N. Korean soccer coach challenges 'rough' label ahead of $1 million final
by Thomas Maresca · UPISEOUL, May 22 (UPI) -- The coach of a North Korean women's soccer team pushed back Friday against suggestions his side plays overly physical soccer, one day before the team faces Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza in the final of a regional tournament in South Korea.
Ri Yu Il and his Naegohyang Women's FC will play Tokyo Verdy Beleza in the final of the Asian Football Confederation Women's Champions League on Saturday afternoon at Suwon Stadium, some 18 miles south of Seoul. The winner will receive $1 million in prize money.
When asked at a press conference how he would prepare for what was expected to be a "rough" match, Ri took exception to the question.
"I don't really understand the meaning of 'rough match,'" he said. "Since coming here, I have heard that expression from some of the opposing team's players and coaches in the semifinals."
Naegohyang defeated South Korean side Suwon FC Women 2-1 in the semifinal Wednesday evening. The match was competitive but not especially contentious, with North Korean players receiving three yellow cards and the South Korean team two.
"Are you referring to a properly physical match, a game played with high intensity?" Ri asked. "There is a referee, and if it's a foul, it's a foul, and if it's a warning, you get a warning."
"I don't think that expression is appropriate," he added.
Naegohyang captain Kim Kyong Yong, who scored the winning header against Suwon, also attended the press conference and said the team was prepared for Saturday's final.
"We have accumulated considerable experience through the matches so far," she said. "We will use the strong mental fortitude unique to North Korean women, our collective spirit and various tactical approaches to secure victory."
The North Korean team's appearance in South Korea has attracted heavy local and international attention against the backdrop of frozen inter-Korean relations and years of near-total estrangement between the neighbors.
The visit marks the first appearance by North Korean athletes in South Korea since 2018, when Pyongyang participated in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and later sent athletes to additional sporting events in the South, including a youth football tournament in Gangwon Province.
Relations between Pyongyang and Seoul have deteriorated sharply in recent years, with North Korea recently revising its constitution to remove references to peaceful reunification with the South.
Seoul's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Wednesday he believed the Suwon-Naegohyang match would "set a good precedent in inter-Korean relations that have been effectively cut off over the past eight years."
"We need steps to build trust again," Chung said.
The ministry said last week it would provide about $200,000 in government funding to South Korean civic groups organizing cheering squads for both teams. Despite heavy rain, nearly 5,800 fans turned out Wednesday to watch the match.
Tokyo Verdy Beleza defeated Melbourne City FC 3-1 on Wednesday to book its place in the final.
The two finalists previously met during the tournament's group stage in November in Myanmar, where Tokyo defeated Naegohyang 4-0. The winner will represent Asia in the 2027 FIFA Women's Champions Cup.