A delegation of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions arrived in North Korea on Wednesday to take part in a football tournament in Pyongyang. The event is being held for the first time in eight years. 
 
Ahead of their departure, a delegation of some 160 people told reporters at Gimpo International Airport that the football tournament will not only provide new opportunities for improved inter-Korean ties, peace and unification but also provide a significant breakthrough in efforts to hold frequent exchanges.
 
The head of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions Kim Dong-man said the delegation will make efforts so that the football event will help prime the pump for inter-Korean exchanges and contribute to laying the cornerstones of unification.
 
Choi Jong-jin, a senior official of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, said the upcoming tournament is more significant than ever, vowing to take part in the event with a sense of responsibility and a mission to hasten unification.
 
The delegation departed from Gimpo Airport at around 12:30 p.m. The football tournament will be held on Thursday and Friday.