North Korea accused of age fraud at Asian U17 tournament

Iran lost 1-4 to North Korea in the third round, finishing second in Group A with nine points, three points behind their opponents. Both teams have qualified for the finals.

Suspecting that North Korea had falsified their age, the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) sent a letter to the AFC requesting an investigation. "Even with the naked eye, the physical characteristics and body structure of some North Korean players show that they are over 17 years old," Iran's letter said. "The AFC needs to conduct random checks during matches to maintain the prestige of the tournament."

FFIRI named six players suspected of age fraud, including defenders Choe Chung-hyok, Choe Song-hun, Ri Kang-song, midfielder Han Il-bok, strikers Kim Yu-jin and Ri Kang-rim.

AFC has not yet made an official announcement in response to FFIRI's petition.

FFIRI believes that age fraud negatively affects young players both physically and mentally. In addition, playing against older players poses a high risk of injury. Iran has asked the AFC to conduct a standard bone measurement procedure for U17 players to determine their true age.

North Korea has long been suspected of age fraud in Asian and world youth tournaments. They were eliminated from the 2008 AFC U-16 Championship for fielding overage players, along with Tajikistan, Iraq, Cambodia, Macau, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan and Yemen.

The Korean Gymnastics Federation was banned for two years from October 5, 2010 to October 5, 2012 by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). The penalty was imposed after the FIG determined that athlete Hong Su-jong used three different birth years (1985, 1986 and 1989) when participating in international competitions since 2003.

Bone age is a common method for determining the age of children or adolescents before the age of 17, after which it is more difficult to calculate. The bone age is usually calculated by taking an X-ray of the arm or leg and comparing it with a standard Atlas.

FIFA has been using MRIs since the 2009 U17 World Cup. Based on medical research, FIFA says that each bone in the arms and legs has a growth plate. Once growth is complete (usually around age 17 or 18), this plate disappears on MRI scans. However, former FIFA medical director Jiri Dvorak says there is still a 1% margin of error.

North Korean football returned to the international stage in 2023, after a three-year shutdown due to Covid-19, and was immediately successful. The women's team won the 2024 U20 World Cup, then met the United States in the semi-finals of the 2024 U17 World Cup. The men's team qualified for the third round of the 2026 World Cup and the 2025 U20 and U17 Asian Cups.

In addition to beating Iran, North Korea also defeated Hong Kong 8-2, Syria 2-1 and host Jordan 3-0 in Group A of the 2025 AFC U-17 Championship qualifiers. The final round will take place from April 3, 2025 to April 20, 2025. North Korea is in Pot Four, along with Indonesia, Oman and the UAE. Pot Three includes Afghanistan, Tajikistan, China and Vietnam. Pot Two includes Iran, Yemen, Australia and Thailand. Pot One includes host Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea and Uzbekistan.

Previously, North Korea had participated in the AFC U16 and U17 finals 11 times. The team won the championship twice (2010, 2014), finished second twice (2004, 2006) and reached the semi-finals three times (1986, 1992, 2016). North Korea also participated in the FIFA U17 World Cup five times, in 2005, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2017.