S. Korean soccer players to participate in Pyongyang U-15 competition

Middle school soccer players in Gangwon Province and Gyeonggi Province will visit North Korea on Sunday to participate in an international tournament in Pyongyang.

Gangwon Province said Friday that two teams – one from the province and the other from Gyeonggi Province – will participate in the second Pyongyang U-15 football competition. The participation draws attention because it is a private-sector exchange between the two Koreas amid heightened tensions over the North`s recent land mine provocation.

The competition is organized by South Korea`s South and North Korean Sports Exchange Association and the North`s Pyongyang International Football School. The two South Korean provinces sponsor the games. From the North, the April 25 football team and the Pyongyang International Football Competition team will compete in the games. A total of eight teams from six countries, including China, Brazil, Uzbekistan and Croatia, will vie for the championship. The South Korean players will start training after arriving in Pyongyang on Sunday. The competition will take place at the Pyongyang May 1 Soccer Stadium. Qualifying matches will be held on August 21 and 22, before a semifinal on August 23 and the final on August 24.

imlee@donga.com