*This content was translated by AI.View Original
Jong Tae-se (42), a former North Korea national team player, shared the closed-off reality of North Korean football, stating that he has “no means of communication” with his former teammates.
The Japanese media outlet “Football Zone” reported on the 14th, “Jong Tae-se revealed the unique situation of being cut off from his comrades in the North Korea national team, and disclosed his ambition to lead the North Korea national team as a coach in the future and participate in the World Cup.”
According to the outlet, Jong Tae-se is currently unable to exchange any communication with former national team members due to North Korea’s closed-off national circumstances. He confessed, “It is not that I do not contact my teammates; rather, there are absolutely no means of contact.”
However, when the North Korea national team visited Tokyo, Japan in March for an away match in the Asian qualifiers, he happened to reunite with a former center-back teammate who had transformed into a manager and coach at the time in 2010, while visiting the stadium as a commentator.
Jong Tae-se also reflected on the strictly controlled life during his time playing for the North Korea national team from 2007 to 2011. He stated, “When called up to Pyongyang, I only went back and forth between the training ground, hotel, and stadium; there was absolutely no going out for city tours or other outings,” adding, “We barely shared personal matters off the pitch, such as not even asking about the process through which teammates came to the national team.” At that time, he mainly communicated with and relied on players of similar backgrounds who were Japanese-born ethnic Koreans, such as An Yong-hak and Ryang Yong-gi.
Even within this unusual reality of being completely cut off from former teammates, Jong Tae-se’s goal is to become the head coach of the North Korea national team. Since North Korea has precedents of appointing foreign coaches, such as Czernai Pal (Hungary) and Jorn Andersen (Norway), it is not entirely impossible for Jong Tae-se, a resident of Japan, to join.
Reflecting on the enormous impact that participating in the 2010 South Africa World Cup had on him, Jong Tae-se is strengthening his resolve to raise the level of North Korean football in an environment where sports and politics are separated, so as to stand on the World Cup stage again.
Meanwhile, Jong Tae-se has recently drawn attention for issues beyond football by revealing his turbulent private life through a broadcast. He previously appeared on a variety show and disclosed serious in-law conflicts between his wife, Myung Seo-hyun, and his mother, and sparked controversy by confessing to debts worth over 5 billion won on Japanese television.
Recently, through the Japanese lifestyle magazine “Oceans,” he shared his daily life with his family, informing about his current status as he is active in various fields such as a football commentator, coach for Y.S.C.C. Yokohama, and broadcaster.
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*This content was translated by AI.View Original
