Camille Naredo

Article (news)

football

<div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l_bwertABjs?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>INCHEON, South Korea -- A North Korean women&#x27;s football team landed in South Korea on Sunday, marking the first visit by a sports team from the isolated country to its southern neighbor in eight years, to play in the Asian Champions League semi-finals.</p><p>Naegohyang Women&#x27;s FC -- which means &quot;My Hometown&quot; in Korean -- emerged from South Korea&#x27;s Incheon International Airport near Seoul surrounded by throngs of reporters and supporters holding welcome signs.</p><p>A total of 39 North Korean players and staff, dressed in identical dark jackets and skirts and wheeling pink suitcases, were greeted by dozens of people from South Korean civic groups holding welcome signs.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/5/4/north-korean-club-to-play-rare-football-match-in-south-1229">READ: North Korean club to play rare football match in South</a></div><p>&quot;We welcome you!&quot; they said as the players walked past along a cordoned-off route under heavy security presence.</p><p>The players swiftly boarded a bus, which departed the airport under police escort.</p><p>&quot;I came here today to welcome the Naegohyang team players, who are visiting South Korea for the first time in eight years,&quot; civic group member Choi Young-ok told AFP.</p><p>But she cautioned against having lofty hopes that the event would improve relations between the two Koreas.</p><p>&quot;While I do hope it will help, I don&#x27;t think this match alone will solve anything significant unless the fundamental issues between the two sides are addressed,&quot; she said, without elaborating.</p><p>&quot;A sports match is just a sports match,&quot; she added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- Flags banned -</strong></div><p>Naegohyang Women&#x27;s FC, based in Pyongyang, will face Suwon FC Women in the semi-finals of the Women&#x27;s Asian Champions League on Wednesday.</p><p>Founded in 2012, the club won North Korea&#x27;s top-flight title in the 2021-22 season and defeated Suwon 3-0 during the tournament&#x27;s group stage last year.</p><p>The North Korean entourage arrived via Beijing on an Air China commercial flight and will stay at a hotel in Suwon, south of Seoul.</p><p>Local reports said the North and South Korean teams would stay at the same hotel but use separate dining areas and travel routes, limiting direct interaction.</p><p>Interest in the match has been intense, with more than 7,000 tickets selling out within hours.  The game will be at Suwon Sports Complex, which has a capacity of just under 12,000.</p><p>Seoul&#x27;s unification ministry has also provided funding for civic groups planning to support both teams at the game, describing the event as an opportunity to promote &quot;mutual understanding between the two Koreas&quot;.</p><p>According to local media, civic groups have been discussing cheering guidelines with the authorities, because waving North Korean national flags in public is prohibited under the national security law.</p><p>In past such events held in the South, civic groups instead waved flags depicting the Korean Peninsula.</p><p>Women&#x27;s football is one of North Korea&#x27;s strongest international sports, with their national teams regularly competing at the highest levels in Asia and globally.</p><p>North Korea are ranked 11th in the FIFA women&#x27;s rankings, far ahead of their men&#x27;s team, who are 118th.</p>

<p>A North Korean women's football team landed in South Korea on Sunday, marking the first visit by a sports team from the isolated country to its southern neighbour in eight years, to play in the Asian Champions League semi-finals.</p>

A North Korean women's football team landed in South Korea on Sunday, marking the first visit by a sports team from the isolated country to its southern neighbour in eight years, to play in the Asian Champions League semi-finals.

North Korean women footballers land in South ahead of rare match

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Sports

North Korean women footballers land in South ahead of rare match

Kang Jin-kyu,

Agence France-Presse

Published May 17, 2026 05:36 PM PHT

Read More:

Incheon

South Korea

North Korea

women's football

diplomacy

Asian Women's Champions League

Naegohyang Women's FC

Suwon FC Women

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.