2026 Asian Women's Football Championship: South Korean Team Determined to Conquer the 'Throne'

Last January, South Korean players threatened to boycott the tournament scheduled from March 1 to 21, claiming they received inferior treatment compared to the men's team, especially regarding travel and accommodation. Coach Shin Sang Woo acknowledged that the incident affected the team's morale. He stated, "This situation hurt the players, but I hope they will overcome it soon." According to the Korean Football Association, the entire team was arranged to fly to Australia in business class. Veteran midfielder Ji So Yun, who has earned over 170 caps for the national team, said, "We discussed improvements with the association. But now, the most important thing is the tournament. We will continue the dialogue (about treatment) later when there is an opportunity."

In this year's tournament, South Korea will start against Iran before facing the Philippines and host Australia in Group A. The team's goal is to advance further than in 2022, when they lost 2-3 to China in the final despite leading 2-0. Coach Shin Sang Woo outlined a clear plan: win the group, reach the semifinals to secure a World Cup spot, and aim for the championship. He emphasized, "We finished as runners-up last time. This time, the goal is to win the title."

Meanwhile, North Korea also hopes to regain its former glory in women's football following recent successes at the youth level. The North Korean women's team has won the Asian championship three times, most recently in 2008, but has not participated since 2010.

In this year's tournament, North Korea is in the same group as China, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan. Despite limited international matches in recent years, North Korean women's football has demonstrated strength at the youth level, winning world championships in both U17 and U20 categories.

In addition to the Asian women's football title, the six best-performing teams in this year's tournament will qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.