Naegohyang Women’s FC to compete with Suwon FC Women in semifinals of AFC Women's Champions League in Suwon on May 20
A North Korean women’s soccer club will visit South Korea this month to compete in the Asian Football Confederation Women's Champions League, marking the first time a team from the North has competed in the South in eight years.
In a rare inter-Korean sports exchange, Pyongyang’s Naegohyang Women’s FC will face Suwon FC in the AFC Women’s Champions League semifinals on May 20 at 7 p.m. at Suwon Stadium, according to the Korea Football Association on Monday.
The delegation, comprising 27 athletes and 12 staff members, is scheduled to arrive on May 17.
It will be the first time since September 2018 that a North Korean sports team has competed in the South, when athletes took part in the ISSF World Championships in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. It marks the first soccer match since the 2014 Asian Games, as well as the first ever by a North Korean women’s club.
The move appears to be linked to the AFC's efforts. During a FIFA Council meeting in Vancouver on Saturday, AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa met with North Korean Sports Minister Kim Il-guk and reportedly praised the North's women's football system as a model for other countries in the region.
North Korea withdrew from most international sporting events during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing strict border controls, but has gradually returned to global competition since 2023, including the 2024 Paris Olympics. Pyongyang also plans to send about 150 athletes across 17 sports to the 2026 Asian Games slated for September in Japan.
Despite its return to the international stage, however, inter-Korean sports exchanges have remained frozen. Tensions deepened after Pyongyang redefined relations with Seoul in late 2023 as those between "two hostile states," cutting off dialogue and exchanges. It has also declined Invitations to recent events, including last year's World Archery Championships in Gwangju.
Amid the tension, the decision to send its delegation to South Korea reflects Pyongyang’s growing confidence in its women’s soccer program, which has seen a recent uptick in international success, according to critics.
The two Koreas met twice at last month’s AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup in Thailand, with the North winning both matches. Naegohyang Women's FC also secured a 3-0 win over Suwon FC Women in the group stage of the continental tournament in Yangon last November.
Founded in 2012, Naegohyang Women’s FC rose to prominence after winning the North Korean top-flight title in the 2021–22 season. The roster also includes several players from the U-17 and U-20 Women’s World Cup-winning squads.
junheee@heraldcorp.com
