North Korea's powerhouse women footballers are in Seoul to fight for title

Pounding rain and strong winds did not stop more than 5,000 spectators from turning up at a football stadium in Suwon, just south of Seoul, on Wednesday night. Wrapped in raincoats, they cheered and booed, their screams sweeping across the stands as a rare match unfolded on the pitch: North Korea vs South Korea. But there was something more unusual.

Hundreds of South Koreans appeared to be cheering with loud cries of "Naegohyang", the name of the visiting North Korean club. They had been brought together by local NGOs who did wanted them to cheer both sides. The North Koreans' participation was initially met with scepticism: the relationship between the two sides has soured in recent years as Kim Jong Un tested a record number of ballistic missiles and continued pursuing nuclear ambitions.

In 2023, he formally abandoned Pyongyang's long-standing goal of reunification with the South and has since designated it a "hostile state". But the team arrived as expected, the first athletes to travel south of the border since 2018 - and the Naegohyang Women's Football Club marked the return with a win in the semi-final of the Asian Women's Champions League. They beat South Korea's Suwon FC Women 2-1 , with second-half goals from Choe Kum Ok and Kim Kyong Yong.

Tonight they will face Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza in the final. Pak Ye Gyong Naegohyang Women's FC fights for the ball with Haruhi Suzuki of Suwon FC Women [AFP via Getty Images] For football fans and those who have followed North Korea's record, the result did not come as a surprise. North Korea has long held a strong reputation in women's football.