Lips sealed, but youth impossible to hide: NK athletes show 2 faces at Asian Games

North Korean athletes at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are showing a split between tightly controlled behavior and youthful curiosity. After beating Myanmar 8-0 in Osaka on Sept. 17, the women’s football players stayed silent in the mixed zone but were seen excitedly packing snacks. An official said they rarely leave their rooms except for meals, while experts said North Korea is using the Games to project both hostility toward South Korea and normalcy abroad.

North Korea is making its first appearance at an Asian Games held in Japan.

The North Korean women’s football team beat Myanmar 8-0 at Nagai Stadium in Osaka on Sept. 17.

An event official said the players are staying at the same hotel as South Korea, Bangladesh and Myanmar during the group stage.

North Korean coach Pak Song-jin declined to answer specifically about preparations for the Los Angeles Olympics in two years.

Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification said North Korea is likely using the Games to emphasize the idea of two hostile states while projecting a normal-state image to the outside world.

Published Sep 21, 2026 5:55 pm KST

North Korea women's national football team player Han Jin-hong, left, fights for the ball during a Group F match against Myanmar at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, Sept. 17, for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Korea Times photo by Ha Sang-yoon

North Korea is likely to use the Asian Games as a stage to further emphasize the concept of 'two hostile states' when dealing with South Korea, while using the event to project an image of a normal state to the outside world.

The North Korean women's football team's "clocking out" after an 8-0 thrashing of Myanmar at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, on the night of Sept. 17 was unusually late.

It was about 15 minutes after the Myanmar players had left the stadium before the door to the North Korean locker room finally opened. Inside, reporters caught sight of unmistakably youthful players bustling about as they stuffed snacks provided by the organizing committee into brown paper bags.

Whether they knew they were being watched or not, the players appeared excited about their unexpected haul. But as soon as they approached the Korean reporters waiting in the mixed zone, their demeanor suddenly changed.

With stern expressions and their eyes deliberately averted, they did not respond to reporters' requests to "say just a few words about the big win." Carrying bags of snacks in their hands, the players quickly walked out of the stadium.

Members of the North Korrean delegation wave their national flags during their entrance into Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, during the opening ceremony for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Sept. 19. Yonhap

North Korea, which is making its first appearance at an Asian Games held in Japan, is keeping tight control over its athletes during the competition. According to an event official, the North Korean women's footbal team, which was the first team among participating countries to arrive in Japan, is staying at the same hotel as teams from South Korea, Bangladesh and Myanmar during the group stage.

"North Korean players appear to have their movements strictly controlled by people believed to be officials from the security services," the official said. "They never leave their rooms except during mealtimes."

While reporting around the hotel Sept. 17 -18, the Hankook Ilbo found that, unlike the other three teams in the group, North Korean players did not go out or engage in individual training such as running.

Even under such strict controls, however, glimpses of the players' youthful instincts can be seen both on and off the field.

South Korea women's national football team player Ji So-yun, who is competing at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, speaks with reporters at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Sept. 7. A national team veteran, Ji has witnessed the impact of inter-Korean relations on the football teams of the two Koreas at international competitions since the 2006 Doha Asian Games. Yonhap

Mealtimes are when tension and curiosity appear to intersect. North Korean players have tried to maintain a deliberately cold attitude toward their South Korean counterparts, but they have been unable to hide their curiosity, according to South Korean player Ji So-yun, 35, of Suwon FC Women. She said the North Korean players would subtly listen in when they heard the South Korean players talking.

Organizers reportedly arranged separate "meal groups," pairing South Korea with Bangladesh and North Korea with Myanmar, but did not physically separate the dining areas.

The players are not the only ones walking a fine line between vigilance and communication.

North Korean coach Pak Song-jin avoided giving a specific answer when asked by the Hankook Ilbo about preparations for the Olympics in Los Angeles in two years, saying only, "You have to play the games to know."

North Korea women's national football team coach Pak Song-jin attends a press conference following a Group F match against Myanmar at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, Sept. 17, for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Korea Times photo by Ha Sang-yoon

But he was relatively forthcoming when asked about the performance of Ri Song-a, a player of Korean descent from Japan. He not only discussed Ri's strengths but also explained why she was selected, saying, "What's important is that Ri is good."

North Korean coaches have previously reacted sensitively to terms such as "North Korea" or "the North" during press conferences. But when questions were phrased without referring to the country or using such terminology, the coaches responded without apparent objection.

North Korea's Ri Song-a, right, celebrates after a goal during the 2026 Asian Games women's group B football match against Bangladesh at Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, Sept. 14. North Korea's formidable women's football team launched their Asian Games with a 10-0 hammering of Bangladesh, cheered on by several hundred pro-North Korea fans in Osaka. AFP-Yonhap

Experts believe this dual approach by North Korea is likely to continue throughout the Games.

"North Korea is likely to use the Asian Games as a stage to further emphasize the concept of 'two hostile states' when dealing with South Korea, while using the event to project an image of a normal state to the outside world," said Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

"The athletes are likely to have received thorough training and education for this purpose before heading to Japan," Hong said.

He added that it will be worth watching whether North Korean athletes display a different level of confidence than in the past in areas such as sportsmanship and media interviews.

North Korea delegation officials, including its chief Pak Chon-jong, center, and Ko Chol-ho, right, secretary-general of the North Korean Olympic committee, arrive at a welcoming ceremony near the athletes’ accommodations at Nagoya Port in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 18, a day before the opening of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. A former basketball star in North Korea, Pak is the country's vice minister of physical culture and sports.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

在爱知-名古屋亚运会上，朝鲜运动员展现出一种既严谨自律又充满青春活力的矛盾状态。9月17日，女足在大阪以8比0大胜缅甸后，队员们在混合采访区保持沉默，但人们看到她们兴奋地打包零食。一位官员表示，她们除了吃饭之外很少离开房间，而专家则认为，朝鲜正利用此次亚运会，一方面向外界展现对韩国的敌意，另一方面又试图在国际上营造一种正常化的假象。

朝鲜首次亮相在日本举行的亚运会。

9月17日，朝鲜女足在大阪长居体育场以8比0战胜缅甸队。

赛事官员表示，小组赛期间，参赛选手将与韩国、孟加拉国和缅甸的选手住在同一家酒店。

朝鲜教练朴成镇拒绝就两年后洛杉矶奥运会的备战情况作出具体回答。

韩国统一研究院的洪敏表示，朝鲜很可能利用奥运会来强调两个敌对国家的概念，同时向外界展现一个正常的国家形象。

发布于2026年9月21日下午5:55（韩国标准时间）

9月17日，在日本大阪长居体育场举行的2026年爱知-名古屋亚运会F组比赛中，朝鲜女足国家队队员韩真红（左）与缅甸队争抢皮球。（韩国时报 河相允 摄）

朝鲜很可能利用亚运会进一步强调其在与韩国交往时奉行的“两国敌对”理念，同时利用亚运会向外界展现一个正常国家的形象。

9 月 17 日晚，朝鲜女足在日本大阪长居体育场以 8-0 大胜缅甸队后“打卡下场”，这一时间异常晚。

缅甸球员离开体育场大约15分钟后，朝鲜球员更衣室的门才终于打开。记者们看到，里面一群明显很年轻的球员正忙着把组委会提供的零食装进棕色纸袋里。

无论他们是否知道自己被监视，球员们似乎都对这意外收获感到兴奋。但当他们走向等候在混合采访区的韩国记者时，他们的态度突然发生了变化。

他们表情严肃，眼神刻意避开记者，没有回应“就这场大胜说几句”的请求。球员们手里提着零食袋，迅速走出了体育场。

9月19日，在2026年爱知-名古屋亚运会开幕式上，朝鲜代表团成员在日本名古屋瑞穗公园田径场入场时挥舞着国旗。（韩联社）

首次亮相日本亚运会的朝鲜对参赛运动员实行严格管控。据赛事官员透露，朝鲜女足是所有参赛队伍中首支抵达日本的，小组赛期间，她们与韩国、孟加拉国和缅甸的队伍住在同一家酒店。

“朝鲜球员的行动似乎受到据信是安全部门官员的严格控制，”这位官员说。“除了吃饭时间，他们从不离开房间。”

《韩国日报》记者在9月17日至18日期间在酒店附近进行报道时发现，与其他三支球队不同，朝鲜球员没有外出或进行跑步等个人训练。

即使在如此严格的管控下，球员们在场上和场下仍然能展现出年轻人的本能。

9月7日，代表韩国女足国家队出战2026年爱知-名古屋亚运会的韩国女足队员池昭允在忠清南道天安市韩国足球公园接受记者采访。作为一名国家队老将，池昭允自2006年多哈亚运会以来，亲眼见证了朝韩关系对两国足球队在国际赛场上的影响。（韩联社）

用餐时间似乎是紧张与好奇交织的时刻。据韩国水原FC女足队员、35岁的池昭允透露，朝鲜球员试图对韩国球员保持刻意的冷淡态度，但他们却无法掩饰内心的好奇。她说，朝鲜球员会在听到韩国球员交谈时偷偷倾听。

据报道，组织者安排了不同的“用餐组”，将韩国与孟加拉国配对，将朝鲜与缅甸配对，但并没有在物理上分隔用餐区域。

球员们并不是唯一需要在警惕和沟通之间小心翼翼保持平衡的人。

当《韩国日报》问及朝鲜男足两年后备战洛杉矶奥运会的情况时，朝鲜男足教练朴成镇回避给出具体答案，只说：“你得参加比赛才知道。”

2026年爱知-名古屋亚运会F组小组赛，朝鲜女足国家队主教练朴成镇于9月17日在日本大阪长居体育场出席赛后新闻发布会，朝鲜女足与缅甸女足进行了一场比赛。（韩国时报 河相允 摄）

但当被问及日籍韩裔球员李松娥的表现时，他却相对坦诚。他不仅谈到了李松娥的优势，还解释了她入选的原因，说道：“重要的是李松娥很优秀。”

朝鲜教练此前在新闻发布会上对“朝鲜”或“北境”等词语反应较为敏感。但如果提问时不提及该国或使用此类词语，教练们则没有表现出明显的反对意见。

9月14日，在大阪长井洋马体育场举行的2026年亚运会女足B组比赛中，朝鲜球员李松娥（右）进球后庆祝。朝鲜女足实力强劲，在大阪数百名亲朝鲜球迷的助威声中，以10比0大胜孟加拉国，为她们的亚运会首战开了个好头。（法新社-韩联社）

专家认为，朝鲜的这种双轨制策略很可能会在整个奥运会期间持续下去。

韩国统一研究院高级研究员洪敏表示：“朝鲜可能会利用亚运会作为舞台，进一步强调其在与韩国交往时‘两国敌对’的概念，同时利用这一赛事向外界展现一个正常的国家形象。”

“这些运动员在前往日本之前，很可能已经为此接受了全面的训练和教育，”洪说。

他还补充说，朝鲜运动员在体育精神和媒体采访等方面是否表现出与以往不同的自信程度，值得关注。

9月18日，在2026年爱知-名古屋亚运会开幕前一天，朝鲜代表团官员抵达日本名古屋港运动员宿舍附近，参加欢迎仪式。朝鲜代表团团长朴天钟（中）和朝鲜奥委会秘书长高哲浩（右）等出席了欢迎仪式。朴天钟曾是朝鲜篮球明星，现任朝鲜体育文化部副部长。

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。