![North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s FC waves to its fans after a game in Yangon, Myanmar, on Nov. 15, 2025. [EPA/YONHAP]](https://www.europesays.com/korea/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/6b14d42e-78c2-47ce-adba-aafc4d0c3f33.jpg)
North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s FC waves to its fans after a game in Yangon, Myanmar, on Nov. 15, 2025. [EPA/YONHAP]
The South Korean government announced Tuesday it will spend approximately 300 million won ($201,929) in public funding to support a cheering squad for North Korea’s women’s football club that is set to arrive in South Korea for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League semifinal next week.
“Various requests related to cheering have come in from civic groups, and the government has decided to provide support from the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund considering that this event contributes to mutual understanding between the two Koreas,” a Ministry of Unification official told reporters. “On May 11, Deliberation by the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund Management Committee approved support of around 300 million won, with the main items covering the basics needed to participate in and cheer at the matches, such as tickets and cheering props.”
North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s FC is set to face South Korea’s Suwon FC Women at the Suwon Sports Complex in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on May 20. The delegation’s arrival, scheduled Sunday, would mark the first visit by a North Korean sports team to South Korea since 2018.
The Unification Ministry estimates the cheering squad will total approximately 2,500 people across all matches, including the final on May 23 at the same venue.
“We are currently in the process of gathering information from the civic groups participating in the cheering, so we are not yet at the stage where we can confirm specific numbers.”
The AFC, the organizer of the games, stated Friday that it hopes the event proceeds as “a purely sporting occasion.”
The South Korean government said it intends to continue its support while respecting the AFC’s framework. We “respect the framework of this tournament so that it can be operated through the AFC as an international sporting event, in order to set a good precedent,” said the Unification Ministry official.
It said it plans to coordinate with the AFC, the Korea Football Association (KFA) and other relevant organizations to establish and communicate guidelines on cheering-related matters. It will also coordinate with relevant ministries to ensure the safety of the North Korean delegation and guarantee the conditions necessary for them to focus on the matches.
To that end, the Unification Ministry formed a task force last week and plans to launch a joint AFC Women’s Champions League situation room, starting on Saturday.
The KFA received the North Korean delegation’s application to visit South Korea last Sunday and is waiting for government approval, according to the Unification Ministry. Under the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act, North Koreans must obtain a special certificate in order to enter South Korea.
The entry list submitted by the North Korean side through the AFC includes a total of 39 people — 27 players, including 4 reserve players, and 12 staff members.
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.
BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO [[email protected]]