Jin Pyol Hi, forward

 

“Above all I wanted to please our Dear Leader. And if I can do that by playing good football, then that’s what I have to do.”

 

Jersey No.: 10
* Aug. 19, 1980
Height: 1.63 m
Fighting Weight: 61 kg
Position: Forward
Club: Wolmido
World Cup 1999: 18 years old at the time, jersey number 15. Plays all three matches except the last half hour of the last game (against USA). Scores the first of three goals in the Denmark match (assist by Jo Song Ok), goal two by Jo Song Ok who also scores the only goal in the match against Nigeria; goal three by midfielder Kim Kum Sil, jersey no. 10, who also scored the 1:0 goal against Japan in the semi-final of the Asian Cup in Nov. 1997, which was the first World Cup qualification for the team
Asian Cup 2001: Scores all three goals (16‘, 34‘, 65‘) in the semi-final for a 3:1 (Sun Wen, 44‘) victory over China. China had previously won the tournament seven times in succession (= 15-year reigning champion)
Asian Games 2002: Scores the first two goals against Vietnam in the last match (3, Ri Kum Suk; 4, Yun Yong Hi); North Korea wins for the first time, defeating the 12-year reigning champion China (3 consecutive wins) (China 2nd place, Japan 3rd)
Asian Cup 2003: Scores the second goal in the 2:2 draw against S. Korea; Assist for the first goal (Ri Kum Suk) in the semi-final against Japan
World Cup 2003: Plays the full length of all three matches, scores two goals (13‘ and 88‘) against Nigeria, “Bud Light Player of the Match” in the match against Nigeria
Olympic qualifier 2004: Yes
Titles: Asian Champion 2001 and 2003,
gold medal at the 2002 Asian Games
 

Jin Pyol Hi still has problems arising from an old knee injury that she can’t seem to get over, she ends her active career at the age of 25 after failing to qualify for the 2004 Olympics.