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.