December 05, 2023
Features

How soccer once gave North Korean women an equal shot at sporting glory

DPRK women have outperformed men and South Korean rivals on global stage, but COVID isolation has changed their fortunes

Spain edged England to win the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Sydney on Sunday, capping a monthlong tournament that saw 32 countries from every inhabited continent vie for glory.

But while North Koreans have been able to follow the quadrennial tournament on state television, their own team once again found itself on the outside looking in, despite formerly being one of the strongest teams in Asia.