Naegohyang Women's FC players arrive at Incheon International Airport on May 24. South Korean supporters are seen in the back. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
On the first floor of Terminal 1 at Incheon International Airport at around 2 p.m. on Sunday, the automatic doors opened, and members of the North Korean women’s club football team, Naegohyang Women’s FC, emerged.
Dressed in black suits, the team wore badges bearing the faces of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung and former leader Kim Jong-il on the left side of their jackets. The players headed to the check-in counter, their travel bags by their side. After receiving their boarding passes, they gathered in small groups and chatted, occasionally smiling, unlike the tense expressions that they wore upon arrival.
They did not, however, respond to people’s chants of “Naegohyang, see you again” or reporters’ questions about whether they had any message for the supporters who came to say farewell.
Barricades were installed around the check-in counters from noon to separate the North Korean team from other travelers, but that did not stop supporters from crowding around the barriers.
“I think that it’s a positive sign between the two Koreas that a club football team, not a national team, came to South Korea,” said Ok Hyo-jeong, who brought a banner reading “Naegohyang Women’s FC, see you again.” “I hope that this visit becomes an opportunity to revitalize civilian exchanges between the two Koreas. That hope is reflected in my banner as well.”
Naegohyang came to South Korea on May 17 to compete in the AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL) in Suwon. The team defeated South Korea’s Suwon FC Women 2-1 on Wednesday and claimed the championship with a 1-0 victory over Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza on Saturday.
Naegohyang Women's FC players arrive at Incheon International Airport on May 24. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Naegohyang Women's FC players arrive at Incheon International Airport on May 24. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun reported on the team’s championship victory the next day.
“The Naegohyang team of the DPRK took the first place in the [2025-26 ACWL] and had the honor of winning a trophy,” read the newspaper on Sunday. The DPRK refers to North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
“In the match, the best Asian women’s football [club] team decider, the DPRK players defeated their Japanese rivals 1:0. The trophy and gold medals were awarded to Naegohyang players and the MVP accolade to Kim Kyong-yong at the awarding ceremony.”
The newspaper emphasized that “the proud achievements earned by the players are giving victorious confidence and great encouragement to people across the country as they uphold the decisions of the Ninth Party Congress and vigorously advance the era of comprehensive national prosperity.”
Naegohyang Women's FC players celebrate after winning 1:0 against Tokyo Verdy Beleza of Japan in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on May 23. [YONHAP]
Naegohyang Women's FC players celebrate after winning 1:0 against Tokyo Verdy Beleza of Japan in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on May 23. [YONHAP]
The report spotlighted the championship before the team had even returned home, apparently intending to underscore the achievement as a state-level accomplishment.
The Rodong Sinmun published six photos, including images of players lifting the trophy, but did not show moments of the joint cheering squad from the two Koreas or the atmosphere at the venue. The newspaper also did not mention that the final took place in South Korea.
Naegohyang coach Ri Yu-il emphasized that “Naegohyang, which has existed for only 14 years, became No. 1 in Asia” at a press conference after the victory on Saturday and expressed gratitude to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the ruling Workers’ Party. When asked about the time that the players and staff spent in South Korea, Ri said that they “focused only on football, victory and our own development.”
“We did not have the leisure to pay attention to other matters,” he said.
Naegohyang Women's FC head coach Ri Yu-il stares at the pitch during the team's game against Tokyo Verdy Beleza of Japan in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on May 23. [NEWS1]
Ri also showed discomfort over the use of the term “the North” by a South Korean reporter who remarked that “the North’s women’s football has long been at a high level.” Through an interpreter, Ri said, “Please use our country’s proper name correctly. I will not take questions from that person,” before immediately leaving the room.
He made a similar remark at a press conference ahead of the final Asian qualifying round for the women’s football tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics, when he responded to a South Korean reporter’s question about “where the strength of the North Korean women’s football comes from” by saying, “I will not take questions unless you refer to our country correctly.”
Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung posted on X after Saturday’s final that he “sincerely congratulates the Naegohyang players.”
“I hope that this becomes a meaningful opportunity to lead the advancement of Asian sports beyond victory and defeat and to reflect on the values of peace and harmony in sports,” he wrote.
“I express deep respect to our supporters who brightened the tournament with their sophisticated cheering culture. Just as the ball is round, we will inevitably meet again. I strongly support the players’ next challenge,” Lee added, avoiding expressions such as “North Korea” or “North side” and delivering only a restrained message without political implications.
Naegohyang's Pak Hyon-jong attempts a header that is blocked by Suwon goalkeeper Kim Kyeong-hee during the AFC Women's Champions League semifinal between Suwon FC Women and North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC at Suwon Sports Complex in Jangan District, Suwon, on May 20. [NEWS1]
Players from North Korean football club Naegohyang Women’s FC take a break from training ahead of the AFC Women's Champions League semifinals against Suwon FC at the Suwon World Cup Stadium in Gyeonggi on May 19. [NEWS1]
Naegohyang earned $1 million in prize money through its victory in the tournament, but it remains unclear whether the team will actually be able to receive the money. If the prize is categorized as income or bulk cash, it could potentially violate sanctions. Even if it is not formally classified as a sanctions target, commercial banks may avoid involvement in transferring prize money connected to North Korea because of concerns over secondary sanctions.
“It appears the AFC will conduct a legal review on whether the payment violates United Nations Security Council sanctions,” said Oh Gyeong-seop, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification. “Given the nature of the North Korean system, there is a high possibility that the North Korean regime could divert the prize money, so reviews on that issue are likely to continue for a considerable period.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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