For first time in years, North Korean women's football team to play in South Korea
Al Jazeera English
Naegohyang FC will face Suwon FC in the AFC Women's Champions League semifinal on May 20, marking the first time a North Korean sports team has competed in South Korea since 2018. The North Korean delegation of 27 players and 12 staff arrives via Beijing on May 17. The match is a rare sporting exchange between the two Koreas amid ongoing tensions.
On May 20, North Korean women's football club Naegohyang FC will face South Korea's Suwon FC in the AFC Women's Champions League semifinal at Suwon Sports Complex, south of Seoul. This marks the first time a North Korean sports team has competed on South Korean soil since 2018.
South Korea's Ministry of Unification confirmed the news, emphasizing that sports and cultural exchanges between the two countries remain extremely rare due to the technical state of war still in effect since the 1950–1953 conflict.
According to the Ministry's announcement, the North Korean delegation will consist of 27 players and 12 staff. They will arrive at Incheon Airport on a flight of Air China via Beijing on May 17.
Naegohyang FC was founded in 2012 and is based in the capital Pyongyang. The majority of its squad are players who have represented the national team, a powerhouse in Asian women's football. In recent years, the North Korean women's national team has won numerous international titles, especially at youth level, most recently a 3-0 victory over the Netherlands in the U-17 Women's World Cup final in November 2024.
The winner of the semifinal will face Melbourne City (Australia) or Tokyo Verdy Beleza (Japan) in the final on May 23 in Suwon. The losing team will return home on May 21, as there is no third-place match.
The last time a North Korean sports team visited South Korea for competition was in 2018, covering sports such as shooting, youth football, and table tennis. The North Korean women's national team previously competed in the Asian Games in Incheon in 2014.
