North Korean media introduced the South Korean national team participating in the 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-17 Women’s Asian Cup as a “monster Korea.” Earlier, the North Korean team has been very sensitive to the name of “North Korea” or “North Korea” in international competitions such as the Asian Games.

The Korea Central News Agency reported on the 13th, “The Asian Cup tournament for women under the age of 17 of the Asian Football Confederation in 2024 is being held in Indonesia. The South Korean (North Korea) team, which belongs to Group 1, beat the South Korean team 7-0 in its first game on the 6th.” He then reported the results of his advance to the semifinals, including 6-0 against the Philippines on the 9th and 9-0 against Indonesia on the 12th.

Since last year, North Korean state media have frequently used the expressions “monster” or “monster Korea” instead of South Korea when introducing South Korea. Last month, Korean Central TV marked South Korea as “Korea” when it broadcasted the U-20 Women’s Asian Cup inter-Korean match, but it was changed to “monster Korea” again in this report by the Korean Central News Agency, two months later.

However, the North Korean team was furious at the North Korean name “North Korea” or the commonly used expression “North Korea” at press conferences. Ri Yu-il, the coach of the North Korean women’s soccer team who competed at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September last year, strongly protested a South Korean reporter’s call for “North Korea,” calling it “the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, not the North.”

Meanwhile, Kim Eun-ho, who is participating in the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup, will advance to the semifinals and compete with China or Japan for the place in the finals. South Korea was defeated by North Korea 0-7 earlier, but later crushed Indonesia 12-0 and tied with the Philippines 1-1 to advance to the semifinals. The team was tied with the Philippines in points, but South Korea beat the Philippines (-1) in points difference.

Up to the third place will qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup to be held in the Dominican Republic in October this year. Korea is aiming to advance to the finals for the first time in six years since the 2018 event. The Korean women’s under-17 team won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago in 2010.

BY: 토토