South Korea Unification Minister Calls Naegohyang Visit 'Precedent for Trust'; DPRK Delegation Completes Historic 8-Day Stay

South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young issued a formal statement on May 24, 2026, praising North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC for their AFC Women's Champions League victory and describing the delegation's eight-day presence in South Korea as a meaningful step toward inter-Korean trust. Chung stated: 'Without small things, big things cannot be made,' characterizing the sporting visit — the first by a North Korean athletic delegation in nearly eight years — as a precedent for future inter-Korean exchanges including family reunions. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung also sent congratulations to Naegohyang, calling the win a source of pride for all Koreans. The 39-member DPRK delegation completed their stay and departed South Korea after the final on May 23, returning via Beijing. The visit demonstrated that a narrow functional diplomatic channel between Seoul and Pyongyang through the Asian Football Confederation framework remains operational despite the broader freeze in inter-Korean relations. South Korean analysts noted that Naegohyang's $1 million ACL prize represents meaningful hard-currency earnings for the isolated DPRK economy, and the team's conduct during the visit may create political space for Kim Jong-un to authorize further inter-Korean sporting exchanges. The successful conclusion of the visit — without incident, despite Pyongyang having formally declared South Korea a 'hostile foreign state' in its constitution — is viewed as a quiet but significant signal that both sides retain the ability to conduct structured, limited engagements.