(LEAD) (Asiad) N. Korea blow lead in loss to China in men's football

North Korea suffered a 2-1 defeat to China in their opening match of the men's football tournament at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday. North Korea failed to capitalize on Choe Kuk's early 27th-minute goal, falling behind after Zhang Yuning equalized for China in the 44th minute. Wu Xi sealed the win for China with a goal in the 68th minute.

North Korea will next face the United Arab Emirates and will close out their group play against Iran, both matches set for the same venue at Kariya. Coached by Ri Kwang-chon, the North Koreans aim to win their first Asian Games men's football medal since securing silver in Incheon in 2014. North Korea's efforts resulted in a series of missed opportunities, with the team hitting the crossbar twice in the second half, most notably by Cho Ryong-il in the 57th minute and Paek Chung-song in the 82nd minute.

Despite outshooting China 19-10 and having a 65-35 advantage in possession, North Korea could not secure a victory. The two best teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals, with Group A teams facing Group B teams and Group C teams competing against Group D teams. While South Korea is favored to advance from Group D, the two Koreas will not face each other in the quarterfinals even if both make it through.

The North Korean men's team played in front of a dedicated crowd of fans wearing red t-shirts, who supported them with ThunderStix and encouraging signs.