Rare encounter: North Korean footballers travel to South Korea

According to the Korean Football Association (KFA), the North Korean club submitted a list of players and staff to the Asian continental association AFC who will travel to the game near Seoul. According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, the delegation consists of 27 players and 12 coaches. She will arrive in South Korea on May 17th from Beijing.

Only a few sporting contacts

It was the first visit by North Korean female soccer players to South Korea since the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, it said. The last time sports teams from the north of the Korean peninsula were in South Korea was eight years ago, competing in shooting, table tennis and youth football.

Tensions have existed between dictatorial North Korea and democratic South Korea for more than seven decades. Since the end of the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, there has been a ceasefire between the two countries. There is no peace treaty. Attempts at rapprochement through sport have so far been largely unsuccessful.