South Korea has earmarked a modest sum of $158,000 from its inter‑Korean cooperation fund to underwrite the participation of a North Korean women’s football side in an Asian tournament.
The money covered match tickets, cheering supplies, snack provisions, an event booth and a suite of service fees, while a separate line item of $56,800 was devoted to event operations and a $1,340 audit of the subsidy settlement report.
Although the total outlay was approved at $215,000, about $57,100 remains unspent and will be returned to the treasury once the accounts are settled.
Sporting Diplomacy on the Field
The North Korean club, known as Naegohyang Women's FC and based in Pyongyang, faced Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza in the final, a match that highlighted the fragile but growing sporting ties between the two Koreas.
The funding was sanctioned under the Inter‑Korean Cooperation Fund Act, legislation designed to nurture trust and national unity through cross‑border exchanges.
Logistical hurdles emerged because the club’s participation was confirmed on short notice, complicating estimates of fan groups and the scale of the cheering events.
Advance payments were routed through the Inter‑Korean Exchange and Cooperation Support Association, which facilitated the disbursement on behalf of the Unification Ministry.