junior women’s football championships in 2006 and exalted the honour of Juche Korea with gold medals.

She scored a hat-trick in the final match of the championships against the Chinese and thus made a distinguished contribution to the DPRK team’s triumph and won a silver boot prize.

Born into an ordinary worker’s family, Kim started learning football at the then Pothonggang District Juvenile Sports School.

Later, she started her playing career at the Pyongyang Sports Club and was selected to the national junior women’s football team and took part in several international sporting events as a forward.

She made her international debut at the Asian junior women’s football championships in 2004. Drawing on the international experience, the No. 7 scored several goals in the preliminaries of the third Asian junior women’s football championships in 2006, enabling the DPRK team to finish runner-up in the event.

During her playing career, she was awarded a watch bearing the name of President Kim Il Sung and the titles of Labour Hero and People’s Athlete.

As a member of the national women’s football team, she displayed her great ability at the 30th Olympic Games, the East Asian Games and other international events and rose to fame as a talented football player.

After contributing to the DPRK team’s victory in the 2013 EAFF Women’s East Asian Cup, she was honoured to have a photo taken with the respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un.

She is now working as a women’s football coach of the Pyongyang Sports Club after graduating from Korea University of Physical Education with the determination to repay even a bit the love and trust of the motherly Party which led her, an ordinary worker’s daughter, step by step to exalt the honour of the country with gold medals at international events and brought her into prominence as a heroine and People’s Athlete.

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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.

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Ri Hak Son won the men’s 52kg freestyle wrestling event at the 25th Olympic Games after overpowering all his opponents.

He already emerged victorious on several occasions including at the 5^th and 8^th Asian freestyle wrestling championships and the international freestyle wrestling championships and finished runner-up at the 26th World Freestyle Wrestling Championships. He cut a brilliant figure in the wrestling circles and his games drew the attention of experts.

He overpowered all his opponents with overwhelming margins and advanced to the finals. At the final, he put the US player, who was attacking recklessly, on the defensive and scored in succession to beat him 8-1 and win the Olympic gold medal.

Ri was honoured with the title of People’s Athlete as he gave great pleasure to President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il by snatching the gold medal at the 25th Olympic Games.

He redoubled his effort with a single mind to repay their love and trust. He won victories again in the 1993 international freestyle wrestling contest and the 9th Asian freestyle wrestling championships.

Ri, assiduous by nature, began to learn wrestling at the then Waudo District Sports Club.

With tireless efforts and strong attachment to the sport, Ri won a gold medal at the then national sports club members contest, was selected as wrestler of the Amnokgang Sports Club and made remarkable successes in international games.

Several decades have passed since then, but his feats left an indelible imprint on the sports history of Juche Korea along with the Olympic gold medal.

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Among the reliable male football players loved by the Korean people is Pak Nam Chol, People’s Athlete who scored decisive goals in the Asian regional qualifiers and the finals of the 2010 World Cup, as a quarterback of the DPRK men’s football team.

After starting to learn football in his primary school days, Pak had served at the then April 25 Sports Club since 2003, cut a brilliant figure in different domestic games before being chosen to the national team, and took part in many international games.

He scored many goals in domestic games to win love from football experts and fans. He made a tangible contribution to making the April 25 football team a powerful and dominant team at home.

He made his international debut at the 3rd Military World Games (at that time) held in 2003.

Later, he fully displayed his physical and technical abilities at the Asian regional preliminaries for the qualification of the World Cup finals.

In particular, he succeeded in shooting a midfield shot in the 55th minute at the Asian regional preliminary against the United Arab Emirates held at Kim Il Sung Stadium in 2009, thus contributing to the victory of his team.

And he also headed a winning goal at the match against the Japanese team in the 50th minute at Kim Il Sung Stadium in November 2011, thereby contributing greatly to defeating the rival team 1-0.

In those days he was awarded the title of People’s Athlete under the loving care and trust of the Party, put spurs to training and displayed high ability in international games.

He scored four goals in an international event in 2012 and won the best player award.

He was honoured to meet the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un at the final game between the April 25 and Sonbong teams of the men’s football in the field of sports clubs held as part of the 12th People’s Games on October 29 2012.

He became a coach of the April 25 Sports Team after graduating from Kim Hyong Jik University of Education and is still devoting himself to football on the green pitch associated with his sweat and enthusiasm in his youthful days with the determination to remain loyal to the idea on sports and leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

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People's Athlete Ri Myong Guk contributed to the success of the DPRK men's football team in different international games including the Asian regional preliminary matches of the 2010 World Cup, the 17th Asian Games and the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup at the time.

Born into an ordinary athlete’s family in the capital city of Pyongyang, Myong Guk had a passionate attachment to football in his childhood.

After learning the ABC of football in a football group of a primary school, he acted as a football player of the Pyongyang Sports Club. He began to distinguish himself in national competitions at the age of 16.

Selected to join the national men's football team in 2003, he participated in many international games, thus enriching his experience.

In those days he became a People's Athlete and brought great pleasure to the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un.

After seeing a match in which DPRK players had competed at the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup, Kim Jong Un highly praised Myong Guk for having defended the “door to the motherland” well.

Thanks to the great Workers’ Party of Korea’s love and trust, Myong Guk was honoured to take part in the celebrations of the 70th founding anniversary of the WPK and the Seventh National Conference of Sportspersons and in photo sessions in the presence of Kim Jong Un and  received a wristwatch bearing the august name of President Kim Il Sung.

A goalkeeper coach of the Pyongyang Sports Club at present, Myong Guk is still devoting himself to training goalkeepers out of a desire to repay the love and trust shown by the Party to him with good results in matches.

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Kim Kum Ok bagged six gold medals in different international games including the 14th Asian marathon championships to fully demonstrate the honour of Juche Korea.

Born into an ordinary worker’s family in Pyongyang, the capital city of the DPRK, she started her marathon career at the then Mangyongdae District Juvenile Sports School.

She was selected as a marathon runner of the April 25 Sport Club (at that time) in Juche 93(2004) after entering the top three of local games in the juvenile grade.

She was chosen by the national team after winning the women’s marathon game of the National Championships in Juche 94(2005). She snatched gold medals at the 10th Asian marathon championships held in Juche 95(2006), the half marathon of the Universiad held in Juche 96(2007), the 11th Asian marathon championships in Juche 97(2008), the half marathon event at the 5th East Asian Games in Juche 98(2009) and the 5th Military World Games(at the time) in Juche 100(2011), fully demonstrating her ability as a marathon ace.

At the 14^th Asian marathon championships in February Juche 102(2013), she breasted the tape by leaving her Japanese opponent behind 800m away, showing off her strong spirit and mental power as a sportsperson of Juche Korea.

This was the sixth achievement at the international games in seven years and made her three-time Asian marathon champion.

She was awarded the title of People’s Athlete under the great loving care of the Workers’ Party of Korea. She took part in the Seventh National Conference of Sportspersons and the celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the WPK and the 73rd anniversary of the DPRK and had photos taken with the respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un.

Today, Kim Kum Ok is invariably running the course of conscience to repay the love and trust of the respected General Secretary with loyalty, who brought her all the glory and happiness of life.

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