North Korean women's soccer club to make rare visit to South Korea for match

SEOUL, May 4 (Reuters) - North Korean soccer club Naegohyang Women’s FC will visit South Korea to play a ‌match against South Korea's Suwon FC Women on ‌May 20, South Korea's Unification Ministry said in a statement on Monday. North Korea ​had sent a list of 27 players and 12 staff who would visit South Korea for the semi-final of the Asian Women's Champions League, the ministry said. The rare visit comes as ‌South Korean President ⁠Lee Jae Myung has been seeking to improve strained ties with North Korea.

The last time Pyongyang ⁠sent athletes to South Korea was in 2018, when it participated in various competitions and sent athletes to the Pyeongchang Winter ​Olympics in ​2018, forming a unified ice ​hockey team with South ‌Korea for the first time. Ties have in recent years deteriorated and North Korea has labelled South Korea its "most hostile state" and said it would no longer seek reunification. The North Korean delegation from Naegohyang Women’s FC will arrive in South Korea on ‌May 17, according to the ministry.

Two ​semi-final matches are scheduled in Suwon ​for May 20, with ​the match between the North Korean club and ‌Suwon due to start at ​7 p. m. (1000 GMT).

The ​winner will face Melbourne City or Tokyo Verdy in the final, also to be played in Suwon, on ​May 23. If North ‌Korea loses in the semi-final, the athletes will return ​home the next day, according to the ministry. (Reporting by ​Heejin KimEditing by Ed Davies)