Seoul spent 235 million won supporting North Korean women's soccer club's visit

Seoul spent 235 million won supporting North Korean women’s soccer club’s visit On May 23, players from North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s FC took a commemorative photo before facing Tokyo Verdy Beleza in the final of the 2025–2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League at the Suwon Sports Complex in Gyeonggi Province. The match concluded with a victory for the North Korean team, marking their first appearance in South Korea in nearly eight years. The visit, which took place from May 20 to 23, saw the team defeat Suwon FC Women in the semifinals and secure the championship title. The South Korean government allocated approximately 235 million won ($159,000) to support civic cheering events and operational logistics during the visit of the North Korean women’s football club. This expenditure was disclosed in a settlement report issued by the Ministry of Unification on Monday. The report detailed how funds were distributed across various categories, including ticket purchases, cheering supplies, and event organization. The Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund, established in 1991 under the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund Act, was used to finance this initiative. The fund supports a wide array of inter-Korean activities, ranging from humanitarian aid to cultural exchanges. A total of 235.29 million won was disbursed through this mechanism, with specific allocations outlined in the report. Of the total sum, 148.74 million won was dedicated to supporting joint cheering events organized by private civic groups. This included the purchase of 5,048 match tickets—3,048 for the semifinals and 2,000 for the final, at a cost of 25.24 million won. Additional funds were allocated for cheering supplies and refreshments, totaling 59.1 million won. Another 64.4 million won was used for organizing the cheering activities, which encompassed the setup of on-site booths, hiring cheerleaders, paying service contractors, and covering value-added tax charges. A further 84.55 million won was directed toward event operations aimed at facilitating the North Korean team’s visit. This included 55.91 million won for event management tasks such as renting electronic scoreboards and vehicles, procuring raincoats and other event materials, and compensating staff from participating civic organizations. An additional 28.64 million won was reserved for safety measures, ensuring the secure movement of the North Korean delegation throughout their stay. The ministry also noted that part of the budget covered costs unrelated to the cheering campaign, such as security along the team’s travel routes. These measures were intended to guarantee the smooth and safe execution of the visit. An extra 2 million won was spent on an independent audit of the subsidy settlement report, underscoring the government’s commitment to transparency. Initially, the government had approved up to 319.45 million won in funding, citing the potential of the North Korean team’s visit and the associated civic cheering activities to foster mutual understanding between the two Koreas. To accommodate the unpredictable nature of spectator turnout, an advance payment was made to the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Support Association, which managed logistical support for the cheering campaign. The final allocation was adjusted following a post-event financial review based on actual spending. The ministry emphasized that the funding was requested by private organizations and aligned with the objectives set forth in the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund Act. However, some critics expressed concerns over the use of taxpayer money to subsidize cheering events for a North Korean sports team, especially since individual spectators were required to buy their own tickets. Despite these criticisms, the visit represented a rare instance of inter-Korean engagement in sports, highlighting ongoing efforts to bridge the divide.