The North Korean team who made history by crossing the border into South Korea have won the Asian Women’s Champions League final.
Naegohyang beat Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1-0 in the final in the South Korean city of Suwon and celebrated by parading North Korea’s national flag.
Flying the flag is normally considered taboo as it is banned under South Korea’s National Security Act, although it can be used in certain circumstances, including some international sporting events.
Captain Kim Kyong Yong’s goal just before half-time was enough to seal the win and secure the title for the North Korean side in their first year in the competition.
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“Today, as we face a historic moment advancing into the world as the top team in Asia, the emotions and passion we feel are simply indescribable,” said Naegohyang coach Ri Yu Il.
“The trophy ceremony has already concluded, and now we face the task of confronting various new challenges ahead of us.”
Victory for the North Korean side means they will appear at next year’s Fifa Women’s Champions Cup, which features the champions of each of the six continental confederations.
There were officially no away supporters at Saturday’s game because of travel restrictions between North and South Korea.
However, about 1,200 members of civic groups backed by Seoul’s unification ministry attended the final.
Coach Ri and Kim, who scored the match winner, later walked out of the news conference after a South Korean reporter asked them a question that referred to their country as the “north side”.
“All of our players focused solely on winning today’s match, putting in the effort while cherishing every minute and second,” explained Ri.
“I did not have the time or room to concern myself with various other issues.”
Speaking prior to the semi-final, South Korea’s Unification Minister Chund Dong-young said the game would set a “positive precedent” for inter-Korean relations.
The two Koreas are technically still at war after failing to sign a peace treaty when the Korean War ended in 1953.
Attempts have been made to improve relations since, but ties between the two countries have deteriorated in recent years, with North Korea labelling South Korea its “most hostile state” and saying it would no longer seek reunification.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, however, is seeking to improve ties.
(BBC)
