Pak Li-sup

Pak was born on 6 January 1944 in Korea, Empire of Japan, in what became North Korea.{{Cite web|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/63874/Li_Sup_Pak.html|website=National-Football-Teams.com|title=Li-Sup Pak (Player)}} A defender, he played football at the club level for Amnokgang Sports Club in the DPR Korea Premier Football League, North Korea's top football 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, Pak 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. Pak 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. Pak 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}}

Pak was ultimately chosen as one of 22 players for the World Cup team.{{Cite web|url=https://fbref.com/en/players/dd030a31/Pak-Li-sup|website=FBref.com|title=Pak Li-sup Stats}}{{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 the time of the World Cup, he had appeared for the national team at least 10 times, according to the Evening Telegraph, although the Sunday Mirror reported the number to be seven caps. At the World Cup, the North Korean team played their home games at Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough, England, as part of the 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. Pak appeared in the first two games and played all 180 minutes, then was inactive for the subsequent matches.{{Cite web|url=https://fbref.com/en/players/dd030a31/matchlogs/1966/Pak-Li-sup-Match-Logs|website=FBref.com|title=Pak Li-sup 1966 Match Logs}} 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}} 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. Pak ended the World Cup with two appearances, playing 180 minutes.

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}} In 2002, the surviving members of the 1966 North Korean World Cup team were interviewed for the documentary film The Game of Their Lives; Pak 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 World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pak, Li-Sup}}

Category:1944 births

Category:North Korean men's footballers

Category:North Korea men's international footballers

Category:Men's association football defenders

Category:Amnokgang Sports Club players

Category:1966 FIFA World Cup players