SEOUL — On a muddy pitch in Hamhung, his North Korean hometown, Jung De-han practiced his goal-scoring and tackling skills day and night in hopes of emulating Diego Maradona’s rise from poverty to international soccer stardom.
As a 15-year-old, he cheered when North Korea played in the 2010 World Cup. He dreamed of joining his heroes on the world stage, where, he said, he would ditch his dirty jersey and ripped sneakers for their red uniforms.
Two years later, he fled North Korea for a new life in the South.
On Tuesday, Jung, who trains in a Nike jersey and Adidas cleats with an amateur club, plans to root for his adopted home as the two Koreas face off in a qualifier match in Pyongyang for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.