Former K League player Ahn Young-hak makes surprise Asian Games appearance to support NK team
Former member of the North Korean national football team Ahn Young-hak, who also played in the K League, made a rare appearance in Japan to watch and support his former teammates and younger players at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Ahn attended the men's Group B opening match between China and North Korea on Wednesday at Wave Stadium Kariya in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture. Born in 1978 in…
Former North Korean footballer Ahn Young-hak made an unexpected appearance at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan to support his former North Korean teammates and the younger players. The 1978-born resident of Japan made his mark in international football with North Korea, earning 40 appearances between 2002 and 2012 while scoring three goals.
His professional career began in Japan's J.League with Albirex Niigata in 2002, followed by stints with Nagoya Grampus and Busan I Park in South Korea. Ahn's journey continued with a brief time at Suwon Samsung Bluewings in 2008, before returning to the J.League with Omiya Ardija in 2010. Maintaining his passion for football, Ahn transitioned to coaching after retiring as a player, running youth soccer classes with Xportsnews at halftime.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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