Players from the North Korean women's football team, winners of the 2025-26 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League, depart from Incheon International Airport on the 24th. [Photo=Yonhap News]

The North Korean team 'Naegohyang Women's Football Club' recently came to South Korea to play in the Asian Champions League. Unreservedly stating "I hope our home football club wins," Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young went to great lengths to appease North Korea, to the point of preventing the South Korean flag from being displayed at the stadium.

However, from the moment the North Korean football team arrived in South Korea, they treated South Koreans not as fellow countrymen, but with the coldness reserved for sworn enemies. They even refused to share accommodation with the South Korean team.

How Could a mere Coach Disobey Kim Jong-un's Orders?

During a press conference, when the term "North Side" was used by a South Korean reporter asking a question to the North Korean coach, the North Korean coach demanded that their country's name be corrected and then stormed out. This incident has sparked various reactions, with some criticizing the coach and others expressing understanding.

I am writing this despite knowing I may face criticism from both sides.

Firstly, "Naegohyang Women's Football Club" is the national team under North Korea's Sports Guidance Committee. Previously, the North Korean women's football team was managed and sponsored by the Ministry of Light Industry, overseen by Kim Jong-il's sister, Kim Kyong-hui.

However, as women's football became the sole sport that brought prestige to Kim Jong-un, the Ministry of Light Industry established a separate "Naegohyang Trading Company" to export goods such as liquor, tobacco, cosmetics, sports equipment, and food, and to earn foreign currency to sponsor the women's football team. The team was then named "Naegohyang Women's Football Club," and this is the team that came to South Korea.

Secondly, regarding the incident where North Korean coach Ri Yu-il stormed out after a South Korean reporter used the term "North Side," I believe the coach should not be solely blamed.

No country will compromise on its national name. For North Korea, which has the recognized national name "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" registered with the UN, their objection to being called "North Side" is understandable.

North Korea demands that all individuals going abroad uphold the authority of the Supreme Leader and the state, making it their top priority, and they closely monitor and control this.

It is likely that this women's football team received even more stringent education and closer surveillance, given they were entering amongst what North Korea considers "Southern enemies."

Especially now, with Kim Jong-un being sensitive about issues of national name and territory, the North Korean people are on high alert.

If the coach had not walked out this time, he would have been taken somewhere immediately upon arrival. It is highly probable that security officers of vice-delegation leader rank accompanied this delegation, and they would not have remained silent.

In light of this, is it truly right to criticize the coach for walking out of the press conference? If that is the case, should it have been considered the right course of action for the coach to stay put for the sake of South Korea and then be sent to a political prison camp with his entire family?

The Cause: Incompetent Chung Dong-young's Complacent Handling

This incident is the fault of the incompetent Minister Chung Dong-young. South Korean pro-North Korea sympathizers should not just fawn over the Kim Il-sung family and think about bribing them; they need to learn how to save the North Korean people and deal with Kim Jong-un.

When I write such things, some people will inevitably bring up the South Korean constitution and pretend to know that North Korea is a part of South Korea.

However, that constitution is merely a declaration made when the Korean peninsula was divided, where both the North and South Korean governments claimed the opposing side's territory without recognizing the other. In other words, North Korea also claims South Korea as its own territory.

There are many South Koreans who are mere "couch warriors" who only cite constitutional clauses and only talk patriotism from their homes, while North Korea and China invade South Korea and pro-North Korea, pro-China elements attempt to communize the country.

Of course, North Korea is an enemy state. However, even a minor North Korean football coach strives to protect his country, yet South Korea is overflowing with traitors and betrayers. Are these people not ashamed?

Within the South Korean government and among its politicians, is there anyone who can confront North Korea's Kim Jong-un regime for the sake of South Korea, like that North Korean coach did? South Koreans are currently destroying their own country with their own hands.

This time again, South Koreans are the ones who threw 300 million won to cheer for the North Korean team and cheerleaders, preventing the display of the South Korean flag, and siding with the North Korean team even when a South Korean player made a kicking error, causing the stadium to erupt in cheers.

Instead of looking at the shameful flaws of South Koreans, is the action that the North Korean football coach had to take, even for his own survival and that of his family, truly something to be criticized by South Koreans?

This incident is a case of Chung Dong-young being shamefully disgraced because, instead of educating South Korean reporters on how to deal with North Korea, he only flattered them like a dog, trying to make himself look good.

The Lee Jae-myung government must hold Chung Dong-young, who only acts as a pawn for the enemy state, accountable by dismissing him.

When referring to North Korea, it is not necessary to call it the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea." Simply calling it "Joseon" or "Pyongyang" would be acceptable. In other words, if you refer to them as "Joseon Side" or "Pyongyang Team," there will be no provocation.

Ignorant leftist governments should not carelessly engage with North Korea. And if the need to dialogue is felt, at least the courtesy of properly calling the enemy state by its name should be observed.

Those who wish to criticize me, please do so.

◆ Advisor Kim Tae-san

Advisor to Hankyoreh, former representative of a North Korean trading company in the Czech Republic. In South Korea, he is active as the Vice Director of the Institute for North Korean Society, providing in-depth insights and experience on inter-Korean relations and North Korean issues.