North Korean women’s football players celebrate after defeating Thailand 6-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Asian Football Confederation Under-17 Women’s Asian Cup on May 11 to advance to the semifinals, in this image aired by Korean Central Television on May 12. (KCTV-Yonhap) North Korea advanced to the final of the Asian Football Confederation’s Under-17 Women’s Asian Cup after defeating host China 4-2 in the semifinals Thursday.
North Korea will face Japan in the final at Suzhou Sports Center Stadium in Suzhou, China, Sunday.
Both teams defeated South Korea on their way to the final. North Korea beat South Korea 3-0 in the final Group C match on May 8, while Japan eliminated South Korea 1-0 in the quarterfinals on Monday.
Japan secured its place in the final Wednesday with a 4-0 victory over Australia.
North Korea and Japan are tied as the tournament’s most successful teams, with four titles each, and will now compete for the all-time record.
Separately, Seoul on Thursday approved a visit by Pyongyang-based Naegohyang Women’s FC for an Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League semifinal match in Suwon.
According to the Unification Ministry, 39 players, coaches and staff members will be allowed to stay in South Korea from Sunday to 24 for the tournament.
The North Korean club is scheduled to arrive at Incheon International Airport via Beijing on Sunday before facing Suwon FC Women at Suwon Sports Complex Stadium on May 20.
The winner will advance to the final on May 23 at the same venue.
If the North Korean side loses in the semifinal, the delegation is expected to depart South Korea earlier, a ministry official said.
The visit will mark the first trip by a North Korean women’s football team to South Korea since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and has drawn significant public attention.
Tickets for the match sold out within a day after reservations opened earlier this week, while civic groups are preparing joint inter-Korean cheering events amid renewed interest in cross-border sports exchanges.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com