Women’s football success fuels propaganda in North Korea | OneFootball

North Korea showcases its dominance in women's U-20 and U-17 football after winning its third world title in just over a year, a sporting success used as a striking propaganda tool by the secretive political system of the Asian country.

The 3-0 victory in the final against the Netherlands last Saturday in Morocco allowed the North Koreans to lift their second consecutive U-17 World Cup, their fourth overall, after another title won 12 months ago.

The recent triumphs add to North Korea’s title—a country practically isolated from the world—at the U-20 Women’s World Cup in September 2024.

The North Koreans swept through Morocco like a cyclone, with a record of 25 goals scored and only three conceded, winning all seven matches they played. Brazil was one of the victims, defeated 2-0 in the semifinals (the team finished fourth after losing the third-place match to Mexico on penalties).

The success was seized upon by North Korea’s propaganda machine. State media claimed the team’s feat brought “joy to our beloved homeland.”

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper published on its front page an article from the state news agency KCNA stating: “Our players walked the field with the dignified flag of our republic.”

North Korea, a nuclear power but not an economic one, is usually in the news for launching ballistic missiles as part of its weapons tests.

Investment in sports is considered a way to assert its political system.

“Inspiration for the people”

The victory served as a “great stimulus and inspiration for all the people (…) to celebrate the 9th Party Congress as a victorious and glorious event,” wrote the KCNA agency, referring to the five-yearly meeting of the country’s main decision-making body, presided over by leader Kim Jong-un.

A year ago, the authorities organized a parade through the streets with the U-17 World Cup champion players.

Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, explained to AFP that he believes a similar celebration will take place in Pyongyang in the coming days.

“They will want to use this to project an image that their social and cultural foundations are strong and dynamic,” he explains.

Hong says that children with sporting potential are selected at an early age to begin training. “North Korea discovers elite athletes at a very young age and invests heavily in them at the state level with the aim of preparing them for international competitions.”

“The players, in turn, feel they must respond to the investment with their performance,” he insists, explaining that this is an approach typical of “socialist countries,” where the State plays a fundamental role in the development of athletes.

But the strength of women’s football contrasts with the men’s team, which is ranked 120th in the FIFA rankings and has not qualified for a World Cup since 2010.

The professional women’s team of North Korea is ranked 10th in the world and will be one of the favorites at next year’s Asian Cup, to be held in Australia.

Stricter approach

Lee Jung-woo, professor of Sports Policy at the University of Edinburgh, points out that North Korea adopts a stricter approach to youth sports than Western countries.

“Among young people, I believe European sports organizations emphasize fun more,” he told the German network DW.

In North Korea, young athletes “are incorporated into highly disciplined, systematic, and professionalized training regimes, which allows them to stand out at an early age.”

The coach of the Netherlands U-17 team, Olivier Amelink, acknowledged the superiority of the North Koreans.

“I think the difference is simply too great to compete with them at this moment,” he admitted after the final.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.