'We used to talk like sisters': Ji So-yun reflects on changed ties with NK players

Ji So-yun of Suwon FC Women, who is entering her 20th year as a member of South Korea's national team, expressed regret over the complete lack of communication with North Korean women's national team players, despite the two teams staying at the same hotel. "When I played at my first Asian Games in Doha in 2006, the North Korean players were like older sisters to me because I was the youngest. We became close and talked a lot," 35-year-old Ji said, reflecting on how interaction between players from the two Koreas has been cut off even at international sporting events where they share a common language. Ji made the remarks after South Korea's 6-0 win over Bangladesh in the second Group F match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Nagai Stadium in Osaka on Thursday. "But now, the North Korean players have become much more stiff in their attitude. Even when we greet them first, they don't respond." The change in relations between the two teams has been particularly noticeable at this year's Games, as they are staying at the same hotel. At every meal, Ji can hear North Korean players spea