DAVID GRAY / AFP

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North Korea's Myong Yu-Jong scored a hat trick as her nation made a triumphant return to the Women's Asian Cup with a 3-0 thumping of Uzbekistan.

The Koreans, in their first Asian Cup match since 2010, dominated the Uzbeks in the Group B opener in Parramatta in western Sydney on Tuesday.

Myong netted her hat trick in the initial 41 minutes -- she was then benched just before half-time -- in an ominous display from the three-time champions.

North Korea, who won titles in 2001, 2003 and 2008, haven't featured in the cup since losing the final to Australia in 2010.

The absence came amid a period including doping bans -- five players tested positive to prohibited substances at the 2011 Women's World Cup and the nation was banned from the next global cup four years later -- poor results, and the COVID pandemic.

But the world No. 9 ranked outfit flexed their collective muscle against the world No. 49 Uzbeks, who not only lost the game but also lost their first-choice goalkeeper to injury.

Shot-stopper Maftuna Jonimqulova was stretchered from the field with a neck injury in just the eighth minute after a teammate fell on her during a goal-mouth scramble. By that time, the Uzbeks were already in arrears after Myong scored the opening goal six minutes into the game. The Korean attacker fired a sweetly-timed right-footer into the net when a rebound fell to her about seven metres from goal.

Myong scored again from the penalty spot in the 21st minute after her teammate Chae Un-Yong was shoved in the back and felled by Uzbekistan's Zarina Mamatkarimova.

And in the 41st minute, the Korean completed her hat trick with another penalty after a Uzbek handball in the box; Myong repeated her initial spot-kick, again shooting into the low left corner of the net.

The Uzbeks showed greater defensive steel in the second half but never threatened in attack -- they managed one shot on goal in the match; the Koreans had 28.