North Korean Women's Football Team to Participate in South Korea in May, First Time Since 2018
Key facts
- North Korean Women's Football Team to Participate in South Korea in May, First Time Since 2018
- North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC will visit South Korea in May to compete in the AFC Women's Champions League, marking the first time a North Korean sports team has visited the South since 2018, representing a rare inter-Korean exchange.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: May 4, 2026
Direct answer
North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC will visit South Korea in May to compete in the AFC Women's Champions League, marking the first time a North Korean sports team has visited the South since 2018, representing a rare inter-Korean exchange.
- Citation
- North Korean Women's Football Team to Participate in South Korea in May, First Time Since 2018 (May 4, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- May 4, 2026
North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC will visit South Korea in May to compete in the AFC Women's Champions League, marking the first time a North Korean sports team has visited the South since 2018, representing a rare inter-Korean exchange.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 4, 2026 at 12:22
- 🔍 Collected: May 4, 2026 at 12:31 (9 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 4, 2026 at 12:36 (4 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Seoul 4th, comprehensive foreign news report) South Korea's Unification Ministry announced today that a North Korean women's football club will visit South Korea this month. This will be the first time a North Korean sports team has come to South Korea to compete since 2018.
Since the conflict between North and South Korea from 1950 to 1953 ended with an armistice agreement rather than a peace treaty, the two Koreas are technically still in a state of war, and sports and cultural exchanges between them are extremely rare.
According to AFP, South Korea's Unification Ministry stated that North Korean authorities issued a "notification" informing them that the Naegohyang Women's Football Club (Naegohyang Women's FC) will send a 39-member delegation to face South Korea's Suwon FC Women in the AFC Women's Champions League semi-finals on May 20.
The South Korean Unification Ministry noted that the delegation will include 27 players and 12 team staff members, but did not disclose the exact time of the team's arrival in South Korea.
The winner of this match will participate in the AFC Women's Champions League final on May 23, facing either Melbourne City from Australia or Tokyo Verdy Beleza from Japan.
The South Korean Unification Ministry stated in a press release: "The team that loses in the semi-finals will pack up and go home on Thursday, May 21, with no third-place match scheduled."
This match will be the first time a North Korean sports team has competed in South Korea since North Korea sent shooting, youth football, and table tennis delegations to South Korea in 2018.
The last time Pyongyang sent a women's football team to South Korea was in 2014, when the North Korean national team participated in the Asian Games in Incheon.
The North Korean women's national football team is one of Asia's top women's football teams, having repeatedly won international competitions in recent years, particularly excelling at the youth level. Their most recent championship was in November last year, when they defeated the Netherlands 3-0 in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup final. (Compiled by Chang Hsiao-Wen) 1150504
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(Central News Agency, Seoul 4th, comprehensive foreign news report) South Korea's Unification Ministry announced today that a North Korean women's football club will visit South Korea this month. This will be the first time a North Korean sports team has come to South Korea to compete since 2018.
Since the conflict between North and South Korea from 1950 to 1953 ended with an armistice agreement rather than a peace treaty, the two Koreas are technically still in a state of war, and sports and cultural exchanges between them are extremely rare.
According to AFP, South Korea's Unification Ministry stated that North Korean authorities issued a "notification" informing them that the Naegohyang Women's Football Club (Naegohyang Women's FC) will send a 39-member delegation to face South Korea's Suwon FC Women in the AFC Women's Champions League semi-finals on May 20.
The South Korean Unification Ministry noted that the delegation will include 27 players and 12 team staff members, but did not disclose the exact time of the team's arrival in South Korea.
The winner of this match will participate in the AFC Women's Champions League final on May 23, facing either Melbourne City from Australia or Tokyo Verdy Beleza from Japan.
The South Korean Unification Ministry stated in a press release: "The team that loses in the semi-finals will pack up and go home on Thursday, May 21, with no third-place match scheduled."
This match will be the first time a North Korean sports team has competed in South Korea since North Korea sent shooting, youth football, and table tennis delegations to South Korea in 2018.
The last time Pyongyang sent a women's football team to South Korea was in 2014, when the North Korean national team participated in the Asian Games in Incheon.
The North Korean women's national football team is one of Asia's top women's football teams, having repeatedly won international competitions in recent years, particularly excelling at the youth level. Their most recent championship was in November last year, when they defeated the Netherlands 3-0 in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup final. (Compiled by Chang Hsiao-Wen) 1150504
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Download the CNA "First-hand News" app to get the latest news instantly.
The text, images, audio, and video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.
FAQ
What are the key facts in this article?
North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC will visit South Korea in May to compete in the AFC Women's Champions League, marking the first time a North Korean sports team has visited the South since 2018, representing a rare inter-Korean exchange.
What is the direct answer?
North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC will visit South Korea in May to compete in the AFC Women's Champions League, marking the first time a North Korean sports team has visited the South since 2018, representing a rare inter-Korean exchange.
What is the source and date?
PR Times: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aopl/202605040078.aspx | May 4, 2026