Pak Song-jin, the head coach of the North Korean women's football team, guides players during a women's football match at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, on Sept. 14.NEWS1
North Korean women’s football head coach Pak Song-jin became visibly disgruntled after reporters attempted to attach special significance or political interpretations to his team’s match against South Korea at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Asked by a foreign reporter whether he had given his players any special instructions ahead of the match against South Korea and whether he had shaken hands with South Korean head coach Shin Sang-woo, Pak said, “That’s a strange question. We just played football.”
“We just play according to our team regardless of who the opponent is, and there’s nothing more to say,” Pak said during the press conference held after North Korea drew 1-1 with South Korea in its third Group F match at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa in Fukuroi City, Japan, on Monday.
Pak made no attempt to hide his displeasure as reporters continued with related questions.
Asked whether he considered South Korea a special opponent, Pak raised his voice and said, “I don’t think they’re special. We see them just like Myanmar, Bangladesh and the other teams we faced in the group.”
When a reporter then asked whether the team was there only to play football, Pak said, “We’re just going to work hard at football and leave. We don’t do anything other than football.”
North Korea’s 1-1 draw left it level with South Korea on two wins and one draw for seven points, but North Korea advanced to the quarterfinals as the Group F winner on goal difference.
Players from North Korea (in white uniform) and South Korea share congratulatory messages with each other after their Group F match at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa in Fukuroi City, Japan, on Sept. 21.NEWS1
“Shortcomings emerged because of the young players’ lack of experience and psychological unease," Pak said in an assessment of the game.
Pak also thanked supporters from the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, known as Chongryon, who attended the match.
“The passionate support from our compatriots gave us tremendous strength,” Pak said.
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.
