North Korean Women's Football Club to Play Rare Match in South Korea

May 4, 2026

North Korea's Naegohyang FC will play South Korea's Suwon FC on May 20, 2026 in the Women's Asian Champions League semifinal at Suwon Sports Complex, marking the first time a North Korean sports team has competed in South Korea since 2018. The 39-person delegation includes 27 players and 12 staff, arriving May 17 via Air China from Beijing. The winner advances to the May 23 final against Melbourne City or Tokyo Verdy Beleza.

Naegohyang FC semifinal match

▪South Korea's Ministry of Unification confirmed that Naegohyang Women's FC will play in South Korea.
▪The losing team in the Naegohyang FC versus Suwon FC Women semifinal will return home on May 21, 2026, with no third-place playoff scheduled.
▪The Naegohyang FC versus Suwon FC Women match will take place at Suwon Sports Complex, south of Seoul.
▪Naegohyang Women's FC will play Suwon FC Women on May 20, 2026 in the semifinals of the Asian Champions League.
▪The winner of the Naegohyang FC versus Suwon FC Women semifinal will play the final against either Melbourne City or Tokyo Verdy Beleza on May 23, 2026.

Inter-Korean sports exchanges

▪North Korean shooting, youth football and table tennis delegations travelled to South Korea in 2018.
▪North Korea and South Korea remain technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
▪Naegohyang Women's FC will become the first sports team from North Korea to play in South Korea since 2018.

Visiting delegation composition

▪Naegohyang Women's FC was founded in 2012 and is based in Pyongyang.
▪Much of Naegohyang Women's FC squad is made up of national team-level players.
▪The Naegohyang Women's FC visiting delegation will include 27 players and 12 club staff.

Travel arrangements via Beijing

▪Naegohyang Women's FC will arrive in South Korea on May 17, 2026.
▪Naegohyang Women's FC will fly into Incheon airport on an Air China flight from Beijing.

North Korean women's football dominance

▪North Korea's women's national football team is one of the dominant forces in Asian women's football, winning multiple international titles in recent years, especially at the youth level.
▪North Korea defeated the Netherlands 3-0 in the final of the U-17 Women's World Cup in November 2025.