GOLD COAST, Australia — North Korea has qualified for the Women’s World Cup for the first time since a doping saga in 2011 led to its long absence from top-tier international tournaments. Hong Song Ok scored a hat trick in a 4-0 win over Taiwan on Thursday in playoffs at the Women’s Asian Cup to determine the confederation's fifth and sixth qualifiers for next year's World Cup in Brazil. Angela Beard and Jaclyn Sawicki scored in a six-minute span to help the Philippines secure a World Cup spot with a 2-0 victory over Uzbekistan in the afternoon game. There were six guaranteed World Cup spots on offer at the continental championship, with Australia, Japan, China and South Korea assured places as quarterfinal winners. The quarterfinal losers went into playoffs at the Gold Coast for the fifth and sixth spots. Taiwan and Uzbekistan still have another chance to qualify for Brazil via inter-confederation playoffs. The Women's Asian Cup concludes Saturday with the final between Australia and Japan. North Korea's comeback Back in 2011, North Korea officials blamed traditional medicines based