North Korean team Naegohyang to play Suwon in rare South Korea visit
North Korean women’s football team Naegohyang will cross the border to play Suwon in the Asian Women’s Champions League semi-final on 20 May, marking a historic sporting visit to South Korea.
Pyongyang authorities have submitted a travel roster featuring 27 players and 12 staff members ahead of the highly anticipated fixture.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry officially confirmed the upcoming trip, highlighting its geopolitical significance.
First sporting delegation since 2018
This event will represent the first time athletes from the north have crossed the heavily fortified border since the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics six years ago.
During those 2018 games, the two nations famously joined forces to form a unified ice hockey team.
The rare sporting exchange arrives during a period of complex diplomatic relations on the peninsula.
Efforts are currently being made by South Korean leadership to improve ties, despite recent rhetoric from the north designating their southern neighbours as a “most hostile state”.
Technically, the two nations remain at war because a formal peace treaty was never signed following the conclusion of the Korean War in 1953.
Champions League debutants seek final spot
On the pitch, the visiting side are currently enjoying a remarkable debut campaign in the continental tournament.
The Pyongyang-based outfit secured their semi-final berth by convincingly defeating Vietnamese club Ho Chi Minh City 3-0 in the previous round.
Whoever emerges victorious from this unprecedented clash will advance to face either Melbourne City or Tokyo Verdy.
That final is scheduled to take place just three days later, with Suwon retaining hosting duties on 23 May.