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Naegohyang Women’s FC Reach Asian Women’s Champions League Final

Thursday, May 21, 2026
5 min read
Naegohyang Women’s FC Reach Asian Women’s Champions League Final

Naegohyang Women’s FC actually made it to the final of the Asian Women’s Champions League. They did it by beating Suwon FC Women two-one. And this whole thing happened in a really miserable, rain-lashed semi-final over in North-South Korea on Wednesday.

It was a huge deal. The game was at the Suwon Sports Complex Stadium. People were desperate to see it. Tickets sold fast, like, thousands went up quickly. But the rain messed things up. Attendance dropped. Only 5,763 people showed up officially.

There was this weird atmosphere, you know? It was the first time a North Korean sports team had visited the South in eight years. That alone brought a massive spotlight.

Suwon coach Park Kil-young admitted it was tough. He struggled with the whole emotional weight of the occasion.

He said, "We are Suwon FC Women of the Republic of Korea." He was really fighting to keep it together.

The players and staff felt hurt throughout the match. It felt intense. Park said they had never been in front of so many people, so many writers before. It was an unprecedented spotlight.

He kept pushing, though. He felt they needed to win. They needed to draw more attention to women’s football over there. So they competed hard with that goal in mind.

Hopefully, this whole thing would get more people interested in the sport. More matches.

The scoreline itself was messy. Suwon got ahead early in the second half. Japanese striker Haruhi Suzuki scored first. But Naegohyang didn't back down. Choe Kum Ok headed in the equalizer. Then Kim Kyong Yong scored the winner in the 67th minute.

Then there was that moment with the captain. Suwon’s captain, Ji So-yun, missed a penalty late in the game. Fired it wide. Even though the goalie dove the wrong way.

The North Korean side just erupted at the end. They celebrated hard. Embracing each other. Crying on the pitch.

Naegohyang’s Choe Kum Ok, who scored that equalizer, said they really believed in their team. She felt that if they stayed together, the semi-final or the final wouldn't be a problem for them.

Their coach, Ri Yu Il, praised the atmosphere. Even with all the tension hanging over it. He mentioned it was a very intense match. And they were just too caught up in it to notice the cheering. Ri Yu Il, who used to lead the North Korean women’s team, felt that people there really cared about football. A lot.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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