News Focus
- North Korean side Naegohyang will cross the border to face Suwon FC in the Asian Women’s Champions League semi-final on 20 May
- The travelling party includes 27 players and 12 staff members
- This marks the first visit by North Korean athletes to the South since the 2018 Winter Olympics
- The match takes place amid strained political relations between the two Koreas
- The winner will face either Melbourne City or Tokyo Verdy in the final on 23 May
North Korean women’s football club Naegohyang will travel to South Korea later this month. The team will play Suwon FC in the Asian Women’s Champions League semi-final on 20 May.
Pyongyang has sent a list of 27 players and 12 staff members for the trip. South Korea’s Unification Ministry confirmed the news. This will be the first time North Korean athletes have visited the South since the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. During those Games, the two countries formed a joint ice hockey team.
Relations between the two Koreas are currently very poor. North Korea recently called the South its “main enemy.” The two nations never signed a peace treaty after the Korean War ended in 1953. They are technically still at war. However, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung wants to improve ties between the countries.
Naegohyang beat Ho Chi Minh City from Vietnam 3-0 in the quarter-finals. This is their first time playing in the Champions League. The winner of the match will play the final in Suwon on 23 May. They will face either Melbourne City of Australia or Tokyo Verdy of Japan.