Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Tuesday it will provide government funds to support civic groups planning to cheer at a women’s football match featuring a North Korean team. In this March photo, North Korean player Kim Kyong Yong is seen during a match with China in Sydney. Photo by Dean Lewis/EPA
The unification ministry said Tuesday it will provide 300 million won (US$202,000) in government funds to support South Korean civic groups planning to cheer at an upcoming match featuring a North Korean women’s football team.
“We have received a number of requests from civic groups regarding support for the match, and the government has decided to provide financial assistance through the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund, considering the event contributes to mutual understanding between the two Koreas,” a ministry official told reporters.
Pyongyang-based Naegohyang Women’s FC is set to travel to Suwon, some 30 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 20 to face Suwon FC Women in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League. It will mark the first visit by a North Korean sports team to South Korea in more than seven years.
The official said the decision was made the previous day, with the funds earmarked to cover ticket purchases, cheering supplies and banner production. The ministry expects around 2,500 supporters to attend.
While cheering chants are largely left to the discretion of the civic groups, the government will provide certain guidelines on terms to be avoided during the match, he added.
The caution reflects North Korea’s sensitivity over how it is referred to by the South. In line with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s two-state policy, Pyongyang objects to being called “North Korea” and prefers its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund Act, designed to promote exchange and cooperation between the two Koreas, has been tapped for previous inter-Korean supporting events, including the 2018 Unification Basketball Game and the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, according to the official.
The ministry also said it expects to approve entry for the 39 North Korean players and staff members within the week. The squad is expected to arrive at Incheon International Airport on May 17.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said later in the day he was considering attending the upcoming match in person.
“We are reviewing various options,” Chung said when asked whether he would attend the game on site during a meeting with Rev. Matthias Ri Long-hoon, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.
The minister described the visit by a North Korean team as “meaningful per se,” noting that “private and sports exchanges have been cut off entirely since the end of 2018.”
He emphasized the need to “clear away the distrust,” while acknowledging that relations between the two Koreas remain strained.
Still, he struck a cautiously hopeful note, suggesting the relationship had bottomed out and that the “ice would melt away some day.”
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