North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s FC players rejoice after defeating Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza within the AFC Women’s Champions League final at Suwon Sports Complex in Suwon on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Pedro Pardo / AFP)
The primary North Korean sports team to go to the South in eight years crowned their trip by winning the Asian Women’s Champions League, beating Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1-0 in Saturday’s final.
Naegohyang Women’s FC lifted the trophy because of captain Kim Kyong Yong’s goal just before half-time within the South Korean city of Suwon.
READ: North Korean women win rare match in South to succeed in final
𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙧, 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣.
🇰🇵 Kim Kyong-yong rises to the occasion!#AWCLFinal | #TVBvNAE pic.twitter.com/KBwTZ81Jnt
— AFC Women’s Football (@TheAWCL) May 23, 2026
Women’s football is certainly one of North Korea’s strongest international sports, with their national sides recurrently competing at the very best levels in Asia and globally.
Naegohyang’s win means they are going to appear in next 12 months’s FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, which can feature teams from all over the world.
Naegohyang, who were founded in 2012 and whose name means “My Hometown” in Korean, beat Suwon FC Women 2-1 within the semifinals at the identical Suwon stadium earlier this week in a rare North-South match-up.
The North Koreans edged Tokyo in a final that featured loads of hard tackles but was played in a good spirit.
The players hugged one another at the ultimate whistle and coach Ri Yu Il sat on the bench and wept with joy.
READ: North Korean football team ventures into South
Interest in Naegohyang’s visit to the South has been intense, and seven,087 general admission tickets for his or her semi-final against Suwon sold out inside hours.
Tickets for the ultimate were still available shortly before kick-off and swathes of empty seats could possibly be seen within the stadium.
There have been no official Naegohyang supporters because North Koreans are generally not allowed into the South, and the 2 countries have technically remained at war since 1950.
South Korean spectators, wearing sunglasses and caps under the sunny weather, beat traditional Korean drums while cheering for Naegohyang.
Around 3,000 spectators from civic groups backed by Seoul’s unification ministry were expected.
‘Closest neighbors’
Cheong Wook-sik, director of South Korean NGO Peace Network, told AFP before the sport that Naegohyang’s visit was “emotionally overwhelming for a lot of us.”
READ: North Korea’s football World Cup glory fuels propaganda
“We have now long been the closest neighbors, yet also essentially the most hostile towards one another,” he said.
“I hope these football events may also help change that, even when it might sound too idealistic.”
Choi Hyo-kwan, who’s originally from the North, was attending the sport on the age of 94.
“I heard they were playing Japan today, so I got here out to support them,” he said.
“Above all, I just hope everyone stays healthy, avoids injuries and goes all of the solution to victory.”
Naegohyang and Tokyo had met earlier within the competition, with the Japanese side winning 4-0 in the primary round in Myanmar.
READ: North Korea set to finish years-long sporting isolation at Asian Games
The ultimate was a much closer affair, with Tokyo having the higher of the primary half until Naegohyang scored one minute before the interval.
Jong Kum broke down the left after a fast counterattack and he or she squared the ball for Kim to complete.
Tokyo pressed for an equaliser within the second half but Naegohyang were comfortable to absorb the pressure and look for an additional probability to interrupt forward.
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North Korea rank eleventh within the FIFA women’s world rating, far above their men’s team, which is ranked 118th.
Tokyo were seeking to turn into Asian champions for the second time, having won the Champions League’s forerunner competition in 2019.