Why North Korea is strong at women’s football - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service

North Korean women footballers are heading to South Korea in a closely watched match taking place at a moment of deep tension between the two neighbours.

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The two Koreas are still technically at war, and official contact between Pyongyang and Seoul has been minimal in recent years.

But sport has long played a unique role in inter-Korean relations - from unified Olympic marches to politically charged football matches played in empty stadiums.

In this episode, host Mariko Oi speaks to BBC Seoul correspondent Jake Kwon and freelance sports reporter Daisy Yoo about why North Korea’s women’s football team has become one of the strongest in Asia and how one of the world’s most isolated countries built a football powerhouse.

This episode was recorded on 18 May.

00:00 Introduction
01:23 Why this rare North Korea-South Korea football match is happening
02:15 How South Koreans feel about the match
03:00 The South Korean government’s organised cheering squad
04:05 The history of sports diplomacy between the two Koreas
06:09 When the world realised North Korea’s women’s football team was elite
06:43 North Korea’s bizarre doping scandal
07:35 How traditional medicine became an international sports controversy
09:03 Why North Korea’s women football team is so strong
10:04 The rewards North Korean footballers reportedly receive for winning
12:50 What happens when North Korean athletes lose?
14:28 Can North Korea keep up as women’s football grows globally?
15:55 Could this match lead to renewed Seoul-Pyongyang engagement?

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Instagram: @bbcworldservice
Email: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Mariko Oi
Producers: Derek Cai, Rachel Lee
Camera: Muhammad Firdaus Bin Mohd Ansary, Rosalehin Bin Rosli, Fahmi Jamal
Editor: Bill Birtles

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