Han Bong-zin

Han was born on 2 September 1945 in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.{{Cite web|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/63880/Bong_Zin_Han.html|website=National-Football-Teams.com|title=Bong-Zin Han (Player)}} At the club level, he played for the 2.8 Sports Team in the country's top league.

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, Han 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. Han 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. Han 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. In 1965, Han competed for the national team at the Games of Emerging New Forces (GANEFO) and helped them go undefeated with a 3–1 win over China in the finals. Later in 1965, Han was a key player at the 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification, scoring two goals over Australia in the eliminating match, which made North Korea 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}}

Han, an outside right, 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}} He was the most experienced player on the squad and had a cap total listed by varying sources as 49, 52, or 72 by the time of the competition. Han was considered the best member of the North Korean team and received comparisons to Garrincha for his dribbling and Bobby Charlton for his shooting. The radio station in Pyongyang alleged that he "overshadows the world-renowned Brazilian player" – Pelé.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/grimsby-evening-telegraph/147008783/|newspaper=Grimsby Evening Telegraph|via=Newspapers.com|date=July 12, 1966|page=5|title=Han Bong Zin (He's Their Pele) may miss match}} {{Open access}} The Evening Telegraph mentioned him as being one of the top two stars of the team and noted that he "demoralised countless defences with his speed and skill, and he is a powerful two-footed kicker."

The North Korean team played all their first round 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. They 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}} In a massive upset, North Korea won 1–0 on a goal by Pak Doo-ik. The team eventually lost 5–3 in the quarterfinals to Portugal. Han started each of the four of the World Cup matches and played all 360 minutes.{{Cite web|url=https://fbref.com/en/players/18a03282/matchlogs/1966/Han-Bong-zin-Match-Logs|website=FBref.com|title=Han Bong-zin 1966 Match Logs}}

For the team's performance at the World Cup, all the players who appeared in a match were given the title of Merited Athlete, the second-highest honor for sportspeople in North Korea.{{Cite news |author=Chol-hwan, Kang |author-link=Kang Chol-hwan |date=4 March 2001 |title=수용소에서 만난 축구영웅 |url=https://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2001/03/04/2001030470149.html |newspaper=The Chosun Ilbo |language=Korean}} 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}}

Han later managed the North Korean national team from July 1980 to December 1981.{{Cite web|url=https://us.soccerway.com/coaches/bong-zin-han/108241/|website=Soccerway.com|title=Han Bong-zin}} In 2002, he was interviewed as one of the seven surviving members of the 1966 North Korean team in the documentary The Game of Their Lives and visited Middlesbrough with his former teammates. As of that year, he was serving as a coach and technical director for Pyongyang Sports Club.{{Cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-korean-soccer-stars-recall-the-game-of-their-lives-20021014-gdfq0k.html|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|title=North Korean soccer stars recall the game of their lives|date=14 October 2002}}

{{reflist}}

{{North Korea squad 1966 FIFA World Cup}}

{{North Korea national football team managers}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Han, Bong-zin}}

Category:1945 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Pyongyang

Category:North Korean men's footballers

Category:North Korea men's international footballers

Category:Men's association football midfielders

Category:1966 FIFA World Cup players

Category:North Korean military personnel