North Korea's Naegohyang beats Suwon FC 2-1 to reach AFC women's final

North Korea's Naegohyang women's club rallied from a 1-0 deficit Wednesday to defeat South Korea's Suwon FC Women 2-1 in the AFC Women's Champions League semifinals, securing a spot in Saturday's championship final.

The win is the first by a North Korean women's club over a South Korean side on South Korean soil, drawing intense attention from Korean communities worldwide and setting the stage for a $1 million final on Saturday.

Suwon FC controlled the opening half, outshooting Naegohyang 10-1, according to The Korea Times. Japanese forward Haruhi Suzuki capitalized on that dominance to give the South Korean club a 1-0 lead at the break, leaving Naegohyang with an uphill task.

The North Korean side transformed the match after halftime. Choe Kum-ok leveled with a header just six minutes into the second half, and Kim Kyong-yong put Naegohyang ahead for the first time with another headed goal in the 67th minute, the Korea Times reported.

Suwon FC had a chance to draw level in the 75th minute when captain Ji So-yun earned a penalty kick. Naegohyang goalkeeper Pak Ju-gyong saved the attempt, preserving the North Korean side's advantage, according to the Korea Times.

The match was the first inter-Korean women's football club fixture played on South Korean soil, the Korea Times reported. The two sides had previously met in the November group stage, where Naegohyang won 3-0.

The AFC Women's Champions League final is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. in Suwon, a city about 30 kilometers south of Seoul. The winning club will receive $1 million in prize money.

Naegohyang will face the other semifinal winner in Saturday's final, aiming to claim the AFC Women's Champions League title after two victories over Suwon FC this tournament. Suwon FC's run ends at the semifinal stage despite their commanding first-half display in the decisive match.