North Korean women's football team makes rare visit to South

A women's football team from the isolated communist country of North Korea arrived in South Korea on Sunday, a rare visit that has generated strong public interest.

The visit by the club Naegohyang Women's FC is the first by athletes from the North to the South in eight years. It was approved under the inter-Korean exchange law despite the current strained ties between the two neighbors.

What do we know about Naegohyan FC's visit?

The team, which is to play in the Asian Champions League semifinals, arrived at South Korea's Incheon International Airport on a plane from China.

The delegation consists of 27 players and 12 staff.

All 7,087 tickets made available to the general public for Wednesday's match ​against South Korea's Suwon FC Women in Suwon sold out within a day.

The winner will face either Melbourne City or Tokyo Verdy in the final in Suwon on Saturday, with the North Korean team expected to return home the following day if eliminated, though its visit is approved through the weekend.

Sport as diplomacy between the two Koreas

Seoul's Unification Ministry said it has earmarked 300 million won (€172,000; $200,000) from an inter-Korean cooperation fund ⁠to finance ​a cheering squad for both sides.

It has stressed that the event is a way ​to promote mutual understanding between the two Koreas, which have been separated since the 1950-1953 Korean War.

The communist North, under its authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un, has in recent years called the South the "most hostile state" and said it opposes reunification. 

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This contrasts with the approach of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who has called for improved ties.

In another sign of the South's desire for rapprochement, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young is also considering attending the match, according ⁠to South Korean media.

However, in line with Asian Football Confederation rules, the Korean Unification flag, often seen at international ⁠sports fixtures involving both sides, will not be used at the match as it involves clubs and not national teams.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko