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North Korean Women’s Club Arrives in South Korea for AFC Semifinal, First Visit in 7 Years

Sports provide a rare channel for North–South contact during tense official ties.

Overview

  • The 39-person Naegohyang delegation, which landed Sunday from Beijing at Incheon, became the first North Korean athletes to enter the South in more than seven years.
  • Players and staff moved through the airport under tight security, stayed silent, and rode a police-escorted bus to Suwon as pro‑unification groups cheered.
  • Naegohyang will face Suwon FC Women in the AFC Women’s Club Championship semifinal in Suwon on Wednesday, and the delegation can remain up to a week for a potential final on Saturday.
  • More than 7,000 tickets for the semifinal sold out last week, and civic groups purchased about 3,000 seats to create a joint fan presence.
  • The visit unfolds as North Korea hardens its stance with a revised constitution that stresses separation and publicizes new weapons programs, contrasting with limited sports contacts seen in 2018.