What’s the first thing that pops to mind when you hear "North Korea"? Dictatorship, nuclear weapons, government radio blaring in every household with no volume control, six workdays plus one “volunteering” day, mind-boggling military drills, personality cults, teachers required to master the accordion, three generations punished for one family member’s crime, a demilitarized zone, mortar executions and fewer than a thousand citizens with internet access. Sound a little crazy? Then here’s something even wilder: a women's soccer empire. This week, North Korea’s U-17 women’s team clinched the World Cup title after beating defending champions Spain in a penalty shootout (and, just as important to them, defeating the “Great Satan” USA with a 1-0 win in the semifinals).
This is the third time the North Korean women have won the U-17 World Cup (2008, 2016, 2024), matching the country’s three titles in the U-20 World Cup (2006, 2016, 2024). In September, North Korea’s U-20 team bested Japan 1-0 to complete the country's second-ever World Cup double in the youth categories. 2 View gallery The North Korea U-20 team meets Kim Jong Un ( Photo: Reuters ) What's behind the success of North Korea’s young women’s teams? And, perhaps more intriguing: why doesn’t it carry over when these players move up to the senior squad? North Korea has never qualified for the Women’s World Cup.
A success story stopped at 20 Dictatorial regimes have long used national sports as.