"Naegohyang Women's FC will play the Suwon FC Women on May 20 in the Asian Champions League. Hundreds of South Koreans will cheer for a North Korean women's football team when it makes a rare trip across the border for a continental semifinal this month. North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC will play the South's Suwon FC Women on May 20 in the Asian Champions League. It will be the first time that a North Korean sports team has played in the South since 2018."
"The countries technically remain at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. South Korean civic organisations are rallying groups of volunteers to roar on Naegohyang, with one predicting that more than 1,000 may end up backing the North Koreans at the match in Suwon city. The groups support reconciliation between North and South Korea and often organise activities to promote their cause."
"There will be no away fans because North Koreans cannot enter the South. The Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation (KCRC) told the news agency AFP that it had already enlisted about 300 people. At a time when inter-Korean relations are severe, news of Naegohyang's visit brings us hope that it will serve as an opportunity to rekindle the fading flame of peace, the KCRC said."
"Under South Korean national security laws, it is illegal to own or brandish the North Korean flag or play its national anthem in public spaces. The use of the Korean unification flag a blue outline of the entire peninsula on a white background may also be restricted under Asian Football Confederation rules banning political expression in stadiums."
Naegohyang Women’s FC from North Korea will play Suwon FC Women in the Asian Champions League on May 20, marking the first time a North Korean sports team has played in the South since 2018. The two Koreas remain technically at war under an armistice rather than a peace treaty. South Korean civic groups are organizing volunteers to support the North Korean team in Suwon, with expectations that more than 1,000 people may attend. No away fans will be present because North Koreans cannot enter the South. South Korean national security laws restrict public display of the North Korean flag and playing its anthem, and stadium rules may limit political expression, including use of the unification flag.
#asian-champions-league #inter-korean-relations #north-korean-sports #south-korean-civic-groups #stadium-regulations
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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