Born in Japan, playing for North Korea under shadow of missile crisis

TOKYO: Born and raised in Japan, three North Korean soccer players are expecting to face boos from the home crowd in a match that comes less than two weeks after the latest North Korean test missile splashed into the Sea of Japan.

An Byong Jun, Kim Song Gi and Lee Yong Jick, who play their club soccer for J League division 2 sides, will represent North Korea when they take on Japan in Tokyo today in the final round of the East Asian Football Championship.

The sporting contest is being held with the world still on edge after the North heightened alarm in South Korea, Japan and the United States by test firing an intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov 29 that appeared to demonstrate increasing range.

North Korea has test-fired missiles over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido twice earlier this year and has threatened to sink Japan into the sea with a nuclear bomb.

Unsurprisingly, Kim, a 29-yearold central defender, who hails from Hyogo prefecture in western Japan and plays his club soccer for Machida Zelvia in Tokyo, expects a hostile reception from Japanese supporters.

“Bring on the booing,” said Kim. “Being booed actually gets me fired up. I was brought up that way and it doesn’t really bother me.”

He is eager to avenge a one-nil loss when he first played against Japan for North Korea six years ago.

Kim, An and Lee all took up soccer when they were children attending Pyongyang-affiliated schools in Japan and saw playing as a North Korean international as the path to the highest level.

“Soccer was all I thought about when I was a kid and it was my dream to play for North Korea,” Kim said. “My biggest goal now is to go to the World Cup.”

“I’ve never thought of taking Japanese citizenship,” said Kim. “My soul is 100 per cent North Korean.”

Lee, a 26-year-old Osaka native playing his first match against Japan, said he wasn’t sure how the fans would react, noting that the team had expected boos when they played in South Korea but received applause instead.

“It’s complicated,” said the Kamatamare Sanuki defender, who switches to midfield for North Korea.

“I hope we’re treated the same as other teams that play against Japan. To be honest I hope we don’t get booed.”