SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) — The top South Korean football official will discuss inter-Korean exchange during his upcoming visit across the border, the sport’s national federation said Monday.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) said its president, Chung Mong-gyu, will hold talks with his North Korean counterparts about football exchange programs between the two Koreas, during his Sept. 18-20 visit to Pyongyang. Chung is scheduled to attend the 46th East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) Executive Committee meeting. He is one of the three vice presidents of the EAFF and serves on the Executive Committee.
“We expect this trip will go a long way toward revitalizing inter-Korean football exchanges,” a KFA official said.
In October 1990, the two Koreas held home-and-away men’s football matches in their Unification Football Tournament, but the event hasn’t been held since. The Koreas, however, have met in World Cup qualifying tournaments and regional competitions in Seoul in recent years. Some home matches for North Korea were held in the neutral venue of China, rather than in Pyongyang.
The KFA has been pushing to resume exchange programs this year, in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and it sees the EAFF meeting as an opportunity.
The focus this time will be more on women’s and youth football, the KFA official added.
“Given North Korea’s prowess in women’s football, it will help our women’s team to play them,” the official said. “There will also be discussions on holding matches between our women’s youth teams.”
North Korea are ranked eighth in the latest FIFA women’s rankings, nine spots above South Korea.
In senior women’s football, North Korea hold the all-time edge over South Korea with 14 wins, one draw and one loss.
On the men’s side, South Korea have beaten North Korea six times in 15 meetings, with eight draws and one loss.
And with South Korea set to host the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2017, the two Koreas may open exchange programs at the U-18 level, according to the KFA.
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