Translation result.North Korea club coach abruptly ends championship press conference after reporter uses ‘Northern’ label
[Herald Economy=Kim Kwang-woo] Ri Yu-il, coach of North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s Football Club, abruptly ended the post-match press conference after a South Korean reporter used the label “Northern side.”
According to Yonhap, Naegohyang beat Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1–0 on the afternoon of the 23rd at Suwon Sports Complex to win the 2025–2026 AFC Women’s Champions League final.
After the match, Ri attended the press conference and reflected on the victory. He said, “Naegohyang was founded only 14 years ago, and now we’ve become Asia’s top team,” and he expressed gratitude to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and to the ruling party.
He added, “I’m very proud of our players for following my instructions through difficult moments to reach this point,” and he thanked the families and supporters who stood by the team and helped them achieve first place.
With this victory, Naegohyang qualified to represent Asia at the FIFA Women’s Club Champions Cup.
Ri said, “Our club has a very short history, but today we reached a historic moment as Asia’s top team and will now move onto the global stage,” adding, “Words can’t describe the emotions and excitement.”
He also noted that the awards ceremony was over and that the team faces new challenges. “As coach, I’ll do my best to deliver strong results on the bigger stages ahead,” he said.
The tone shifted when a South Korean reporter began a question by saying the “’Northern side’ women’s football” had long been strong. The room suddenly grew tense.
Ri signaled his displeasure about the term to the interpreter. The interpreter relayed Ri’s request that the proper country name be used, then informed the reporter, “He will not take your question.”
Ri immediately stood up and left the press room. He had staged a similar protest after North Korea’s win over South Korea in the quarterfinal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, when a South Korean reporter referred to North Korea as “the northern side.” Ri objected then as well, saying, “It’s not ‘the northern side’—it’s the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”
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