Prize Money to Be Used for North Korea’s Future International Competition Expenses
Unlike when they arrived, the Naegohyang Women’s Football Team departed without smiling, looking straight ahead, and left the country in about 10 minutes.
The winning Naegohyang players are running after unfolding the Korean Unification Flag. Photo by Yonhap News.
The vehicle carrying the Naegohyang delegation arrived at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport at approximately 1:50 p.m. on the 24th. After unloading their luggage and entering the airport at around 1:54 p.m., the Naegohyang team headed straight to the check-in counter without looking elsewhere.
About ten members of civic groups, including the Korean Council for Peaceful Reunification, shouted, “Congratulations on your victory! See you again, Naegohyang Women’s Football Team!” However, it was reported that none of the coaches or players responded or made eye contact. This was the first time in eight years that a North Korean sports team visited South Korea. It was the first time in 12 years that a North Korean football player visited South Korea since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, and the first ever visit by a North Korean women’s football club team rather than a national team.
After completing the departure procedures, the players walked toward the departure hall. The entire process, from entering the airport to disappearing into the departure area, took about 10 minutes. They are known to have returned to Pyongyang via Beijing on an Air China flight.
Naegohyang won the 2025-2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League (AWCL) semifinals held at Suwon Sports Complex from May 20 to 23, defeating Suwon FC Women from South Korea and Tokyo Verdy from Japan in succession.
North Korean state media gave significant coverage to Naegohyang Women’s Football Team’s victory in the AFC AWCL, but did not mention that the matches were held in South Korea or the support from South Korean civic groups.
Korean Central News Agency reported on the final match held the previous day, stating, “In the final to determine Asia’s best women’s football club team, our players defeated the Japanese team 1-0.”
The Rodong Sinmun, a newspaper read by North Korean residents, also reported, “Our country’s Naegohyang team took first place in the 2025-2026 Asian Football Confederation Women’s Championship and raised the prestigious championship trophy,” along with photos of the players cheering while lifting the trophy and posing for commemorative photos after unfolding the North Korean flag at the awards ceremony.
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Meanwhile, the prize money for Naegohyang’s victory, 1 million dollars (approximately 1.5 billion won), will not be delivered directly to North Korea due to sanctions. Instead, FIFA and the AFC will hold the funds and use them for the team’s expenses when North Korea participates in future international tournaments.
This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.
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