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More articles by 'Yong Ja Hong'
Zero to hero: How North Korean women’s soccer became a juggernaut
DPRK national team has achieved success at highest levels of the game, despite starting from nothing in the 1980s
September 5, 2024
Why North Korea insists playing basketball makes you taller
State propaganda has pushed dubious claim since 60s, and it may have even driven Kim Jong Un’s obsession with the sport
June 13, 2024
The true story behind North Korea’s bizarre basketball rules
The DPRK briefly experimented with 8-point shots, dunk penalties and more, and there was a kind of method to the madness
April 10, 2024
Sporting glory: Inside North Korea’s failed bid to become an athletic powerhouse
From the 1980s, Kim regime used sports to engage South Korea and win support, but economic problems thwarted its plans
January 10, 2024
Pyongyang’s playbook: How North Korea turned sports into tool for regime control
DPRK’s athletic success is product of decades of effort to assert state power and boost military readiness through sport
December 1, 2023
The towering North Korean basketball star denied a shot at NBA glory
7-foot-6 Ri Myong Hun would have been tallest player in league history, but sanctions and tensions scuppered his chances
October 16, 2023
North Korean women fall to Japan in Asian Games soccer final
Nadeshiko Japan pours it on after close first half to take gold, though DPRK athletes performed better in other sports
October 9, 2023
North Korean women’s basketball team loses out on bronze to ROK at Asian Games
Inter-Korean tensions palpable as rivals clash, but DPRK achieves best result in decades and shows off new star
October 6, 2023
