Absence of North Korean women’s soccer team at Olympics a loss for diplomacy



Features Absence of North Korean women’s soccer team at Olympics a loss for diplomacy Sports diplomacy advocates lament loss of key opportunity for engagement with North Korea as Summer Games begin Friday Chaewon Chung July 23, 2021 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON North Korea vs USA, U-20 Women's World Cup - North Korean anthem time - Andrea Williams- CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 North Korea has had one of the most competitive and successful women’s soccer teams for decades, winning the Asian Football Confederation’s Women’s Asian Cup three times and the Asian Games another three times. Yet the team, which also reached the quarterfinals of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, will be a conspicuous no-show as the Tokyo Olympics kick off today, and experts say the team’s absence represents a missed opportunity to engage with North Korea following the incredible diplomatic success of the 2018 Winter Games. North Korea has had one of the most competitive and successful women’s soccer teams for decades, winning the Asian Football Confederation’s Women’s Asian Cup three times and the Asian Games another three times. Yet the team, which also reached the quarterfinals of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, will be a conspicuous no-show as the Tokyo Olympics kick off today, and experts say the team’s absence represents a missed opportunity to engage with North Korea following the incredible diplomatic success of the 2018 Winter Games. Become a member for less than $5.75 per week. Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Features

Absence of North Korean women’s soccer team at Olympics a loss for diplomacy

Sports diplomacy advocates lament loss of key opportunity for engagement with North Korea as Summer Games begin Friday

Chaewon Chung July 23, 2021

Absence of North Korean women’s soccer team at Olympics a loss for diplomacy

North Korea vs USA, U-20 Women's World Cup - North Korean anthem time - Andrea Williams- CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

North Korea has had one of the most competitive and successful women’s soccer teams for decades, winning the Asian Football Confederation’s Women’s Asian Cup three times and the Asian Games another three times.

Yet the team, which also reached the quarterfinals of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, will be a conspicuous no-show as the Tokyo Olympics kick off today, and experts say the team’s absence represents a missed opportunity to engage with North Korea following the incredible diplomatic success of the 2018 Winter Games.