Korea national under-20 football team

The Korea national under-20 football team, also known as the Korean unified football team, was the national under-20 team of Korea, being a combined representative team representing both South Korea and North Korea. Their only participation in FIFA-sanctioned tournaments was at the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Korea
Shirt badge/Association crest
AssociationDPR Korea Football Association
Korea Football Association
Other affiliationInter-Korean Sports Conferences
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Head coachAn Se-uk
Top scorerCho In-chol (2)
First colours
Second colours
First international
 Argentina 0–1 Korea 
(Lisbon, Portugal; 15 June 1991)
Last international
 Brazil 5–1 Korea 
(Porto, Portugal; 22 June 1991)
Biggest win
 Argentina 0–1 Korea 
(Lisbon, Portugal; 15 June 1991)
Biggest defeat
 Brazil 5–1 Korea 
(Porto, Portugal; 22 June 1991)
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Appearances1 (first in 1991)
Best resultQuarter-finals (1991)

History

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The Inter-Korean Sports Conferences were held on the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee since 1963, but the conferences always broke down until the 1980s because both sides had not seen eye to eye. In February 1991, however, they decided to make Korean unified teams in table tennis and football.[1]

In that same year, both South and North qualified for the FIFA World Youth Championship as winners and runners-up of the 1990 AFC Youth Championship, so they urgently made allied under-20 football team for the world championship despite concerns about communication and teamwork.[2] Ten South Korean players and eight North Korean players formed the unified team, and they were managed by North Korean coach An Se-uk. The Korean Unification Flag, which composed of a blue image of the Korean Peninsula over a white background, was the symbol used by the team which competed under the name "Korea".[3]

Korea began their World Youth Championship run by playing against favorites Argentina. The only goal of the match was a 30-yard strike goal made by North Korean footballer, Cho In-chol in the 88th minute which secured Korea's only win in the group stage. The Korean team would have lost its group stage match against Ireland but North Korean footballer Choi Chol made an equalizer in the 89th minute. They managed to advance to the knockout stage, although they conceded their last group stage match against hosts and eventual champions Portugal by a solitary goal,[3] However, they suffered their worst defeat in the quarter-final match against Brazil.[3]

Results

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15 June 1991 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship
(Group A)
Argentina   0–1   Korea Lisbon, Portugal
19:00 Report Cho In-chol   88' Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Ernesto Filippi (Uruguay)
17 June 1991 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship
(Group A)
Republic of Ireland   1–1   Korea Lisbon, Portugal
19:00 McCarthy   58' Report Choi Chol   89' Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 5,500
Referee: Robert Sawtell (Canada)
20 June 1991 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship
(Group A)
Portugal   1–0   Korea Lisbon, Portugal
21:30 Torres   42' Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Enrique Marín Gallo (Chile)
22 June 1991 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship
(Quarter-finals)
Brazil   5–1   Korea Porto, Portugal
21:30
Report Choi Chol   40' Stadium: Estádio das Antas
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Guy Goethals (Belgium)

Coaching staff

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Position Name
Manager   An Se-uk
Assistant coach   Nam Dae-sik

Players

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No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Club
1 1GK Kim Jong-son (1972-08-27)27 August 1972 (aged 18)   Pyongyang Athletics College
2 2DF Chong Gang-song (1973-10-15)15 October 1973 (aged 17)   Pyongyang Athletics Institute
3 2DF Kang Chul (1971-11-02)2 November 1971 (aged 19)   Yonsei University
4 2DF Park Chul (1973-08-20)20 August 1973 (aged 17)   Daegu University
5 3MF No Tae-gyeong (1972-04-22)22 April 1972 (aged 19)   POSCO Atoms
6 2DF Jang Hyeon-ho (1972-10-14)14 October 1972 (aged 18)   Korea University
7 3MF Kim Jong-man (1972-12-16)16 December 1972 (aged 18)   Pyongyang Athletics College
8 3MF Cho Jin-ho (1973-08-02)2 August 1973 (aged 17)   Kyung Hee University
9 4FW Seo Dong-won (1973-12-12)12 December 1973 (aged 17)   Jungdong High School
10 4FW Yun Chol (1972-10-27)27 October 1972 (aged 18)   Pyongyang College of Education
11 2DF Cho In-chol (1973-10-02)2 October 1973 (aged 17)   Pyongyang Athletics College
12 4FW Han Yeon-cheol (1972-03-30)30 March 1972 (aged 19)   Korea University
13 4FW Choi Yong-son (1972-10-10)10 October 1972 (aged 18)   Pyongyang Athletics College
14 3MF Ri Chang-ha (1972-08-23)23 August 1972 (aged 18)   Pyongyang College of Education
15 4FW Choi Chol (1973-12-18)18 December 1973 (aged 17)   Pyongyang Athletics College
16 3MF Lee Tae-hong (1971-10-01)1 October 1971 (aged 19)   Daegu University
17 2DF Lee Lim-saeng (1971-11-18)18 November 1971 (aged 19)   Korea University
18 1GK Choi Ik-hyeong (1973-08-05)5 August 1973 (aged 17)   Korea University

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 남북체육교류의 역사 - 남북체육회담 ①. Naver (in Korean). Ministry of Unification. 24 June 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  2. ^ 南北축구 단일팀「戰力상쇄 」우려. Naver (in Korean). Maeil Business Newspaper. 16 February 1991. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "A tale of two countries". FIFA. 15 February 2007. Archived from the original on January 20, 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
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