DPR Korea Football Association

Not to be confused with Korea Football Association.

DPR Korea Football Association

AFC
Founded	1945; 80 years ago (1945)
Headquarters	Kumsongdong, Kwangbok Street, Pyongyang
FIFA affiliation	1958
AFC affiliation	1974
EAFF affiliation	2002
President	Yun Jong Ho[1]

DPR Korea Football Association
Chosŏn'gŭl	조선민주주의인민공화국 축구 협회
Hancha	朝鮮民主主義人民共和國蹴球協會
Revised Romanization	Joseon Minjujuui Inmin Gonghwaguk Chukgu Hyeophoe
McCune–Reischauer	Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk Ch'ukku Hyŏphoe

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea Football Association (PRKFA, Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국 축구 협회) is the governing body of football in North Korea.

The association was founded in 1945 and it joined FIFA in June 1958 and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in September 1974.^[2][3]

Organization

PRKFA is "notoriously hard to contact". The association used to have a single fax number, and nowadays hosts a single email address. FIFA executive Jérôme Champagne remembers: "You sent a fax. Sometimes you got a reply", while football journalist James Piotr Montague's emails for "the best part of a decade" were always left unanswered. Even FIFA does not know for certain what the league system overseen by the PRKFA is like and what teams play in it.^[4]

League structure

The DPR Korea Football League is structured as follows (from highest to lowest):

1. DPR Korea Premier Football League
2. DPR Korea League 2
3. Amateur DPR Korea League 3

Senior management

As of 2010^[update], FIFA's website and the AFC's website listed Mun Jae-chol (문재철) as the association's president;^{[citation needed]} he is also mentioned as such in a report published in November 2008.

Earlier presidents apparently include Choe Nam-gyun (최남균), listed on the FIFA website from July 2007 until at least July 2008, and in an overview of leading positions in the state (as of 2009?) on the website DPRK Search, with “September 2006” in brackets next to his name, and Rim Kyong-man (림경만), listed as president on FIFA's website until June 2007.^[5]

The Secretary General is Kim Jang-san.^[6] Ri Ryong-nam was president until some time around 2022.^[7][8] Former referee coordinator was Song Hye-yong.^[7]

Name	Position	Source
Yun Jong Ho	President
An Song-il	Vice President	[7]
Han Un-gyong	2nd Vice President	[7][8]
Mun Jang-hong	3rd Vice President	[8]
Pang Kwang-su	4th Vice President	[8]
Kim Jang-san	General Secretary	[7][8]
Kim Chol-ung	Technical Director	[7][8]
Yun Jong-su	Men's Team Coach	[7]
Jo Song-ok	Women's Team Coach	[7]
Kim Yong-chol	Media/Communications Manager	[7]
Jang Myong Ho	Referee Coordinator	[9]

Honours

Men's AFC Challenge Cup Champions: 2010, 2012 Third place: 2008 Asian Games Gold medal: 1978 Silver medal: 1990 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Third place: 2005, 2015 Men's under-20 AFC U-20 Asian Cup Champions: 1976, 2006, 2010 Runners-up: 1990, 2014 Third place: 1975, 1978, 1986 Men's under-17 AFC U-17 Asian Cup Champions: 2010, 2014 Runners-up: 2004, 2006 Semifinals: 2016

Women's AFC Women's Asian Cup Champions: 2001, 2003, 2008 Runners-up: 1993, 1997 Third place: 1999, 2006 Asian Games Gold medal: 2002, 2006 Silver medal: 2010, 2022 Bronze medal: 1990 EAFF E-1 Football Championship (women) Champions: 2013, 2015, 2017 Runners-up: 2005, 2008 Women's under-20 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Champions: 2006, 2016, 2024 Runners-up: 2008 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup Champions: 2007, 2024 Runners-up: 2006, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 Third place: 2004, 2009 Women's under-17 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Champions: 2008, 2016, 2024 Runners-up: 2012 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup Champions: 2007, 2015, 2017, 2024 Runners-up: 2009, 2011, 2013, 2019

References

1. "북한 신임 축구협회위원장에 '외화 담당' 윤정호 대외경제상". kbsnews. 9 March 2023.
2. "Korean Football Association". Naenara. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
3. "AFC BARS ISRAEL FROM ALL ITS COMPETITIONS". The Straits Times. Reuters. 16 September 1974.
4. Montague, James (12 December 2017). "Inside the Secret World of Football in North Korea". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
5. "Member Association - Korea DPR". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2019.
6. "Paektusan Prize Games open in celebration of Day of Shining Star". The Pyongyang Times. KCNA. 2 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
7. "Member Association - Korea DPR - Association Information". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019.
8. "The AFC.com - The Asian Football Confederation". The AFC. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
9. "DPR KOREA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION". fifa.

External links

• North Korea at the FIFA website.
• North Korea at the AFC website.