North Korea edged out South Korea 2-1 in an inter-Korean football showdown at the Women’s East Asian Cup here on Sunday.
Ho Eun-Byol grabbed two goals in quick succession during the first half at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, as North Korea quickly erased a one-goal deficit and beat South Korea for the 10th time in their last twelve showdowns.
The match took place against a backdrop of lingering tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula.
Both teams had a cautious start to the match, before Kim Soo-Yun put South Koreans on the board in the 26th minute.
The midfielder pounced on a loose ball after a goalmouth scramble and rolled it past Hong Myong-Hui into the North Korean net. But the visitors quickly regained control. In the 36th, Ho equalised on a rebound following a brief period of dramatic goal-line mayhem near the South Korean net.
MATCH RESULT South Korea 1-2 North Korea Kim Soo-Yun 26 Ho Un-Byol 36, 37
