1 of 7 | A player for Naegohyang Women’s FC of North Korea shoots as opponents from South Korea’s Suwon FC Women give chase Wednesday night in Suwon. Naegohyang won 2-1 in the rare inter-Korean soccer match. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI
A North Korean women’s soccer squad won the first sporting event played by team from the North in South Korea since 2018 — a 2-1 triumph in steady rain Wednesday 18 miles south of Seoul.
South Korea’s government had promoted the game and expressed hope it could help improve ties between the two governments.
Captain Kim Kyong-yong, of North Korea’s Naegohyang FC, scored the game-winning goal against South Korea’s Suwon FC in the Asian Champions League semifinal at Suwon Stadium in the Gyeonggi Province. That score came from a 67th-minute header.
Nearly 5,800 fans attended the match, the first sporting event played by North Korean players in South Korea since a unified Korean table tennis squad competed at a 2018 tournament in Incheon.
Naegohyang advanced to Saturday’s finals of the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League, where it will face Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza for a $1 million prize.
The match unfolded against a tense backdrop on the Korean Peninsula, where relations between Seoul and Pyongyang have remained frozen for years.
Naegohyang coach Ri Yu-il told reporters before the match that his players came to the country with a sole focus on the match.
Suwon coach Park Kil-young told Yonhap that his players and staff were impacted by home fans being outnumbered by Naegohyang supporters.
“We are Suwon FC Women of the Republic of Korea,” Park said. “Throughout the match, our players and our staff felt hurt.”
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Wednesday he believed the event would “set a good precedent in inter-Korean relations that have been effectively cut off over the past eight years.”
“We need steps to build trust again,” Chung said.
The ministry said last week it would provide about $200,000 in government funding to South Korean civic groups organizing cheering squads for both teams.
About 2,500 supporters had been expected, though the rain appeared to dampen turnout. Fans who did attend remained enthusiastic, chanting, waving banners and playing percussion instruments throughout the match. Overall attendance was reported at nearly 5,800.
Naegohyang supporter Kim Deok-hyeong said he was less interested in the result than the symbolism of the game.
“We’re not focusing on the playing skills,” the 64-year-old said. “We want to prioritize harmony between the North and the South.”
Kim, who said he has family ties to North Korea, wore a shirt and hat bearing the Naegohyang logo.
“We’re setting aside military and political ideologies,” he said. “We simply want to pursue peace through sports competitions.”
Other spectators said they were more interested in the soccer than the political implications.
“I came because I support the team,” Suwon fan Cho-i said. “I don’t care about the politics.”
Still, the 20-year-old student said the North Korean team held a certain fascination.
“I’ve never watched a North Korean team before,” he said. “I’m curious.”
The match proved to be an entertaining back-and-forth contest. Suwon controlled much of the opening half and broke through in the 49th minute when Haruhi Suzuki volleyed home a deflected ball from close range.
Naegohyang equalized six minutes later through a header by Choe Kum Ok following a free kick before captain Kim scored the winner.
Suwon had a chance to equalize with about 10 minutes remaining when former Chelsea midfielder Ji So-yun was awarded a penalty, but she sent the spot kick wide.
Relations between North and South Korea have deteriorated sharply in recent years, with North Korea recently revising its constitution to remove references to peaceful reunification with the South.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has sought to ease tensions since taking office in June, calling for renewed dialogue and taking conciliatory steps such as dismantling border propaganda loudspeakers.
Pyongyang has largely rebuffed those overtures, while continuing to expand its military posture. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this week called for building an “impregnable fortress” along the border with the South.
Naegohyang, founded in 2012 and backed by a domestic manufacturing company, has emerged as a rising force in North Korean women’s soccer. The club won the country’s top league in the 2021-22 season and includes several players from North Korea youth teams that captured recent FIFA U-17 and U-20 Women’s World Cups.
North Korea’s women’s national team is ranked 11th in the world and second in Asia, according to FIFA.
