North Korean football team beats South Korean side on their own soil

Keir Starmer forced to correct the record after 'North Korea' blunder

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GB NEWS

Lewis Henderson

By Lewis Henderson


Published: 21/05/2026

- 14:28

The North Korean players remain in South Korea ahead of the final

North Korean footballers have made sporting history by travelling across the border into South Korea and securing a place in the Asian Women's Champions League final.

Naegohyang claimed a 2-1 victory over South Korean side Suwon, setting off incredible celebrations at the final whistle.


The fixture was the first time athletes travelled from the North to enter the South since the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

That occasion saw the two nations field a joint ice hockey squad for the first time in history.

Suwon took the lead through Haruhi Suzuki's goal in the 49th minute, but Naegohyang responded with strikes from Choe Kum-ok and Kim Kyong-yong to turn the match around.

The South Korean hosts had an opportunity to equalise late on when the video assistant referee awarded them a spot kick.

However, Ji So-yun, who previously captained Chelsea, sent her penalty wide of the target.

The sold-out fixture, which had tickets snapped up within hours of going on sale last week, saw no official travelling supporters from the North due to restrictions on movement between the two nations.

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Naegohyang won 2-1 against South Korean side Suwon

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GETTY

Spectators from civic organisations supported by Seoul's unification ministry attended to cheer on both sides, though they remained largely quiet throughout proceedings.

Naegohyang's Choe said of her side's triumph: "We believed in our team's ability.

"Every player's role is important, but things didn't go well for us in the first half.

"Once we got into the second half, we found our rhythm, and I think the game flowed much better for us."

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Naegohyang's Choe said: 'We believed in our team's ability'

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GETTY

The result marks a remarkable achievement for Naegohyang, who are competing in the continental tournament for the very first time this season.

South Korea's Unification Minister Chund Dong-young declared the match would establish a "positive precedent" for relations between the two Koreas.

The nations remain technically at war, having never signed a peace treaty following the 1953 conclusion of the Korean War.

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The result marks a remarkable achievement for Naegohyang

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GETTY

Relations have worsened in recent years, with Pyongyang designating the South as its "most hostile state" and abandoning any pursuit of reunification.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is nonetheless working to strengthen ties.

Naegohyang's squad of 27 players and 12 staff will remain in South Korea ahead of Saturday's final against Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza at the same venue.