Korean Job Discussion Forums

Holyjoe · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Location: Away for a cuppa

North Korean international Ahn Young-hak has signed a one year contract with Busan I'Park - he's the third North Korean player to be signed by a K-League team but the previous two players never played a competitive match for their sides. Chances are that Ahn will play for Busan though, and interestingly he's being registered in the league as a 'domestic' player rather than a foreigner (gets them round the three foreign player restriction).

itaewonguy · Joined: 25 Mar 2003

how does this work?
thought north koreans were not allowed to work or live abroad?
whats up with this?
\

Neil · Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Location: Tokyo

He's Japanese born of North Korean descent.

I don't know what his citizenship is but last I heard FIFA allows people to play for the country of their parents and grandparents.

chiaa · Joined: 23 Aug 2003

As soon as I saw this I wondered if he was going to be a domestic player or not...

It's total bullshit any way that you look at it. They have two different World Cup teams, how on god's green earth can they say domestic????

Anyone know the rule for people with Korean parents but are not or never were Korean citizens? If they came over on their F-4 visa, what would they be considered?

Holyjoe · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Location: Away for a cuppa

Yeah, born in Japan but has North Korean citizenship through "member(ship) of the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan" (thanks, Yonhap).

He said at the press conference that it has been his dream to play in the K-League ever since Ahn Jung-hwan scored the golden goal winner against Italy in 2002, and hopes it'll be a springboard for a move to Europe.

The domestic/foreign registration in the league's an interesting one - both countries have fielded unified teams in Asian and FIFA competitions in the past (if it's good enough for FIFA...), and the K-League themselves have imposed the restriction on foreign players in the league so I suppose they can make exceptions for whichever nationality they so desire. It would become an issue if Busan were playing in the Asian Champions League but they're not so it's not really much of a problem.