Nickname: Chollima (Thousand-mile horses)
Manager: Kim Jong-Hun
Previous World Cup appearances: One
Best finish: First Round, 1966
Key players:
Hong Yong-Jo
Jong Tae-Se
Choe Kum-Chol
England aren't the only footballing nation who will be looking to recapture the spirit of 1966 out in South Africa - North Korea also look back on that year as the pinnacle of their footballing achievement.
The North Koreans, who were making their first and, until now, only appearance in the World Cup finals, caused one of the biggest shocks in tournament history when they beat Italy 1-0 at Ayresome Park.
They very nearly topped even that achievement in the quarter-finals, taking a 3-0 lead over Portugal before a Eusebio-inspired fightback saw them lose 5-3.
North Korea - or Korea DPR, as FIFA would rather you call them - have not set foot at a World Cup finals ever since. This hasn't always been because of a failure to qualify; sometimes they haven't even bothered to enter, which is perhaps hardly surprising as one of the world's most insular states.
But while the nation's leaders preach 'Juche' or self-reliance, the North Korean Football Association appear to have taken a more pragmatic and outward-looking approach.
Not only were they prepared to offer the job of national coach to Sven Goran Eriksson, but they are also happy to tolerate more than one of their stars playing across the border in South Korea, despite the fact that the two nations are still technically at war.
Several other players have been allowed to join foreign clubs: midfielder Hong Yong-Jo plays for Russian club Rostov, while both Pak Chol-ryong and Kim Kuk-jin were permitted to move to Switzerland.
The North Koreans have also recruited several players from the 600,000-strong Korean community in Japan, known as Zainichi, including star midfielder Ahn Young-hak.
So what is the team like?
As a country that prizes collective action above bourgeois indvidualism, it is not surprising to learn that the North Koreans are well-organised, disciplined and committed.
Their success in qualifying was built on a strong defence, which saw them concede just five goals in eight games. Sadly, going forward is more of a problem: they managed just seven goals, less than any other team in their group.
And, like neighbours South Korea and Japan, it is open to question as to whether they have the strength and physical presence to compete with many Western nations.
Expectation levels back home will be sky-high that their boys can emulate the spirit of '66. A more realistic hope might be that they won't have another 44 years of hurt until they next qualify for a World Cup.
