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By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) — A North Korean women’s football club will play a South Korean opponent at a regional tournament to take place near Seoul this month, the sport’s governing body here announced Monday.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) said Naegohyang Women’s FC will travel to Suwon, some 30 kilometers south of Seoul, to face Suwon FC Women in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League at 7 p.m. on May 20 at Suwon Stadium.
Members of the starting lineup for Naegohyang Women’s FC pose for a photo before taking on Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC in the clubs’ quarterfinal match at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League at Lao National Stadium KM16 in Vientiane, Laos, on March 28, 2026, in this file photo captured from the AFC’s website. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This will be the first appearance on South Korean soil by a North Korean women’s football club. The KFA said it was informed by the AFC of Naegohyang’s decision Friday.
In October 2018, South Korea hosted a six-nation, under-15 men’s football tournament in Chuncheon and Inje, Gangwon Province, with April 25 Sports Club and Ryomyong Sports Club from the North in action.
Naegohyang Women’s FC, sponsored by the namesake manufacturing company, will bring 27 players and 12-deep staff. They are scheduled to land at Incheon International Airport, via Beijing, on May 17.
In 2005 and 2013, the North Korean women’s national team traveled to South Korea to compete at the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Women’s Football Championship.
South Korea also hosted the EAFF competition in 2019 and 2025, but North Korea withdrew from both events.
The North’s women’s national team also competed at the 2014 Asian Games hosted by Incheon, just west of Seoul, and beat Japan for the gold medal.
The other semifinal match at the AFC event will be between Melbourne City FC of Australia and Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza of Japan at 2 p.m. on May 20, also at Suwon Stadium.
There will be a press conference for the four semifinalists in Suwon on the eve of their matches. The championship final will be 2 p.m. on May 23 at the same Suwon venue.
Naegohyang blanked Suwon FC Women 3-0 in their group-stage meeting on Nov. 12 in Myanmar.
Naegohyang finished second in Group C and then defeated Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Naegohyang opted not to host the match, which was played in Laos as the neutral venue instead.
Several Naegohyang players helped North Korea win titles at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and also the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
This is the second edition of the AFC Women’s Champions League, Asia’s top women’s club tournament.
North Korea did not have a club at the inaugural edition, after withdrawing from the tournament before the group stage draw. Incheon Red Angels represented South Korea as the 2023 WK League champions and lost to Melbourne City FC in the semifinals.
Kim Hye-yong of Naegohyang Women’s FC (R) celebrates after scoring a goal against Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC during the clubs’ quarterfinal match at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League at Lao National Stadium KM16 in Vientiane, Laos, on March 28, 2026, in this file photo captured from the AFC’s website. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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