Women’s Soccer

[Anchor Lead]

The South Korean women's soccer team is now in Pyongyang competing in qualifying matches for the upcoming Asian Cup. The team wrapped up its first training session and faces India Wednesday. On Friday the team will play North Korea.

[Pkg]

The South Korean national women's soccer team arrived at the infamous Kim Il-sung Stadium to begin its first training session. Accommodating 50,000 people, the stadium was renovated at the end of last year. Its artificial lawn is in good condition for training. Advertisement boards that have been installed ahead of competition also catch the eye. The South Korean team held intensive training on day one in order to recuperate more quickly from the two-day trip to Pyongyang.

[Soundbite] Yoon Deok-yeo(Coach, S. Korean Women's Nat'l Soccer Team) : "If our players demonstrate their skills here, we are sure to achieve our goal."

Coached by Yoon Deok-yeo, the team aims to win its match against North Korea, which is expected to effectively determine the final victor. The team must win the competition in order to secure a berth in the Asian Cup, which in turn will determine the team's chances of competing in the Women's World Cup 2019. The team is facing multiple challenges, such as a strong opponent and the cheering of the North Korean public for their team.

[Soundbite] Chung Seol-bin(Women's Nat'l Soccer Team) : "We have adapted to the local atmosphere through training. We no longer become distracted by surrounding noise."

Starting with the upcoming match against India, the South Korean team will commence its journey to advance to the World Cup for the second consecutive time.