South Korea's Unification Ministry announced Monday that North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC will face South Korea's Suwon FC Women on May 20 in the semi-finals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League.

This marks the first time a North Korean sports team has competed on South Korean soil since 2018. Pyongyang has submitted a list of 27 players and 12 staff members for the visit.

The ministry did not specify the exact arrival date, but AFP reported the team would arrive on May 17. The winner will play the final on May 23 against either Australia's Melbourne City or Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza.

The losing team will return home on May 21, as no third-place playoff is scheduled. The last North Korean athletes to compete in the South were shooting, youth football, and table tennis delegations in 2018.

The two Koreas also formed a unified ice hockey team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. This development comes as South Korean President Lee Jae-myung seeks to mend strained relations with Pyongyang. The two sides technically remain at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Source: www.dw.com