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South Koreans gear up to roar on football team from rival North
TL;DR
South Koreans will support North Korea's Naegohyang Women’s FC during their match against Suwon FC Women on May 20. This marks the first North Korean sports team visit to the South since 2018.
Key points
- Hundreds of South Koreans will cheer for North Korea's Naegohyang Women’s FC.
- The match is on May 20 in the Asian Champions League.
- First North Korean sports team visit to South since 2018.
- Countries remain technically at war since the 1950-53 conflict.
- Over 1,000 South Koreans may support the North Korean team.
Mentioned in this story
Suwon city
Naegohyang Women’s FCSuwon FC Women
Hundreds of South Koreans will cheer for a North Korean women’s football team when it makes a rare trip across the border for a continental semifinal this month.
North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s FC will play the South’s Suwon FC Women on May 20 in the Asian Champions League.
It will be the first time that a North Korean sports team has played in the South since 2018.
The countries technically remain at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
South Korean civic organisations are rallying groups of volunteers to roar on Naegohyang, with one predicting that more than 1,000 may end up backing the North Koreans at the match in Suwon city.
The groups support reconciliation between North and South Korea and often organise activities to promote their cause.
There will be no away fans because North Koreans cannot enter the South.
The Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation (KCRC) told the news agency AFP that it had already enlisted about 300 people.
“At a time when inter-Korean relations are severe, news of Naegohyang’s visit brings us hope that it will serve as an opportunity to rekindle the fading flame of peace,” the KCRC said.
The Korean Sharing Movement said it recruited 100 within an hour of posting an announcement on Wednesday, while the Hankyoreh Foundation for Reunification and Culture claimed about 60.
However, South Korean laws and political sensitivities make it uncertain how exactly the fans should hail their adopted heroes.
Under South Korean national security laws, it is illegal to own or brandish the North Korean flag or play its national anthem in public spaces.
The use of the Korean unification flag – a blue outline of the entire peninsula on a white background – may also be restricted under Asian Football Confederation rules banning political expression in stadiums.
An official at South Korea’s Ministry of Unification told reporters this month that club flags, not national ones, would be displayed during the match, and national anthems would not be played.
The winner of the semifinal will advance to the final of Asia’s top women’s club competition in Suwon on May 23, against either Australia’s Melbourne City or Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza.
Q&A
When is the North Korean women's football team playing in South Korea?
The North Korean women’s football team, Naegohyang, will play on May 20 against Suwon FC Women.
Why is the match between North and South Korean teams significant?
This match is significant as it is the first time a North Korean sports team has played in South Korea since 2018, highlighting rare cross-border sports diplomacy.
How many South Koreans are expected to support the North Korean team?
More than 1,000 South Koreans are expected to cheer for the North Korean team during the match in Suwon city.
