Coach for N. Korean football club keeps mum on S. Korean supporters: 'We're here for football'

The head coach of the North Korean women's football club currently in South Korea for a continental competition deflected a question about support from South Korean supporters on Tuesday, saying the focus will remain on the pitch, not on the stands. Head coach Ri Yu-il has taken Naegohyang Women's FC to the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League against Suwon FC Women of South Korea. The much-anticipated Korean showdown will kick off at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul. It will be the first match between women's football clubs of the two Koreas on South Korean soil. Naegohyang are the first group of North Korean athletes to travel to South Korea for competition since December 2018. Naegohyang's decision to cross the border for the showdown against Suwon sparked major interest in the tournament. The South Korean unification ministry even offered to use the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund to purchase tickets for civic groups planning to form cheering squads. Some 3,000 supporters are expected to attend the histor

Original source: Korea Times