# Korea national under-20 football team

The Korea national under-20 football team, also known as the Korean unified football team, was the national under-20 team of Korea, being a combined representative team representing both South Korea and North Korea. Their only participation in FIFA-sanctioned tournaments was at the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship.

## History

The Inter-Korean Sports Conferences were held on the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee since 1963, but the conferences always broke down until the 1980s because both sides had not seen eye to eye. In February 1991, however, they decided to make Korean unified teams in table tennis and football.
In that same year, both South and North qualified for the FIFA World Youth Championship as winners and runners-up of the 1990 AFC Youth Championship, so they urgently made allied under-20 football team for the world championship despite concerns about communication and teamwork. Ten South Korean players and eight North Korean players formed the unified team, and they were managed by North Korean coach An Se-uk. The Korean Unification Flag, which composed of a blue image of the Korean Peninsula over a white background, was the symbol used by the team which competed under the name "Korea".
Korea began their World Youth Championship run by playing against favorites Argentina. The only goal of the match was a 30-yard strike goal made by North Korean footballer, Cho In-chol in the 88th minute which secured Korea's only win in the group stage. The Korean team would have lost its group stage match against Ireland but North Korean footballer Choi Chol made an equalizer in the 89th minute. They managed to advance to the knockout stage, although they conceded their last group stage match against hosts and eventual champions Portugal by a solitary goal, However, they suffered their worst defeat in the quarter-final match against Brazil.

## Coaching staff

| Position | Name |
| Manager | An Se-uk |
| Assistant coach | Nam Dae-sik |

## Players

| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club |
| 1 | 1GK | Kim Jong-son | (1972-08-27)27 August 1972 (aged 18) | Pyongyang Athletics College |
| 2 | 2DF | Chong Gang-song | (1973-10-15)15 October 1973 (aged 17) | Pyongyang Athletics Institute |
| 3 | 2DF | Kang Chul | (1971-11-02)2 November 1971 (aged 19) | Yonsei University |
| 4 | 2DF | Park Chul | (1973-08-20)20 August 1973 (aged 17) | Daegu University |
| 5 | 3MF | No Tae-gyeong | (1972-04-22)22 April 1972 (aged 19) | POSCO Atoms |
| 6 | 2DF | Jang Hyeon-ho | (1972-10-14)14 October 1972 (aged 18) | Korea University |
| 7 | 3MF | Kim Jong-man | (1972-12-16)16 December 1972 (aged 18) | Pyongyang Athletics College |
| 8 | 3MF | Cho Jin-ho | (1973-08-02)2 August 1973 (aged 17) | Kyung Hee University |
| 9 | 4FW | Seo Dong-won | (1973-12-12)12 December 1973 (aged 17) | Jungdong High School |
| 10 | 4FW | Yun Chol | (1972-10-27)27 October 1972 (aged 18) | Pyongyang College of Education |
| 11 | 2DF | Cho In-chol | (1973-10-02)2 October 1973 (aged 17) | Pyongyang Athletics College |
| 12 | 4FW | Han Yeon-cheol | (1972-03-30)30 March 1972 (aged 19) | Korea University |
| 13 | 4FW | Choi Yong-son | (1972-10-10)10 October 1972 (aged 18) | Pyongyang Athletics College |
| 14 | 3MF | Ri Chang-ha | (1972-08-23)23 August 1972 (aged 18) | Pyongyang College of Education |
| 15 | 4FW | Choi Chol | (1973-12-18)18 December 1973 (aged 17) | Pyongyang Athletics College |
| 16 | 3MF | Lee Tae-hong | (1971-10-01)1 October 1971 (aged 19) | Daegu University |
| 17 | 2DF | Lee Lim-saeng | (1971-11-18)18 November 1971 (aged 19) | Korea University |
| 18 | 1GK | Choi Ik-hyeong | (1973-08-05)5 August 1973 (aged 17) | Korea University |