'A massive 300 million won investment' — unprecedented South-North joint supporter group formed, met with complete indifference and humiliation: "We will focus solely on the match" [Suwon]

*This content was translated by AI.

Grandiose justifications driven by political logic and massive funding appear colorless before the competitive spirit on the field. Although the Ministry of Unification provided approximately 300 million won in North-South Cooperation Fund support to organize a joint supporter group of around 3,000 people led by private organizations, both SuwonFC Wimin and the Naegohyang Women's Football Team (North Korea) competing in the match displayed a thoroughly indifferent attitude toward these external movements.

On the 19th, one day before the AFC Women's Champions League (AWCL) semi-final single-match showdown, SuwonFC Wimin and the Naegohyang Women's Football Team held separate official press conferences at Suwon Sports Complex.

This matchup is a fierce battle for a championship prize of 1 million dollars (approximately 1.5 billion won) and a true contest for the honor of becoming Asian champions.

Ahead of the tournament, the atmosphere around the stadium became somewhat chaotic due to criticisms and cynical reactions that political interpretations overshadowed the intrinsic value of sports, stemming from the deployment of a large-scale joint supporter group funded by the Ministry of Unification's 300 million won, disputes over accommodation arrangements, and the separation of movement routes. SuwonFC Wimin, despite playing at home, found itself in a situation where it could not fully enjoy the advantages of being the host, even having to yield its accommodation to the visiting team.

However, both teams paid no attention to these external views and circumstances. Park Gil-young, coach of SuwonFC Wimin, who spoke at the afternoon press conference, stated, "We tried not to think about anything outside of football. It is true that much attention is focused on Naegohyang, but we told the players not to worry about it and to focus only on the match." He added, "Whether it is a joint supporter group or a supporters' club, they will cheer for SuwonFC Wimin. We will focus solely on the match and do our best."

Captain Ji So-yun also focused on the match itself rather than external noise. Ji said, "I am happy to be able to play the semi-finals in Korea. I want to focus only on tomorrow's match." She further added, "Since the opponent is a North Korean team, many people are paying attention. We will strive to show good performance commensurate with that attention and secure a victory," offering a veteran-like response.

Ri Yu-il, coach of North Korea's Naegohyang, who attended the morning press conference, displayed a cold detachment, strictly distancing himself from questions unrelated to the match. When questions about the joint supporter group arose, Coach Ri expressed displeasure, saying, "I do not know if such questions will come up in the future," before firmly stating, "We came solely to play the match. We will focus only on the game. The supporter group issue does not seem to be a matter for the coach or the players to worry about."

Kim Kyung-yeong, captain of Naegohyang, also looked only at the battle on the pitch. Kim said, "We will do our utmost to repay the trust of the people, parents, and siblings," showing firm determination.

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*This content was translated by AI.