An Yong-hak
A North Korean midfield dynamo born in Japan, whose international career became a unique symbol of football's complex diasporic identities.
Born 1978 (age 48)·North Korean footballer·Birthday: October 25·Generation X
Biography
An Yong-hak's football story is woven from the threads of geopolitics and personal identity. Born in Kyoto, Japan, to Korean parents who were members of the pro-North Korean Chongryon organization, he came of age in the Japanese football system. A tough, defensive midfielder, he played professionally for several J-League clubs, including Bellmare Hiratsuka and Omiya Ardija. Despite his life in Japan, he chose to represent North Korea internationally, a decision that required special permission from Japanese authorities. He became a mainstay for the Chollima, earning over 30 caps and playing in two World Cup qualifying campaigns. His presence on the pitch was a quiet but powerful statement, a footballer navigating a unique space between two worlds, using sport as a bridge for an identity that official maps rarely acknowledge.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
An was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When An Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
An's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Earned over 30 caps for the North Korea national football team as a defensive midfielder.
- Played professionally in the J-League for over a decade with clubs including Omiya Ardija and Suwon Samsung Bluewings (K-League).
- Represented North Korea in multiple AFC Asian Cup tournaments.
- Featured prominently in North Korea's qualifying campaigns for the 2007 and 2011 AFC Asian Cups.
Did You Know?
He was born and raised in Kyoto, Japan, and attended Kyoto Korean High School.
An holds a special permanent residency status in Japan, granted to certain Chongryon-affiliated Koreans.
After retiring, he worked as a coach for the youth academy of J-League club Yokohama F. Marinos.
His father was a former footballer for the North Korean national team.
“I play for Korea, the whole of Korea, with all my heart on the pitch.”
