FC Korea
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese football club playing in the Kanto Soccer League, one of the Japanese Regional Leagues
.
, the pro-North Korea
organization of Koreans in Japan, and recruited talent through the Korea University
sports program.
Following the admission of the abductions of Japanese people
by North dictator Kim Jong-il
in 2002, however, the club severed links with Chongryon and adopted the name Football Club Korea, using the English pronunciation
of the name of the peninsula (see Names of Korea
). The club adopted a pan-Korean identity in order to attract players affiliated with the South.
In 2008 F.C. Korea was promoted to the Kanto League Second Division and in 2010 they were promoted to the First Division. They have announced intentions to potentially become a J. League club; however, given the saturation of clubs in the Kanto region and their identity as an ethnic club, progress is unlikely.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese football club playing in the Kanto Soccer League, one of the Japanese Regional Leagues
Japanese Regional Leagues
Japanese Regional Leagues are a group of parallel association football leagues in Japan that are organized on the regional basis...
.
History
The club was founded in 1961 as Zainichi Chosen Football Club. Initially it maintained links with ChongryonChongryon
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan , abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chae Ilbon Chosŏnin Ch'ongryŏnhaphoe in Korean or Zai-Nihon Chōsenjin Sōrengōkai in Japanese), abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents...
, the pro-North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
organization of Koreans in Japan, and recruited talent through the Korea University
Korea University (Japan)
Korea University is a university located in Kodaira, Tokyo. It was established by ethnic activist association and de-facto North Korean embassy Chongryon on 10 April 1956. Korean is the medium of instruction...
sports program.
Following the admission of the abductions of Japanese people
North Korean abductions of Japanese
The abductions of Japanese citizens from Japan by agents of the North Korean government happened during a period of six years from 1977 to 1983. Although only 17 Japanese are officially recognized by the Japanese government as having been abducted, there may have been as many as 70 to 80...
by North dictator Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
in 2002, however, the club severed links with Chongryon and adopted the name Football Club Korea, using the English pronunciation
Wasei-eigo
are Japanese pseudo-Anglicisms: English constructions not used in the English-speaking world or by native English speakers, but that appear in Japanese. This should not be confused for foreign words gairaigo, which generally refer to words from European languages, especially American English...
of the name of the peninsula (see Names of Korea
Names of Korea
There are various names of Korea in use today, derived from ancient kingdoms and dynasties. The modern English name Korea is an exonym derived from the Goryeo period and is used by both North Korea and South Korea in international contexts...
). The club adopted a pan-Korean identity in order to attract players affiliated with the South.
In 2008 F.C. Korea was promoted to the Kanto League Second Division and in 2010 they were promoted to the First Division. They have announced intentions to potentially become a J. League club; however, given the saturation of clubs in the Kanto region and their identity as an ethnic club, progress is unlikely.