Zainichi Korean football player Ri Song-a under spotlight at 2026 Asian Games

Japanese media have turned their attention to Ri Song-a, a Zainichi Korean football player representing North Korea at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Zainichi Koreans are ethnic Koreans who reside in Japan, a community largely rooted in Koreans who migrated to Japan during the Japanese colonial rule and their descendants. Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported Tuesday that “North Korea won its opening women’s football match by a large margin,” noting that “the Japanese government made an exception to allow North Korean athletes to enter the country.” The North Korean women’s national football team, led by coach Pak Song-jin, defeated Bangladesh 10-0 in their opening Group F match of the women’s football tournament at Nagai Stadium in Osaka on Monday. North Korea is considered a powerhouse in women’s football at the Asian Games. Seeking its first gold medal since the 2014 Incheon Games, the team showed its offensive strength from the opening match of this year’s tournament. North Korean forward Ri started the match and played the full 90 minutes. She scored the t