NO EMOTION
The Seoul government has provided US$200,000 to support South Korean civic groups planning to cheer both teams at the match.
According to local media, civic groups have been discussing cheering guidelines with the authorities, because waving North Korean national flags in public is prohibited under the national security law.
In past, such events held in the South, civic groups instead waved flags depicting the Korean Peninsula.
Both Ri and the team captain, Kim Kyong Yong, sat through the press conference without showing any emotion, and their answers were translated by a North Korean interpreter.
Kim said: “We will give our all to repay the trust and expectations of our people and our parents and families.”
The winner of the semi-final will play either Australia’s Melbourne City or Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza, also in Suwon, in Saturday’s final.
The two teams clashed in the group stage earlier in the competition, with Naegohyang winning 3-0, but the coach said that would count for little on Wednesday.
“Just because they played in the group stage, it would be absolutely wrong to say that one team is stronger or weaker than another based solely on those results,” Ri said.
“For us, our focus is simply on doing our best to achieve a good result in tomorrow’s match.”
Women’s football is one of North Korea’s strongest international sports, with their national sides regularly competing at the highest levels in Asia and globally.
North Korea rank 11th in the FIFA Women’s World Ranking, far above their men’s team, which is ranked 118th.
The visit comes with Pyongyang being unresponsive to Seoul’s repeated unconditional dialogue proposals under President Lee Jae Myung, who has taken a much softer stance than his conservative predecessor.
The two Koreas are technically at war as the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.
