sports

The DPRK players bagged seven medals including three golds at the 2025 World Wrestling Championship in Croatia in September.

Han Chong Song

Though he had been so interested in Taekwon-Do (Korean orthodox martial art), Han switched to wrestling in his final year at primary school.

After learning the rudiments of wrestling at Waudo District Extracurricular Sports School, he trained hard and won the 32kg-category freestyle wrestling event of the national games of sports schools held in 2015.

Afterwards, he started his wrestling career at the April 25 Combat Sports Team and steadily improved his skills to distinguish himself in domestic competitions and took second place at the 57kg-category freestyle wrestling event of the 19th Asian Games.

His ardent enthusiasm to possess high abilities enabled him to win the 57kg-category freestyle wrestling event of both the 2025 Asian Wrestling Championships and the 2025 World Wrestling Championships.

Thus, he became the Asian and world champion in one year.

Yang Chun Song

Coach Yang Chun Song was behind Han Chong Song to help him become the Asian and world champion.

During his career as a wrestler, Yang became a twice Asian champion.

After starting to take charge of training Han in 2015, Yang organized training in a rational way to suit his figure and constitution and constantly improved training methods.

On the basis of the experience he gained during his wrestling career, he focused on scientific guidance in training and strove to make Han acquire various techniques.

His scientific and detailed guidance in training enabled Han to become an Asian and world champion.

O Kyong Ryong

O Kyong Ryong, wrestler of the Pyongyang Sports Club, learned the ABC of wrestling at Jongju City Extracurricular Sports School.

It is said that she made up her mind to become a world wrestling ace to exalt the honour of the country when she started her wrestling career at the Pyongyang Sports Club in 2015 after improving her basic techniques at the extracurricular sports school of the club.

With such determination, she was engrossed in training and thus won the women’s 49kg-category wrestling event of the then Asian juvenile wrestling championship in 2015.

Afterwards, she worked hard to acquire various skills, thus taking second place at the women’s 55kg-category wrestling event of the 2024 Asian Wrestling Championship and winning the same event of both the 2025 Asian Wrestling Championship and the 2025 World Wrestling Championship to become an Asian and world champion.

Choe Chol Su

Choe Chol Su, coach of the Pyongyang Sports Club, is in charge of Asian and world champion O Kyong Ryong.

After taking charge of her training in 2010, Choe channelled efforts into making her acquire basic techniques correctly. On that basis, he steadily raised the scientific level of guidance in training to make her acquire various techniques on a high level.

In those days, O Kyong Ryong was prepared to skilfully apply more than two special techniques and various other techniques.

Thanks to Choe’s prudent and enterprising guidance, O Kyong Ryong finally became a world wrestling ace.

Won Myong Gyong

Won Myong Gyong, wrestler of the Jangsan Sports Club, was born in Sinam District of Chongjin City, North Hamgyong Province.

She was unusually competitive in her childhood. With an ambition to become a world wrestling ace, Won devoted herself to training while playing at the club.

As a result, she won the women’s 40kg-category wrestling event of the then Asian juvenile wrestling championship in 2016 and came third at the women’s 50kg-category wrestling event of the 2019 Asian Junior Wrestling Championship.

Making exact demands on herself, she trained hard, thus winning a bronze medal at the women’s 50kg-category wrestling event of the 2025 Asian Wrestling Championship and a gold medal at the same event of the 2025 World Wrestling Championship.

Kim Hak Won

Won Myong Gyong became a world champion thanks to the guidance of Coach Kim Hak Won of the Jangsan Sports Club, one of competent coaches in the women’s wrestling circle of the country.

After taking charge of training Won in 2014, he guided her training in a methodological way while encouraging her to make effective use of her strong points—natural fast reaction speed and good flexibility.

While updating training means and methods to suit Won’s constitutional features, he increased the intensity of training.

Thanks to his devoted efforts and strict demands, Won honed her physical, technical and tactical abilities and distinguished herself in domestic games. Now she has become a world champion.