The government has decided to provide 300 million won in cheering expense support to a civic group that organized a cheering squad for the North Korean women's soccer team "Naegohyang Women's Soccer Team," which is visiting the South.
The Ministry of Unification met with reporters at Government Complex Seoul on the 12th and said, "Considering that this event contributes to enhancing mutual understanding between the two Koreas, the government has decided to support the cheering squad with the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund."
The background for the support, it said, is that after the disclosure of Naegohyang Women's Soccer Team's visit to Korea and participation in the tournament, various requests from civic groups related to cheering were made. The civic groups pushing to form the cheering squad are known mainly to be organizations related to separated families and inter-Korean exchange and cooperation groups.
The Ministry of Unification decided through a review by the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund Management Deliberation Committee the previous day to support a total of 300 million won as cheering expense for civic groups. The support items are expenses necessary for cheering squad activities, such as game tickets and cheering tools.
When the civic group that runs the cheering squad submits proof of cheering expense to the South-North Korea Exchanges and Cooperation Support Association (SONOSA), the association will review it and provide the fund.
While the content of activities such as cheering chants will basically be left to the autonomy of civic groups, given the special nature of the case, the Ministry of Unification plans to provide a separate cheering guideline.
Since defining inter-Korean relations as an "antagonistic relationship between two states" at the end of 2023, North Korea has shown resistance in international competitions to outside reporters, including those from Korea, using the term "North Korea." On the 6th, it deleted the reunification clause through a constitutional amendment, removing concepts of ethnic relations and reunification such as "northern half," "national reunification," and "complete victory of socialism."
Meanwhile, Naegohyang Women's Soccer Team is scheduled to enter the country via Incheon Airport on the 17th and play the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League (AWCL) semifinal against Suwon FC Women in Suwon on the 20th.