South Korean Women's Football Coach 'Hurt' by Home Crowd Support for North Korea After Semi-Final Loss
South Korea's Suwon FC women's team lost to North Korea's Naegohyang in the AFC Women's Champions League semi-final. Suwon's head coach, Park Gil-yeong, expressed that he was 'very hurt' by the home crowd's cheers for the North Korean team, which were led by a group supported by South Korea's Ministry of Unification. The match marked the first visit by a North Korean sports team in eight years and drew significant attention, with tickets selling out rapidly.
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- 📰 Published: May 21, 2026 at 16:05
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South Korean women's football team Suwon FC was defeated by North Korea's Naegohyang team in the AFC Women's Champions League semi-final yesterday. Head coach Park Gil-yeong emotionally stated he was 'very hurt' by the cheers for the North Korean team at their home ground.
According to AFP, this was the first time in eight years a North Korean sports team has set foot in South Korea and the first time the two Koreas' women's football teams have played each other in the South, drawing high public interest. The 7,087 general admission tickets released last week sold out within hours.
The semi-final was held at the open-air Suwon Sports Complex Stadium, with an official attendance of 5,763 in heavy rain.
A cheer squad, formed by civic groups with the support of South Korea's Ministry of Unification, saw hundreds waving flags with 'Naegohyang' printed on them and shouting their support. Several banners welcoming the North Korean team were also displayed.
Although Suwon also had fans present, they were clearly outnumbered.
Park Gil-yeong stated that the attention surrounding the match affected his players' performance. 'We are the Suwon Women's Football Club of the Republic of Korea,' he said, fighting back his emotions.
'Throughout the entire match, our players and staff felt very hurt.'
There were no away supporters from North Korea at the match, as North Koreans are generally not permitted to enter the South, and the two countries have technically been at war since 1950.
Naegohyang came from a goal down to win the match, securing a spot in the final on the 23rd in Suwon against Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza.
With about 10 minutes remaining, Suwon's captain, Ji So-yun, missed a penalty kick that would have been an equalizer.
Naegohyang is coached by Ri Yu Il, a former head coach of the North Korean women's national team. He said the atmosphere in the stadium added a special meaning to the match.
'It was a very intense game, and we were so focused that we didn't have the spare mental capacity to think about the cheers in the stadium,' Ri said. 'But I could feel that the people here have a very high passion for football.'
According to AFP, this was the first time in eight years a North Korean sports team has set foot in South Korea and the first time the two Koreas' women's football teams have played each other in the South, drawing high public interest. The 7,087 general admission tickets released last week sold out within hours.
The semi-final was held at the open-air Suwon Sports Complex Stadium, with an official attendance of 5,763 in heavy rain.
A cheer squad, formed by civic groups with the support of South Korea's Ministry of Unification, saw hundreds waving flags with 'Naegohyang' printed on them and shouting their support. Several banners welcoming the North Korean team were also displayed.
Although Suwon also had fans present, they were clearly outnumbered.
Park Gil-yeong stated that the attention surrounding the match affected his players' performance. 'We are the Suwon Women's Football Club of the Republic of Korea,' he said, fighting back his emotions.
'Throughout the entire match, our players and staff felt very hurt.'
There were no away supporters from North Korea at the match, as North Koreans are generally not permitted to enter the South, and the two countries have technically been at war since 1950.
Naegohyang came from a goal down to win the match, securing a spot in the final on the 23rd in Suwon against Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza.
With about 10 minutes remaining, Suwon's captain, Ji So-yun, missed a penalty kick that would have been an equalizer.
Naegohyang is coached by Ri Yu Il, a former head coach of the North Korean women's national team. He said the atmosphere in the stadium added a special meaning to the match.
'It was a very intense game, and we were so focused that we didn't have the spare mental capacity to think about the cheers in the stadium,' Ri said. 'But I could feel that the people here have a very high passion for football.'
FAQ
這場比賽是什麼賽事？在哪裡舉行？
這是亞足聯（AFC）女子冠軍聯賽的準決賽，在南韓的水原綜合體育場舉行。
比賽的對戰組合與結果是什麼？
由南韓「水原」隊對上北韓「我故鄉」隊，最終由「我故鄉」隊逆轉獲勝，晉級冠軍賽。
南韓隊總教練朴吉英為何表示「很受傷」？
因為比賽現場有數百名由南韓統一部支持的加油團，他們揮舞旗幟為北韓隊伍加油，使得主場作戰的南韓隊球員及工作人員感覺未獲支持，因而感到受傷。
為何現場沒有北韓的客隊支持者？
由於北韓人一般不被允許入境南韓，且兩國自1950年以來技術上仍處於戰爭狀態，因此沒有來自北韓的客隊支持者。
北韓「我故鄉」隊晉級冠軍賽後的對手是誰？
他們將在冠軍賽中對上日本的「東京綠茵美莎」（Tokyo Verdy Beleza）。