Cologne signs Jong Tae-se

North Korea’s Jong Tae-se poses with his new jersey on Monday. (AFP-Yonhap News)

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) ― Cologne says its has signed North Korea striker Jong Tae-se from second-division side Bochum.

The Bundesliga club did not disclose how much it paid for the 27-year-old forward or the length of the contract.

Jong, who is called Chong Te-se in Germany, will step in for the injured Lukas Podolski who was ruled out for at least three weeks with a foot injury.

Podolski partially tore a tendon in his left foot during Saturday’s 4-1 league defeat at home to Schalke.

Sporting director Volker Finke says Jong fits Cologne’s requirements “exactly.”

Jong scored 14 goals and set up five more for Bochum since arriving from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale in 2010. He played for North Korea at the 2010 World Cup.