South Korea football bosses in talks to avert Women’s Asian Cup boycott

South Korea football bosses said on Monday they were in talks with players to avert a boycott of next month’s Women’s Asian Cup and expected the national team to train for the tournament as scheduled.

The country’s women’s side last year complained of poor and “discriminatory conditions” provided by the Korea Football Association (KFA) compared to their male counterparts.

A team statement from September, made public in January, said that players faced gruelling long journeys on buses and economy-class flights, and were forced to stay in “inadequate” accommodation far from training grounds.

A KFA official told AFP: “We are continuing talks with the players to resolve the matter and plan to proceed with our training schedule.”

The governing body will call in the players for a pre-tournament training camp in mid-February, she added.

Players complained that they were required to pay for their own airport transfers and training kit.

The players’ statement said they would “suspend participation in all training related to the upcoming 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup” and refuse to play matches if the KFA did not respond by October 17.

It added there were “clear and undeniable differences” from the conditions enjoyed by the men’s national team.

An internal KFA document seen by AFP showed that the women’s team was allocated US$1.28 million in 2025.

That was less than 10 percent of the total budget for the men’s team.

The 12-team Women’s Asian Cup will be held in Australia from March 1 to 21.

South Korea have been drawn in a first-round group with the hosts, Iran and the Philippines.

Midfielder Ji So-yun, who spent eight years at English club Chelsea, said recently: “It feels as though the players are not being treated in a manner befitting national team members.

“With a heavy heart I believe action is necessary to bring about change,” she added in comments reported by Yonhap news agency.