South-North Joint Support Group That Even Hired Cheerleaders Received '235.29 Million Won' in Taxpayer Funding

*This content was translated by AI.

It has been confirmed that a total of 235.29 million won was provided to the 'South-North Joint Support Group' formed when North Korea's Nae-hyang Women's Football Team visited South Korea in May to participate in the 2025-2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League (AWCL).

The Ministry of Unification announced on the 20th that it approved a fund support of 319.45 million won regarding the South-North Joint Support Group during the AWCL tournament, and that 235.29 million won of that amount was executed.

According to NEWSIS, 25.24 million won was provided for purchasing 5,048 tickets, 59.1 million won for support items and snacks, 64.4 million won for support activities including booth operations and leading cheers, 84.55 million won for event operations, 55.91 million won for event operation support, and 28.64 million won for safety management support, respectively.

The remaining amount, in addition to the approved fund support, will be returned to the South-North Exchange and Cooperation Fund.

Previously, the Nae-hyang Football Team confirmed its visit to South Korea in May to participate in the tournament. At that time, the Ministry of Unification sparked controversy by stating it would provide 300 million won from the South-North Cooperation Fund to South Korean private organizations cheering on-site, arguing that the team's visit would contribute to enhancing mutual understanding between North and South Korea.

Criticism was strong, arguing that it is inappropriate to support a group cheering for a North Korean team in an international tournament that is not merely a friendly match, especially one featuring the Korean team Suwon FC Wimin. This occurred even after State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un defined inter-Korean relations as 'two hostile states' in 2023, resulting in a situation where a support group receiving South Korean government funding cheered for a North Korean team.

In response, over 200 organizations, including the Council of South-North Exchange and Cooperation Private Organizations (Beokminhyeop) and the National Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation (Minhwahyep), explained that the formation of the support group was not initiated by a government request but was carried out through private organizations taking the lead and consulting with the government. These groups stated, "Our support group cheers for the success of both teams, not a specific team," clarifying that it was a joint support group for Suwon FC Wimin and Nae-hyang Women's Football Team, not just for the Nae-hyang Football Team.

However, controversy arose when the joint support group of about 3,000 people during the quarterfinals between Suwon FC Wimin and Nae-hyang Football Team essentially cheered only for Nae-hyang Football Team one-sidedly. After the match, Suwon FC Wimin coach Park Gil-young choked up, saying, "I was upset throughout the game for various reasons," while ironically, Li Yu-il, the Nae-hyang Football Team coach who received one-sided cheering, remarked, "It seems people in this place (Suwon) are very interested in football."

As Nae-hyang defeated Suwon FC and advanced to the final, the one-sided cheering for the North Korean team by the joint support group intensified. During the final match, banners such as 'Cheering for the success of Pyongyang Nae-hyang Women's Football Team' were visible around the stadium, along with support tools utilizing the Nae-hyang club's emblem. The national anthem and cheers of the South Korean national football team, such as 'Da~ Republic of Korea' or 'Oh Victory Korea', were modified to 'Nae-hyang' and echoed throughout the stadium.

In fact, during the final match, the joint support group even hired separate cheerleaders and a support group to cheer. According to an official from the Association for Support of South-North Exchange and Cooperation, the cost of mobilizing cheerleaders was also executed using tax funds under Ministry of Unification support.

At that time, Nae-hyang players who defeated Tokyo Verdy and won the championship ran around Suwon Comprehensive Stadium holding a large artificial flag to express their joy, creating an absurd scene where warm cheers and applause poured down from the Korean support group towards them. During the post-match press conference, Coach Li Yu-il took issue with the domestic media's use of the term 'North side' and walked out unilaterally during the conference.

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*This content was translated by AI.