South and North Korean players to stay at the same hotel... Suwon FC Wi-min and Nae-hyang women's football teams' accommodation confirmed

*This content was translated by AI.

It appears that Suwon FC Wi-min and Nae-hyang Women's Football Team will ultimately stay together at Hotel A in Suwon. There was consideration to change the accommodation assignment at the request of the Nae-hyang side.

According to StarNews' investigation, the Nae-hyang side had previously requested that Suwon FC Wi-min be housed separately to ensure separation of movement routes. While there were discussions about the possibility of Suwon FC Wi-min changing their accommodation, the final decision was to keep them at the same location. Instead, measures will be taken to minimize contact, such as separating floors and adjusting meeting and meal times.

Meanwhile, accommodations for other teams that advanced to the semi-finals have also been confirmed. Tokyo Verdy Beleza (Japan) will stay at a hotel near Pangyo, while Melbourne City (Australia) will prepare for their Champions League semi-final match at a hotel in downtown Suwon.

Nae-hyang will face Suwon FC Wi-min in the AFC Women's Champions League (AWCL) semi-final match at Suwon Sports Complex on the 20th. In the earlier group stage matchup, Nae-hyang won 3-0. The winner of this single-match semi-final will advance to the final on the 23rd to face the winner of the semi-final match between Tokyo and Melbourne.

The Nae-hyang squad, currently training in Beijing, China, is scheduled to arrive on the 17th. The team consists of 27 players and 12 staff members, totaling 39 people.

Interest in this semi-final match is explosive. All 7,000 seats in the stadium have already sold out.

In particular, the atmosphere is heating up after the Ministry of Unification decided to support approximately 300 million won from the inter-Korean cooperation fund to cover expenses for private supporter groups. A joint supporter group of about 3,000 people, formed by over 200 civil society organizations including the Inter-Korean Cooperation Council, the National Council for Inter-Korean Reconciliation and Cooperation, and The Hankyoreh Unification Culture Foundation, will visit the stadium. The joint supporter group has been assigned seats opposite the main stand and plans to cheer for both teams.

The media interest is comparable to that of the men's national team matches. Suwon FC Wi-min expects around 120 media personnel, including reporters, video crews, and photographers, to gather.

Consequently, the internal facilities of Suwon Sports Complex are undergoing major changes. Flags and banners surrounding the stadium have been removed and will be replaced with AFC emblems.

Previously, media personnel and fans used the central entrance together, but for this match, movement routes will be strictly separated. Suwon FC Wi-min has prepared a dedicated entrance for the media, and existing press facilities will be used by VIPs and AFC officials.

Since the existing press conference room cannot accommodate the large number of media personnel, a separate press conference venue has been set up outside the stadium. The previously cramped press seating area has been expanded to include second-floor table seating, and the VIP area has been subdivided into three tiers. To address the shortage of VIP seats, some first-floor table seating will also be utilized as VIP space.

There are also changes to the variable seating arrangement. The variable seats, previously used as Suwon FC's supporter section, will not be sold for this match. Although the game is being held at Suwon Sports Complex, Suwon FC Wi-min is playing as the away team due to the bracket draw. Additionally, the rear section of the variable seats, which are normally not sold due to limited sightlines, will be left empty. Installation of a temporary scoreboard to replace the broken variable scoreboard is highly likely.

A pre-match press conference will be held on the morning of the 19th, one day before the game. The four teams that advanced to the semi-finals will each hold separate press conferences. Therefore, it is expected that Suwon FC Wi-min and Nae-hyang will not appear together at the same press conference.

After the match, a mixed zone will be operated. While the Nae-hyang squad must pass through this area in accordance with regulations, participation in interviews is voluntary, so it remains uncertain whether actual communication between media personnel and players will take place.

Meanwhile, the joint supporter group has officially confirmed its name as the Suwon FC Wi-min and Nae-hyang Women's Football Team Joint Supporter and will cheer in accordance with AFC guidelines prohibiting political or religious expressions within the stadium. The formation of this joint supporter group was achieved through voluntary efforts by private organizations, followed by consultations with the government.

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*This content was translated by AI.