Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Monday he hopes the recent visit by a North Korean women's football team for an Asian tournament held in South Korea will serve as a precedent for building inter-Korean trust, even if only marginally.
The North Korean team, Naegohyang Women's Football Club, won the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League (AWCL) hosted in South Korea.
"There were some regrets, but I hope this tournament has become a good precedent for glimpsing the possibility of small trust between the two Koreas, even if through a needle's eye," Chung wrote on Facebook after the Naegohyang team departed through Incheon International Airport on Monday. "The visit by the Naegohyang team is meaningful in itself."
"Once again, I congratulate the Naegohyang team on their victory and extend warm encouragement to Suwon FC Women, who suffered a bitter defeat in the semifinals," Chung said. "The passionate sight of players from both sides giving their all in the pouring rain leaves a lasting impression."
"Without small things, big things cannot be made," he added. "I believe that as we approach each other little by little, someday an 'ordinary day' will come when we can smile, shake hands again, and help up a fallen opponent."
The Naegohyang team players entered South Korea on the 17th of this month and advanced to the final by defeating Suwon FC Women 2-1 at Suwon Sports Complex on the 20th. In the final held at the same venue on the 23rd, they defeated Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1-0 to claim the championship.
This marks the first visit by a North Korean sports delegation to South Korea in eight years, since the Incheon International Table Tennis Tournament in December 2018.
