APTOPIX South Korea AFC Women Champions League Soccer

North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC, Kim Kyong Yong, centre, is congratulated by teammates after scoring her team's second goal during the AFC Women's Champions League semifinal match against South Korea's Suwon FC in Suwon, South Korea, Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

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North Korean soccer team beats South Korean hosts in rare match between divided countries

North Korean soccer team beats South Korean hosts in rare match between divided countries

Drenched in rain, hundreds of South Koreans have cheered the North Korean visitors during a rare soccer match between the divided countries as Pyongyang-based Naegohyang Women’s FC defeated host Suwon 2-1 against the backdrop of political tensions. The win locked Naegohyang into another match in South Korea, a final Saturday against Tokyo Verdy Beleza which defeated Melbourne City 3-1 in the other semifinal of the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League. While athletes from North and South Korea have previously competed on combined teams and marched together in Olympic ceremonies during periods of warmer ties, such exchanges have largely disappeared in recent years as relations between the rivals deteriorated.