North Korean women's football team to visit South Korea for first time in 8 years

North Korea's women's football team, 'Naegohyang Women's Football Club,' will visit South Korea for the first time in eight years. This visit is to participate in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League semifinals. The delegation, comprising 39 players and staff, will arrive at Incheon International Airport on the 17th. Their semifinal match against Suwon FC Women, scheduled for the 20th in Suwon, will mark their return to the South after an eight-year hiatus.

Foreign media outlets, including the UK's BBC, have also reported on the news. The British public broadcaster BBC reported on the North Korean football team's visit, noting it as the first instance of North Korean athletes crossing the border to visit South Korea since 2018.

Naegohyang Women's Football Club, founded in Pyongyang in 2012, is a North Korean women's football team with a championship title in the North's top league. The team advanced to the semifinals after defeating Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam 3-0 in the quarterfinals of the current tournament.

Ahead of Naegohyang Women's Football Club's participation in the AFC Women's Champions League semifinals, the government stated it would cooperate with the AFC and Suwon FC in managing the match. The Ministry of Unification explained that efforts would focus on supporting the procedures for the AFC-organized international match and ensuring the safety of the North Korean delegation.