The North Korean women’s soccer team, known as the My Hometown Women’s Football Team, made their first visit to South Korea in eight years, swiftly exiting the arrival hall in just over two minutes. Despite a warm welcome, the players maintained stoic expressions, likely reflecting the current tensions in inter-Korean relations.
The team, consisting of 27 players and 12 staff members, touched down in South Korea on May 17 at Incheon International Airport.
After a training camp in Beijing from May 13 to 16, the squad arrived in South Korea for the semifinals of the 2025-26 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League (AWCL).
This marks a historic moment as the first North Korean adult women’s sports team to visit South Korea.
It’s also the first time since late 2018, following the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour Grand Finals, that a North Korean team has participated in an official sports event on South Korean soil.
The team emerged in the arrival hall at 2:52 p.m. (Korean time), roughly 40 minutes after their flight landed.
A representative from the My Hometown Football Team first surveyed the arrival hall, and about a minute later, the players appeared, dressed in black uniforms and carrying their luggage.
While citizens and North Korean defectors held up banners and performed a card section, shouting “Welcome!”, the players marched in unison, eyes fixed straight ahead, without acknowledging the crowd.
Moving with military-like precision, the team exited the arrival hall in just over two minutes, quickly boarding their designated vehicles.
The My Hometown Women’s Football Team is scheduled for an official training session and press conference on Tuesday, followed by their semifinal match against Suwon FC Women of the Korean WK League at 7:00 p.m. on May 20 at Suwon Sports Complex.
The winner of this inter-Korean clash will advance to the championship game on May 23 at 2:00 p.m., facing the victor of the Melbourne City (Australia) vs. Tokyo Verdy Beleza (Japan) semifinal. The champions will take home a 1 million USD prize.
Founded in 2012 and based in Pyongyang, the My Hometown Women’s Football Team is a corporate-sponsored squad backed by the consumer goods company My Hometown. They’ve established themselves as a powerhouse in North Korean soccer, clinching multiple top-division titles.
While the team is set to move to their accommodations after arrival, they’ve kept their training schedule under wraps.
Conducting private training sessions until May 18 doesn’t violate any AFC regulations.
The team will make their first public appearance through an official training session and press conference on Tuesday at Suwon Sports Complex.
Per tournament rules, the Suwon FC Women and My Hometown Women’s Football Team players won’t meet officially until game day. The press conferences on Tuesday will be held separately for each team, preventing any interaction.
Following the match on May 20, a joint media area will be set up. The My Hometown team must pass through the mixed zone, sharing the space with their South Korean counterparts.
However, the North Korean players retain the right to decline media interviews in this area.
Tickets for this highly anticipated inter-Korean women’s soccer clash sold out within 24 hours of going on sale.
The arrival hall was a hive of activity, with around 50 police and security personnel managing a crowd of about 100 enthusiastic supporters. The Incheon Michuhol Sports Council and the Korean Salvation Army were among those displaying welcome banners.
Jeong Yoon-hee, a coach from the Incheon Michuhol Sports Council, explained their presence: Its advisor, Lee In-cheol, has North Korean roots, so we feel a connection. It’s here to welcome the North Korean team, hoping that sports can play a role in improving North-South relations.
Kim Na-hee, a spectator in her 30s, shared her excitement: It’s not every day it sees North Korean women soccer players in Korea. She’s feeling a mix of nerves and anticipation.
North Korean defectors from the Korean Salvation Army joined the welcoming committee, holding up cards that read “Welcome My Hometown Team” with beaming smiles.
One anonymous defector expressed their emotions: It might tear up seeing people from its homeland. I’m definitely going to be there on match day to cheer them on.
