North Korean Women's Football Team Reaches Final... Can They Receive the Prize Money?

15 Billion Won Prize at Stake for Victory...

Sanctions Emerge as a Key Variable for Payout

As the North Korean Naegohyang Women's Football Team advances to the final of the 2025-2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League (AWCL), the issue of prize money payments is again drawing attention.

Players of Naegohyang Women's Football Team, which advanced to the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League (AWCL), are training on the 22nd at the auxiliary stadium of Suwon World Cup Stadium in Gyeonggi Province. Naegohyang will compete for the championship cup against Tokyo Verdy in the final to be held on the 23rd at Suwon Sports Complex. Photo by Yonhap News

According to U.S.-based North Korea-focused media outlet NK News on the 22nd (local time), if Naegohyang wins the final against Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza on the 23rd, the team will receive prize money of 1 million dollars (approximately 1.52 billion won). Even as runners-up, they will be awarded 500,000 dollars (about 760 million won).

However, there are concerns about whether the prize money can actually be paid, as United Nations (UN) and U.S. sanctions against North Korea remain in place. NK News reported that the AFC did not respond to questions regarding North Korea's ability to receive the prize money.

Previously, in 2017, the UN Security Council passed a resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea, restricting overseas labor and foreign currency earnings by North Korean nationals. This was a measure aimed at blocking funds for nuclear and missile development.

The key issue is whether sports prize money can be considered as "income." Maiko Takeuchi, former expert panel member of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea, explained, "Prize money in sports is a right earned based on match results, so it is not a straightforward issue." Christopher Waterson, a researcher at the University of Sydney in Australia, also stated, "The central issue is whether the prize money constitutes income for North Korean athletes."

On the other hand, Kim Sejin, an international economic sanctions expert, analyzed, "Prize money awarded to North Korean sports teams is generally excluded from sanctions unless it is directly linked to military or weapons programs." However, he noted, "International organizations such as the AFC are likely to carefully examine the payment routes due to concerns over U.S. sanctions."

There are also predictions that international financial institutions and sponsors may be reluctant to engage in transactions related to North Korea. Takeuchi said, "Banks in third countries are highly likely to avoid remittances due to the risks of UN sanctions and U.S. financial restrictions."

This is not the first time that issues have arisen regarding the payment of prize money or goods to North Korean teams. In 2017, the Japan Football Association announced that, even if North Korea won the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) Women's Championship, the prize money would not be paid. Additionally, the North Korean team did not receive mobile phones provided by Samsung Electronics at either the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics or the 2024 Paris Olympics.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.