Gov't spent 235 million won on North Korea football cheering with little diplomatic return

The government spent 235.3 million won ($159,000) to support joint cheering events for the North Korean women's football club during its visit to South Korea in May, but the effort brought little progress in improving inter-Korean relations.

The funding came from the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund as the government sought to use the football club's visit for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League as an opportunity to revive inter-Korean exchanges. But the North Korean delegation maintained a frosty attitude, consistent with Pyongyang's policy of treating the two Koreas as two hostile states.

A total of 319.45 million won was initially approved for the joint cheering campaign, with 235.3 million won ultimately spent, the Ministry of Unification said Monday. The remaining 84 million won will be returned to the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund.

"The event marked the first inter-Korean sports exchange held in Korea in eight years, and the funding was provided to support expenses related to the joint cheering campaign," the ministry said. The ministry had approved the funding during a meeting of the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund Management Committee on May 11.

Of the amount spent, 148.74 million won went toward supporting the cheering squad, including 25.24 million won for purchasing 5,048 match tickets, 59.1 million won for cheering supplies and snacks and 64.4 million won for operating the cheering program.

Another 84.55 million won was allocated to event operations. The fee included 55.91 million won for operational support — including rental fees for electronic display boards, vehicles and rain ponchos and honoraria for event staff — and 28.6 million won for safety expenses.

An additional 2 million won was spent to create the fund settlement report.

The Unification Ministry first provided an estimated amount to the ministry-affiliated South-North Korea Exchanges and Cooperation Support Association, and later recovered any unused funds through a post-event settlement process.

"It was difficult to determine in advance the scale of participation by private organizations and the details of the event because we were notified of the North Korean women's team's participation on short notice," the ministry said.

"The funding aimed to contribute to enhancing mutual understanding between the two Koreas by supporting expenses necessary for the joint cheering campaign during the North Korean women's team's participation in the AFC Women's Champions League," the ministry added.

The ministry determined that the funding fell under Article 8 of the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund Act, which allows financial support for projects that promote inter-Korean exchange and cooperation and help restore trust and a sense of national community.

Naegohyang Women's FC, a North Korean club, defeated Suwon FC Women at Suwon Sports Complex on May 20 to reach the final in the first inter-Korean women's club football match in 12 years. The North Korean team then defeated Tokyo Verdy Beleza in the final to win the Asian Women's Champions League.

Naegohyang Women's FC's visit marked the first trip to South Korea by a North Korean sports delegation since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

Despite the government's hopes that the match would help reopen inter-Korean exchanges, the North Korean delegation kept its distance throughout the visit.

The 35-member delegation, consisting of 23 players and 12 coaches and staff members, arrived at Incheon International Airport via Beijing on May 17. Although the South Korean government issued visitor certificates to the delegation, the North Korean team presented passports upon both arrival and departure, a move widely interpreted as reflecting leader Kim Jong-un's policy of treating the two Koreas as separate states.

During a news conference, head coach Ri Yu-il objected to a reporter's use of the term "North side" and asked them to use the country's proper name.

When the same reporter attempted to ask a follow-up question, Ri replied, "I won't take that person's question," before ending the news conference and walking out.

The delegation also remained expressionless as it departed through Incheon International Airport on May 24.

BY LEE YU-JUNG [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]