SOCCER PLAYERS from North Korea

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary North Korean Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous North Korean Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of North Korean Soccer Players.

1. Lee Yoo-hyung (1911 - 2003)

With an HPI of 58.71, Lee Yoo-hyung is the most famous North Korean Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 51 different languages on wikipedia.

Lee Yoo-hyung (Hangul: 이유형, 21 January 1911 – 29 January 2003) was a Korean football player and manager. He has played for Japan national team and South Korea national team. He was part of South Korea's squad for the 1948 Summer Olympics, but he did not play in any matches. He also played Kyungsung FC. He started coaching career before the Korean War. After the war, he managed South Korea national football team several times.

2. Kim Yong-sik (1910 - 1985)

With an HPI of 58.13, Kim Yong-sik is the 2nd most famous North Korean Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 54 different languages.

Kim Yong-sik (Korean: 김용식; Hanja: 金容植; 25 July 1910 – 8 March 1985) was a South Korean football player and manager. He is esteemed as the godfather of the South Korean football.

3. Kim Sung-gan (1912 - 1984)

With an HPI of 56.76, Kim Sung-gan is the 3rd most famous North Korean Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 49 different languages.

Kim Sung-gan (Korean: 김성간, November 17, 1912 – May 19, 1984) was a South Korean footballer. Born in Pyongyang (known at the time as "Heijō"), he played for Japan national team in 1940. He died on May 29, 1984 in a traffic collision.

4. Pak Doo-ik (1943 - )

With an HPI of 54.20, Pak Doo-ik is the 4th most famous North Korean Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Pak Doo-ik (Chosungul: 박두익; Hanja: 朴斗翼; born 17 December 1943) is a North Korean former football player. He is well known for being the footballer who scored the goal which knocked out Italy from the group stage of the 1966 World Cup.

5. Pak Seung-zin (1941 - 2011)

With an HPI of 50.64, Pak Seung-zin is the 5th most famous North Korean Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Pak Seung-zin (a.k.a. Pak Sung Jin; 11 January 1941 – 5 August 2011) was a North Korean footballer. He represented North Korea at the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England, scoring two goals, against Chile and Portugal. He was the first Asian footballer to score a goal in the World Cup finals.

6. Kim Jong-hun (1956 - )

With an HPI of 46.38, Kim Jong-hun is the 6th most famous North Korean Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Kim Jong-hun (김정훈; born September 1, 1956) is a retired North Korean football player and the former head coach of the North Korea national football team. He led the nation's team to and during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

7. Yang Song-guk (1944 - )

With an HPI of 40.75, Yang Song-guk is the 7th most famous North Korean Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Yang Song-guk (Hangul: 양성국; born 19 August 1944) is a North Korean football forward who played for North Korea in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. There he scored against Portugal in the Quarter-finals at Goodison Park. He also played for Kigwancha Pyongyang. He also competed in the men's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

8. Im Shung-hwi (1946 - )

With an HPI of 39.37, Im Shung-hwi is the 8th most famous North Korean Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Im Shung-hwi (a.k.a. Im Song Hwi; born 3 February 1946) is a North Korean football midfielder who played for North Korea in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. He also played for 2.8 Sports Team.

9. Ji Yun-nam (1976 - )

With an HPI of 39.23, Ji Yun-nam is the 9th most famous North Korean Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 34 different languages.

Ji Yun-Nam (Korean: 지윤남; born 20 November 1976) is a former North Korean international footballer, who played for April 25 in the DPR Korea League.

10. Hong Yong-jo (1982 - )

With an HPI of 38.97, Hong Yong-jo is the 10th most famous North Korean Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 31 different languages.

Hong Yong-Jo (Korean: 홍영조; Hanja: 洪映早; born 22 May 1982) is a North Korean international forward who plays for April 25 SC in the DPR Korea League. He previously played for FC Rostov in Russia and FK Bežanija in the Serbian SuperLiga.He captained the North Korean team that qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.