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North Korean women's team trounces Taeguk Ladies 5-0 in AFC U-20 Asian Cup

Published: 09 Apr. 2026, 13:11 Updated: 09 Apr. 2026, 17:24

South Korea, in blue, competes in a football match against North Korea, in red, at the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-20 Women’s Asian Cup at Pathum Thani Stadium in Thailand on April 8. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The South Korean women’s under-20 national team suffered a 5-0 defeat to North Korea on Wednesday.

Coached by Park Youn-jeong, the team was beaten in the Group B third match of the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-20 Women’s Asian Cup held at Pathum Thani Stadium in Thailand.

South Korea struggled to contain North Korean forward Pak Ok-i. She assisted the opening goal in the 37th minute of the first half and then scored twice herself before halftime.

South Korea conceded two more goals in the second half, to Pak Il-sim and Ho Kyong.

The match also saw moments of tension.

In the 67th minute of the game, the North’s Choe Chong-gum received a yellow card for kicking the South’s Cheon Si-woo during a tussle that left both players falling to the ground.

The match determined first and second place in the group, as both teams had entered with two consecutive wins.

South Korea, finishing second in Group B with two wins and one loss for a total of six points, will face Thailand, the runner-up of Group A, in the quarterfinals on April 12.

North Korea, topping the group with nine points, will play Australia, the runner-up of Group C.

South Korea now holds a record of one win and seven losses against North Korea at this age level, including four consecutive defeats. The South Korean team also lost 0-3 in the semifinals of the 2024 tournament.

North Korea, whose squad is largely composed of players who won both the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup in 2024 and the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in the same year, is aiming for back-to-back titles and its third overall championship in the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK LIN [[email protected]]