A History Lesson: Pak Doo-Ik

 A History Lesson features a particular part of Footy History that we feel is relevant and timeless. It can feature players, club victories, title wins, goals, heroic moments, etc.

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By Jacen 

By the 19th of July, 1966, the '66 World Cup was in full swing. On this particular day, North Korea, the first Asian nation to reach the finals, faced Italy in the penultimate match of the group stages for Group 4. Italy were Two-Time Champions and tournament favorites, while North Korea was an enigmatic team considered to be the darkest of dark horses. Very little was known about this team or it's home nation, The Democratic 

Pak Doo-Ik taking on Lev Yashin and the USSR

People's Republic of Korea. However, from the very start, one thing was for sure: no one gave them a chance in hell. 1966 was arguably the height of the Cold War, and for England, the idea of playing host to a communist nation did not bode well for the seclusive Asian nation's chances. In fact, the British government very nearly refused the North Koreans visas, in order to send out a message to the rest of the world. Thankfully, for North Korea and for football history as a whole, that idea was eventually struck down. Yet once the tournament began, the Koreans, described by one English spectator as "a team of jockeys" due to their small statures, were lauded due to their determination, good nature and skill. But facts cannot be disputed. They lost their opening match to Lev Yashin and the Soviet Bully-Boys, and barely managed a last minute draw with Chile. While Italy's record was not that much better than Korea's (a win and a loss), it appeared that the diminutive crowd favorites were destined to be heading home in the group stage after a valiant, but ultimately insufficient campaign. Enter Pak Doo-Ik.

The 24 year old midfielder had only played in 1 qualifying match (against Australia) for North Korea before making his appearance at the World Cup Finals. Doo-Ik also played all 4 of Korea's matches during the finals, yet it was the victory against Italy that will always be best remembered. Italy started the match in



Pak Doo-Ik scoring the goal



strong fashion, but they were denied each of their 3 shots on goal by the stellar keeping of Korean goalkeeper Ri Chan Myong. One of Myong's 3 saves was even voted by FIFA as one of the 10 Best Saves in FIFA World Cup History. Doo-Ik's goal came late in the first half, in the 41st minute. After receiving a through header from a teammate, Doo-Ik slid his shot home past Italian goalkeeper Enrico Albertosi to give the North Koreans a 1 - 0 lead. Almost as great as Doo-Ik's goal, was his teammate Pak Seung-Zin's goal celebration, which involved Zin running at top speed into the Italian goal and kicking the ball, all before getting tangled in the twine. The unthinkable had happened. Italy were losing. The second half came and went and at the end, it was North Korea who held their lead, which propelled them into the knockout round where they would eventually lose to Portugal. But despite that loss, they were declared as national heroes, and every member of the sqaud recieved the award "Athelete of the People", which is the highest award given to atheles in North Korea.



Sadly, the warm reception would eventually turn cold. The squad were psychologically evaluated and "re-educated" in an attempt to determine how they lost to Portugal after being up by 3 goals. There were theories that the loss was due to ideological imperfections and culture shock, none of which seemed to prove conclusive to the Korean Authorities. Several squad members were expelled to the provinces and even sent to prison camps or to work in the mines. Even Pak Doo-Ik himself, who after his heroics in the World Cup was promoted from Corporal to Sargeant in the North Korean Army, was evaluated and eventually expelled to Daepyong-Workers District in Bocheon of Yangkang Province to work as a forest laborer for ten years. Before the time of the next World Cup 4 years later (which North Korea failed to qualify for), the heroic Chollima Soccer Team had all but faded from memory, it seemed, even in their native North Korea.


Yet history had more in store for the legendary squad. Kim Jong-il, who had first come to power in North Korea in the early 1990's, was fascinated with the "World Cup Heroes" and he personally called the surviving squad members back to the capital. There he made Pak Doo-Ik the head of the Yangkang athletic commission, and eventually Doo-Ik even became the coach for North Korea's national team. However, the position did not last long as Ik failed to produce sufficient results. There has been record of Pak Doo-Ik also being an gymnastics instructor in North Korea after leaving the military, though solid evidence has yet to be obtained. Outside of Kim Jong-il's North Korea, the rest of the world had also not forgotten the 1966 squad. British documentarian Daniel Gordon made a film based on the team's exploits called The Game Of Their 

Pak Doo-Ik 40 years later

Lives. The documentary was made in the early 2000's, by which time, only 7 members of the squad were still alive, including Pak Doo-Ik. The film would go on to win the 2003 Royal Television Society award for best sports documentary and take first prize at the Seville Film Festival, as well as recieving a nomination for Best Documentary at the British Independent Film Awards. Another, more personal honor was also bestowed upon Pak Doo-Ik. He was chosen as one of 56 North Koreans to carry the olympic torch for the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing as a testament to his monumental contribution to the sport of football in Korea. Ko Chul Ho, the Executive Secretary of the North Korean Olympic Committee, had this to say of Doo-Ik's inclusion:  “We selected as torchbearers those who contributed to the prosperity of the country among public officials, workers, farmers, or athletics or coaches who achieved fine records in major sports competitions home and abroad." Ik, who was 70 years old at the time, was the oldest of the carriers that took the Olympic Flame across Pyongyang on April 28, 2008.




Tuesday, the 19th of July, 2011, will mark the 45th anniversary of the legendary game, goal, and entrance of Pak Doo-Ik to football's world stage. And it could be safe to say, that 45 years from then, people will still be talking about all three!