By Ahn Mi Young/Seoul
Hope is growing that football may help the two Koreas to bond, with isolated North Korea eager to gain a foothold in global football with the help of South Korea.
The North has qualified for the World Cup of 2010, the first time it has reached the tournament’s final round since England in 1966.
The isolated communist country wants to repeat the 1966 surprise where 11 North Koreans beat Italy, and went 3-0 up against Portugal before conceding five.
The 2010 World Cup will possibly be the first to qualify both Koreas to play together.
“It would be pretty exciting to watch both Koreas to play together in the World Cup, which has never happened before. It would be interesting to watch how far both Koreas would be able to advance,” said Manchester United’s star winger Park Ji Sung.
Football could be a bridge that would temporarily ease the enmity between the two Koreas.
Never mind that North Korea has made South Korea nervous with a series of missile launches and nuclear tests.
The North Koreans have usually cheered on South Korea’s football team, while South Koreans would usually return the compliment.
“Football can make that kind of magic happen. Football can unite two Koreas. I hope that football will play a bridge role between the two Koreas,” Park said.
Football is possibly the most globally-open aspect of the insular communist society. It includes Japanese-born North Korean players who have South Korean parents.
In Le Mans in mid-October, the “hermit kingdom” played its first international football match in Europe since 1966. They drew 0-0 in a friendly match in Le Mans with Congo, the same score as their earlier friendly against FC Nantes.
To show the world that he is still healthy, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Il chose a football event to resume public appearances, after he had been rumoured to have suffered a stroke.
Both Koreas are united in their common pursuit of bringing international standards to their respective football teams.
Current Russian football coach Guus Hiddink made South Korea’s football fairytale become reality in 2002, as he managed the South Korean team to reach the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup while it co-hosted the event with Japan.
At that time, Hiddink had called several rookies into his squad, including current Manchester United star Winger Park.
“Hiddink knew how to motivate us to play our best,” recalls Hong Myong Bo, who was captain of the Hiddink team for the 2002 World Cup.
Seven of the national team of South Korea are now playing for European teams, including Seol Gi Hyeon for Fulham, and Park Ju Young for AS Monaco.
Recently, Manchester United’s Park Ji Sung praised Bolton Wanderers ace Lee Chong Yong after the youngster had starred in the Taeguk Warriors win over Senegal.
After 44 years, North Korea nurtures similar hopes.
“Everyone knows we surprised the world in 1966. We’d like to surprise the world again in the World Cup. We9d like to show the world the spirit of the Korean people,” said Kim Jung Hun, North Korea’s football manager, after the friendly match in mid-October in France.
North Korea wants to have someone like Hiddink for their football team.
“North Koreans have watched how the South Korean football team has “globalised” under a foreign manager. They must think that they also need a foreign coach to do the same as South Korea has done,” said Shin Moon Sun, a professor of Myongji Univeristy.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is a football fan.
“Kim is very aware of how the South Korean football team reach the semifinal in the 2002 World Cup thanks to Hiddink,” Shin said.
That explains why North Korea is actively recruiting for a foreign football manager. They appear to have asked former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson to coach North Korea at next summer’s World Cup finals. But he said no.
Both Koreas have a common spirit based on teamwork and discipline, which makes it hard for players to adapt to the more individual style when they move to European teams.
“I suffered pretty much of a culture shock when I moved to Manchester United. Time was healing. While I focus on football, I’ve gradually been getting into the European team spirit,” said Park Ji Sung.
As South Korea has moved out of its insular shell, so must North Korea.
Unlike South Korea, who can easily find good sparring partners, North Korea has not been able to attract many foreign teams to visit Pyongyang.
The South Koreans have also “globalided” by training multiple talent layers who can play both defence and offence, while the North Koreans tend to lead a dull game by being more on the defensive than going for goals from the start. — DPA
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