North Korean women’s soccer club Naegohyang FC arrived in South Korea on Sunday for an Asian Women’s Champions League semi-final, marking the first visit by athletes from the isolated state to the South in eight years.
The delegation of 27 players and 12 staff entered the country ahead of Wednesday’s match against South Korea’s Suwon FC Women in Suwon.
The visit has been approved under the inter-Korean exchange law and covers their stay through next weekend, though the team could leave earlier if eliminated, according to Seoul’s Unification Ministry.
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Public interest has been strong, with all 7,087 tickets made available to the general public selling out within a day, according to South Korea’s football federation.
The rare visit comes as North Korea has in recent years labelled the South its “most hostile state” and ruled out reuniting the nation split by the 1950-1953 Korean War. By contrast, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for improved ties.
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“It may be difficult to hope for a complete thaw in strained relations by this one-time visit,” said a spokesperson for the ruling Democratic Party, vowing to make efforts to open the door for exchanges and dialogue.
