▲ North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s Football Club is set to travel to South Korea to play the 2025–2026 AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL) semifinal at the Suwon Sports Complex. ⓒ Yonhap/EPA
[SPOTVNEWS = Reporter Cho Yong-woon] An inter-Korean women’s club derby has emerged at a pivotal juncture in the race for the continental title. News that a joint supporters’ group plans to form has driven ticket demand for Suwon FC Women to a fever pitch.
When tickets for the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League (AWCL) semifinals went on sale on the 12th, roughly 4,500 seats—including Suwon FC Women’s home S section and the neutral E section—sold out rapidly.
Suwon FC Women will face North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s Football Club in a single-leg semifinal at the Suwon Sports Complex on the 20th. Naegohyang, whose women’s squad will set foot in South Korea for the first time in 12 years, is scheduled to arrive via Incheon International Airport on the 17th.
News of Naegohyang’s visit has drawn attention from both the football community and political circles. At the same time, some observers see the fixture not merely as a competitive sporting event but as a symbolic occasion for inter-Korean engagement.
More than 200 civic groups, including the Council of Civil Organizations for Inter-Korean Cooperation (Bukminhyup), announced plans to form a joint cheering squad to support both Suwon FC Women and Naegohyang.
They welcomed Naegohyang’s visit, saying they aim to contribute to the successful staging of a tournament that draws national and international attention and to broaden interest in women’s football. They framed the initiative as promoting the values of peace and harmony. Organizers estimate the joint cheering squad could number around 3,000.
▲ The joint supporters’ group has responded to earlier reports that the government would provide 300 million KRW (approximately $225,000) from an inter-Korean cooperation fund. ⓒ Yonhap/EPA
The joint supporters’ group called those reports “somewhat misleading,” stressing that the initiative emerged voluntarily at the civic level and was not launched at the government’s request. Organizers said the effort traces back to citizens who spontaneously organized support during the Women’s Asian Cup held in Australia last March.
Many football fans, however, have reacted coolly. They emphasize that this is an official match that will determine which team advances—only the winner reaches the final—so sporting results matter more than symbolic gestures. Suwon FC Women also carry the memory of a 0–3 loss to Naegohyang in last year’s group stage, which gives the matchup the character of a home-ground rematch. Major online football forums and social media have reflected these tensions: some users argue it is inappropriate to cheer for an opposing team in an international competition, while others have suggested organizing “anti-calls” and amplifying support for Suwon FC Women.
▲ Naegohyang arrived on the 12th at Beijing Capital Airport en route to its training base in China. ⓒ Yonhap
Suwon FC’s supporters group Fortress issued a statement saying reports of a joint cheering squad were published without consultation with the club or supporters. Fortress emphasized that Suwon FC Women should be respected as a football team—not as a political or ideological symbol—and said they will continue to support the team in their customary manner.
Both AWCL semifinals and the final will be single-leg matches. On the 20th at 2:00 p.m., Melbourne City (Australia) will face Tokyo Verdy Beleza (Japan). Later that day at 7:00 p.m., Suwon FC Women and Naegohyang will meet. The final will be held at the same venue on the 23rd at 2:00 p.m.
▲ An inter-Korean showdown has finally materialized on the AWCL semifinal stage. South Korea’s Suwon FC Women and North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s Football Club will contest the semifinal in South Korea. Support for the visiting North Korean team is already building. ⓒ Suwon FC Women
