Controversy Brews Over Use of Public Funds for North Korean Women's Football Support

Amidst the upcoming Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League (AWCL) semi-final match on May 20th, where a South Korean team will face a North Korean team, criticism has emerged from some quarters regarding the use of government funds to support the North Korean women's football squad.

The '2026 AFC-AWCL Women's Football Joint Cheering Squad,' composed of around 200 civic groups, issued a clarification after reports surfaced of a 'government-led cheering' initiative, stating that a portion of the Ministry of Unification's grants for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation had been allocated to North Korean team support projects. The joint cheering squad emphasized that the project was driven by civilian organizations, not at the behest of the government, and that their support is for the success of both teams, aligning with the fund's purpose of promoting inter-Korean exchange and cooperation.

Addressing criticisms that the announcement was unilateral and made without prior consultation with the Suwon FC Women's club and its supporters, the joint cheering squad expressed respect for the club and supporters working towards the advancement of women's football under challenging circumstances. They stated they understood the club and supporters' goal of winning the semi-final and advancing to the finals. The joint cheering squad clarified that their aim is to cheer for both teams to embody the spirit of 'fair play' and 'peace' on the field, differentiating their objective from that of the club and supporters, a distinction which the supporters reportedly understood.

Considering it is a club competition rather than a national match, there are no plans to use national designations (country names) on the field. The explanation for potentially displaying national designations alongside other text for purposes outside the match, such as welcoming the 'My Hometown Women's Football Team' visit and wishing them success, was based on the lack of public consensus on the official use of national designations.

The joint cheering squad believes this match can contribute to improving inter-Korean relations. They plan to continue inter-Korean exchange and cooperation through various international sports events. Jeong Wook-sik, Director of the Hankyoreh Peace Institute and Head of Peace Network, announced plans to recruit citizen cheering squads for upcoming events such as the Asian Games in Japan this autumn, the 2025 Brazil Women's World Cup, and the 2028 Pyongyang Asian Table Tennis Championships and the Los Angeles Olympics in the U.S., to cheer alongside overseas Koreans. They added that they would continue to support both South and North Korean athletes.