Sin Kum Dan, a woman athlete, made distinguished successes at international games in the 1960s. Sin was called queen of the world's track and field as she set new world records 11 times and won 28 gold medals at various international games, including the 1st GANEFO (Games of New Emerging Forces) in 1963, during her career as a sportswoman.

Ri Hung Chon, a weightlifter, renewed the world records in the men's 56kg jerk of two international games in 1963.

Han Phil Hwa took the second place in the women's 3,000 meter speed skating event of the 9th Winter Olympics in 1964, thus snatching a medal for the first time as an Asian at the Winter Olympics with a history of 40 years.

Footballers of the DPRK, too, advanced into the quarterfinals of the 8th World Cup in 1966 for the first time as an Asian team.

Though tens of years had passed, world media estimated that the then DPRK football team's victory in the match with twice World Cup holder Italian team 1:0 was one of the top ten World Cup news and one of the five shocks that the Asian teams gave to the world football circle.

The DPRK people still remember them and regard them as the national pride.