:Oh Yoon-kyung

Oh was born on 6 August 1941 in Korea, Empire of Japan, in what became North Korea.{{Cite web|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/63887/Yoon_Kyung_Oh.html|website=National-Football-Teams.com|title=Yoon-Kyung Oh (Player)}} In the domestic ranks, he played for the 8 August Sports Club in North Korea's top league. During his playing career, his height was 172 cm (5 ft 8 in).{{Cite web|url=https://fbref.com/en/players/2a3d5c87/Oh-Yoon-kyung|website=FBref.com|title=Oh Yoon-kyung Stats}}

In 1957, the North Korea national football team was re-organized with the goal of competing at the 1966 FIFA World Cup.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian/147005175/|newspaper=The Guardian|via=Newspapers.com|date=January 6, 1966|page=10|title=England are hosts to the elite|author=Barham, Albert}} {{Open access}} In {{circa}} 1962, Oh was chosen as one of the best 40 players from the North Korean leagues, whose membership reportedly consisted of over 250,000, to be considered for the national team.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-telegraph/147005880/|newspaper=Evening Telegraph|via=Newspapers.com|date=May 21, 1966|page=32|title=No squad better prepared than North Korea}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-chronicle/147005724/|newspaper=Evening Chronicle|via=Newspapers.com|date=June 23, 1966|page=18|title=Wizard dribbler with strong shot}} {{Open access}} The 40 players were enlisted into the Army as military officers, under the leadership of colonel and coach Myung Rye-hyun, and went under strict training for the next four years in preparation for the cup. Oh and the others trained twice a day starting at 6:00 a.m. and were under other restrictions which included being unmarried, no smoking, no drinking, and (for the last six months) being in bed by 10:00 p.m.

In early 1965, the North Korean leagues were suspended to allow the roster to focus solely on the task of making the World Cup. Oh and the rest of the players gained experience by playing a number of international matches against nations including North Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia and China. The team competed at that year's Games of Emerging New Forces (GANEFO) and went undefeated, with a 3–1 win over China in the finals. Later in 1965, they played at the 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification and defeated Australia to become the sole qualifier from the African, Asian and Oceanic zone.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-daily-post-merseyside-ed/147007761/|newspaper=Liverpool Daily Post|via=Newspapers.com|date=July 8, 1966|page=18|title=Han Bong Jin–he dribbles like Garrincha, shoots like Charlton}} {{Open access}}

Oh, a midfielder and defender, was ultimately chosen as one of 22 players for the World Cup team.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-mirror/147008114/|newspaper=Sunday Mirror|via=Newspapers.com|date=May 8, 1966|page=39|title=Meet The Twenty-Two Football Wizards From Pyongyang}} {{Open access}} By that time, he had been capped for the national team a total of 55 times, according to the Evening Telegraph, although the Sunday Mirror reported it to be 102 caps. At the World Cup, the North Korean team played their home games at Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough, England, as part of Group 4 in the tournament which included the Soviet Union, Chile and Italy.{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/tees/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8739000/8739539.stm|publisher=BBC|title=When Middlesbrough hosted the 1966 World Cup Koreans |date=15 June 2010}} Projected as having little chance of success, the team lost their first match, 3–0 against the Soviet Union, before tying Chile 1–1. Oh was inactive for the first game against the Soviet Union but started against Chile and played all 90 minutes. The team then played against heavily-favored Italy to determine the qualifier to the next round.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/oct/18/newsstory.sport|newspaper=The Guardian|title=North Korea in town to relive game of their lives|date=18 October 2002|author=White, Jim}} The Guardian noted that despite how heavily favored Italy was, "Shin Yung Kyoo, Ha Jung Won and Oh Yoon Kyung were the equals of Mazzola, Perani and Barison."{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/1966/jul/19/worldcup2006.sport|newspaper=The Guardian|title=North Koreans profit by Italy's misfortune|date=19 July 1966|author=Lacey, David|url-access=registration}} In a massive upset, North Korea won 1–0 on a goal by Pak Doo-ik. They eventually lost 5–3 in the quarterfinals to Portugal. Oh appeared in the last three games of the tournament for North Korea, starting each while playing all 270 minutes in those games.

For the team's performance at the World Cup, all the players were given the honor of Merited Athlete.{{Cite news|url=https://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2001/03/04/2001030470149.html|newspaper=The Chosun Ilbo|title=수용소에서 만난 축구영웅|author=Chol-hwan, Kang|author-link=Kang Chol-hwan|date=4 March 2001|language=Korean}} Oh, however, was one of three – along with Pak Do-ik and Shin Yung-kyoo – to be given the honor of People's Athlete, the most prestigious title awarded to North Korean athletes. After the World Cup, it was rumored that the North Korean squad was imprisoned for celebrating the win over Italy in a bar; however, when interviewed in 2002, several players denied this.{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/korea-boys-of-66-are-alive-and-kicking-9130281.html|newspaper=The Independent|title=Korea boys of '66 are alive and kicking|date=12 November 2001|author=Macleod, Calum}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jun-22-fg-noshow22-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|title=1966 World Cup Upstarts Absent but Not Forgotten|author=Demic, Barbara|date=22 June 2002}}

In 2002, the surviving members of the 1966 North Korean World Cup team were interviewed for the documentary film The Game of Their Lives; Oh was deceased by this time.{{Cite news|url=http://nk.chosun.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=24612|newspaper=NK Chosun|title=북한 월드컵 8강주역들 영국 방문|date=16 October 2002|language=Korean}}

{{reflist}}

{{North Korea squad 1966 FIFA World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oh, Yoon-kyung}}

Category:1941 births

Category:Date of death unknown

Category:North Korean men's footballers

Category:North Korea men's international footballers

Category:Men's association football defenders

Category:1966 FIFA World Cup players

Category:North Korean military personnel

Category:Men's association football midfielders