Ri Hyang Ok, midfielder
“When you run onto the pitch, it’s like your heart opens up wide, like you
could take on the world.”
Jersey No.: 19
* Dec. 18, 1977
Height: 1.70 m
Fighting
Weight: 58 kg
Position: Midfielder/playmaker
Club: Rimyongsu
World
Cup 1999: Plays the
full length of all three matches,
at the time with jersey no. 7
Asian Cup 2001: Yes
Asian Cup 2003: Yes
World
Cup 2003: Plays the
full length of all three matches
Olympic qualifier 2004: Scores the third and fourth goals in the play-off
for “worthless” third place against S. Korea (1 Ri Kum Suk, 2 Sok Chun Myong, 5
O Kum Ran)
Titles: Asian Champion 2001 and 2003,
gold medal at the
2002 Asian Games
Ri Hyang Ok ends
her active career after failing to qualify for the 2004 Olympics. Starts
studying English at the Pyongyang University for Foreign Studies and is now one
of North Korea’s four FIFA referees.