North Korea-Japan Asian Games soccer quarterfinals concluded, raising concerns about a repeat of rough matches from the past

With the match between North Korea and Japan taking place in men's soccer at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, attention is focused on whether the rough match that took place at the Hangzhou Asian Games three years ago will be repeated.

According to the tournament organizing committee, the North Korean men's soccer team will face the host country, Japan, in the quarterfinals to be held at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan at 7:30 pm on the 26th.

North Korea was on the verge of elimination with 1 draw and 1 loss until the second game of the group stage, but miraculously won a spot in the quarterfinals by defeating Iran 4-1 in the last game of the group stage, which they had to win by a large margin.

There are concerns in some quarters that North Korea may express its recently rising anti-Japanese sentiment by facing Japan in the difficult-to-achieve quarterfinal match.

North Korea is criticizing Japan's 'militarist rampage' day after day, changing the formality and form of statements and comments by high-ranking figures such as Labor Party Director Kim Yo-jong.

There is a possibility that North Korean people's anti-Japanese sentiment has also heightened in that the criticisms made by the regime are being conveyed to the North Korean people through the Rodong Sinmun, which North Koreans read.

North Korea and Japan actually have a 'bad relationship' when they met and clashed at the Asian Games.

In the men's soccer quarterfinals of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games Stadium in 2023 at the Xiaoshan Sports Center Stadium in Zhejiang Province, China, North Korean players received a warning for stealing water from a Japanese staff member and making threatening actions when the game did not go as planned. After losing, they violently protested by pushing the referee.

One player even received a warning for taking a threatening stance toward Japanese medical staff who entered the ground during a brief stoppage in the game.

North Korea lost the game 1-2 and failed to advance to the semifinals.

After the match ended, the Japan Football Association sent an official letter to the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) pointing out that the North Korean players' actions were anti-sports.

At the time, North Korean coach Shin Yong-nam said in a press conference after the game, "It is true that (the players) were a little excited by the incorrect call today," and again blamed the referee, saying, "I think it is an insult to soccer if the referees are not fair."

There are also voices of concern in Japan ahead of a confrontation with North Korea.

Japanese sports media Higashipo reported on the 24th, "As Japan's opponent in the quarterfinals is decided to be North Korea, concerns are rising one after another on social media."