The warm mood of inter-Korean sports exchanges, dramatically resumed after eight years, is welcome, but it has become a cold dagger for the players who have shown fighting spirit at home. A lack of understanding about sports promoted under the banner of "inter-Korean peace" is creating a sense of relative deprivation in women's soccer.
Suwon FC Women, led by manager Park Gil-young, will face Naegohyang women's football club (North Korea) in the 2025-2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) women's Champions League (AWCL) semifinal at Suwon Sports Complex at 7 p.m. on the 20th.
This semifinal is a single-match tie that will determine the finalist. Also, according to the AFC's official bracket, the home team for the semifinal is Naegohyang of North Korea. However, it is also the first home match held on Korean soil. It is the first time in club history that Suwon FC Women will host a North Korean club team at home.
A North Korean delegation landing on South Korean soil to participate in a sporting event comes seven years and five months after the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour Grand Finals held in Incheon in December 2018.
In October 2018, North Korea's April 25 Sports Club and Yeomyeong Sports Club youth team participated in the Ari Sports Cup international football tournament held in Gangwon Province. However, that exchange was limited to the youth level.
In particular, the arrival of a North Korean women's football team in Korea is the first time in 12 years since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, and it is the first time in history at the club team level. It is certainly an event that attracts attention.
But the government stepped in over the keyword "North Korea." The Ministry of Unification decided to approve and promptly support a budget of 300 million won from the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Fund for joint cheering groups organized by civic groups to welcome Naegohyang women's football club's visit to the South.
Earlier, when Suwon FC Women advanced to the semifinals with a 4-1 rout of defending champion Wuhan Jiangda (China), the government showed no interest. When the opponent changed to North Korea, not only taxpayers' money but even the official accommodation that Suwon FC Women had planned to use had to be conceded to Naegohyang.
In particular, the inter-Korean joint cheering group reserved 3,000 seats at Suwon Sports Complex. That is more than half of the 5,000 paid seats excluding the invitation ticket allotment directly operated by the AFC out of the total 7,000 seats. They plan to cheer for both Suwon FC Women and Naegohyang simultaneously.
In the sports world, home fans' support is one of the factors that determine victory or defeat. No matter that Naegohyang is officially the home team on the bracket; in effect, a South Korean club has been reduced to the visiting team in its first home match on Korean soil. That is naturally why there is criticism.
Moreover, for players who have eaten bread soaked in tears competing for prize money of 20 million won on the harsh WK League women's soccer stage, this tournament is a tremendous opportunity. It is a major stage with a first-place prize of $100,000 (about 1.5 billion won).
In the 2017 women's Asian Cup qualifiers, the South Korea women's national team personally experienced the one-sided and fierce cheering of 50,000 North Korean spectators at Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung Stadium.
Although Jang Seul-gi's dramatic equalizer came in the 30th minute of the second half, they had to refrain even from celebrating for fear of North Korea's retaliation. North Korean spectators thoroughly ignored us. In the sports world, this is an entirely normal situation.
The Korea Football Association said it received an official letter from the AFC on the 7th. In the letter, the AFC said, "We understand the special relationship between South Korea and North Korea, but all priorities are football, and we ask that the tournament be kept separate from external political situations so it can proceed as a pure sporting event."
The AFC also said it "will not directly respond to various inquiries from domestic institutions and media outlets that are unrelated to football," and emphasized that "the Korea Football Association is the AFC's only official domestic communication channel regarding the tournament." It is a strict warning aimed at blocking political interpretations led by the government and some groups.
The U.K.'s BBC also noted that "this visit took place as President Lee Jae-myung of Korea sought to improve strained relations with North Korea," drawing attention to the tournament from a political perspective.
Suwon FC Women suffered a 0-3 defeat to Naegohyang in the second group-stage match of Group C at the tournament held last November in Yangon, Myanmar, which was the first-ever North-South club matchup.
Therefore, this return match is also a battle for Suwon FC Women's pride. They are regrouping and focusing on winning. Rival clubs in the WK League have even agreed to change league schedules as a magnanimous gesture for Suwon FC Women.
Political interest in the North Korean delegation that arrived after eight years is natural. But the players who have sweated for victory should not be left to cry alone at home.
According to the AFC, Naegohyang women's football club will enter the country via Incheon International Airport on the 17th after passing through Beijing, China, with 27 players and 12 staff. If Naegohyang defeats Suwon, they will play the winner of Melbourne City (Australia) and Tokyo Verdy Beleza (Japan) in the final at the same venue on the 23rd.
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