Inter-Korean News Summary: Football, Diplomacy, and Border Security

SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of inter-Korean news this week.

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N.K. football team's S. Korea visit signals possibility of inter-Korean cooperation in multilateral arenas: cheering squad official

SEOUL -- A planned visit to South Korea by a North Korean women's football team suggests the possibility of future discussions on inter-Korean cooperation within multilateral frameworks, though it is unlikely to directly lead to broader inter-Korean exchanges, a senior official from an inter-Korean cooperation council said.

Lee Ju-sung, secretary-general of the NGO Council for Inter-Korean Cooperation, made the remarks in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Friday, as his organization is set to participate in a joint cheerleading squad for the semifinal match between Pyongyang-based Naegohyang Women's FC and South Korea's Suwon FC Women in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League.

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N. Korea football club Naegohyang arrive in S. Korea for much-anticipated match

SEOUL -- The North Korean women's football club Naegohyang Women's FC arrived in South Korea on Sunday for a much-anticipated inter-Korean match this week.

Naegohyang will take on Suwon FC Women in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, some 30 kilometers south of Seoul, at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

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Unification white paper pivots to peaceful coexistence with N. Korea

SEOUL -- The Lee Jae Myung government has shifted its focus to peaceful coexistence with North Korea, rather than pressure and confrontation, the unification ministry's white paper showed Monday, striking a markedly different tone from its predecessor.

The annual paper reflects the push by the Lee government, which took office in June last year, to repair the strained inter-Korean relationship based on building mutual trust.

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No reports of MDL crossings by N. Korean troops this year amid border fortification: source

SEOUL -- North Korean troops have not crossed the inter-Korean border so far this year as Pyongyang appears to have completed land-clearing work as part of its border fortification measures, a military source said Tuesday.

North Korean troops crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) at least 17 times last year, but there have been no reports of such violations so far this year, according to the source.

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Coach for N. Korean football club keeps mum on S. Korean supporters: 'We're here for football'

SUWON, South Korea -- The head coach of the North Korean women's football club currently in South Korea for a continental competition deflected a question about support from South Korean supporters on Tuesday, saying the focus will remain on the pitch, not on the stands.

Head coach Ri Yu-il has taken Naegohyang Women's FC to the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League against Suwon FC Women of South Korea. The much-anticipated Korean showdown will kick off at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul.

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N. Korea's Naegohyang beat S. Korea's Suwon FC Women in hyped-up football match

SUWON, South Korea -- Naegohyang Women's FC of North Korea defeated South Korea's Suwon FC Women 2-1 in a highly anticipated football match between teams of the two Koreas on Wednesday, booking a spot in the final of the top Asian club tournament in the process.

Naegohyang rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the second half with goals by Choe Kum-ok and Kim Kyong-yong in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation Women's Champions League amid heavy downpours at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul.

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N. Korean club coach appreciates S. Koreans' passion for football

SUWON, South Korea -- With a supportive South Korean crowd behind them, Naegohyang Women's FC of North Korea rallied past Suwon FC Women of South Korea 2-1 at the top Asian women's club football tournament just south of Seoul on Wednesday.

And Naegohyang head coach Ri Yu-il came away impressed with South Korean people's enthusiasm for women's football.

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Kim-Trump summit could be discussed if Xi visits Pyongyang: unification minister

SEOUL -- Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Thursday a summit between Pyongyang and Washington could be on the agenda if China's leader Xi Jinping visits North Korea.

Xi is speculated to make a state visit later his month or early next month, sources said the previous day, citing recent visits by Xi's security guards and ceremonial staff to Pyongyang as indicators.

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N. Korean football club coach bristles at 'rough' label ahead of top Asian tournament final

SEOUL -- The head coach of the North Korean women's football club competing at the top Asian tournament south of the border on Friday took exception to the narrative that his athletes play a rough style.

Ri Yu-il and his Naegohyang Women's FC will play Tokyo Verdy Beleza in the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League at 2 p.m. Saturday at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul. The two teams will vie for US$1 million in prize money at the continent's top women's club football competition.