List of North Korean football champions

The North Korean football champions are the winners of the highest league in North Korean football, which is currently the DPR Korea Premier Football League.

Also listed here are the winners of North Korea's cup competitions (the Republican Championship, from 1972 to 2011, and the Hwaebul Cup from 2013 on), and the other annual league-like "Prize" competitions that North Korea's football clubs take part in (the Man'gyŏngdae Prize, the Osandŏk Prize, the Paektusan Prize, and the Poch'ŏnbo Torch Prize), which were used prior to the 2017–18 season to determine which teams played for the National Championship.

DPR Korea Football League

Technical Innovation Contests & National Championship

Season Champion Runner-up Third place
1960–1984 Unknown
1985[1] April 25
1986[1] April 25
1987[1] April 25
1988[1] April 25
1989[1] Ch'andongja
1990[1] April 25
1991[1] P'yŏngyang
1992[1] April 25
1993[1] April 25
1994[1] April 25
1995[2] April 25 Rimyŏngsu Kigwanch'a
1996[3] Kigwanch'a Rimyŏngsu April 25
1997[1] Kigwanch'a
1998[1] Kigwanch'a
1999[1] Kigwanch'a
2000[1] Kigwanch'a
2001[1] Amnokgang
2002[4] April 25 Rimyŏngsu Amnokgang
2003[1] April 25
2004[5] P'yŏngyang
2005[1] P'yŏngyang
2006[1] Amnokgang Kigwanch'a
2007[1] P'yŏngyang
2008[1] Amnokgang
2009[1] P'yŏngyang

DPR Korea Football League (Round-robin tournament competitions)

Highest Class Football League

Season Champion Runner-up Third place
2010[6] April 25 Sobaeksu Amnokgang
2011[7] April 25 Sobaeksu Amnokgang
2012[8] April 25 Sŏnbong Rimyŏngsu
2013[9] April 25 Man'gyŏngbong Hwaebul
2014[10] Hwaebul April 25 Amnokgang
2015[11] April 25 Hwaebul
2016[12] Kigwancha April 25 Amnokgang
2017[13] April 25 Hwaebul

DPR Korea Premier Football League

Season Champion Runner-up Third place
2017–18 April 25 Ryŏmyŏng Kigwancha
2018–19 In progress

Performance by club

Club Winners Runners-up Third place Winning seasons Runners-up seasons Third place seasons
April 25 17 2 1 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017 2014, 2016 1996
Kigwanch'a 6 2 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2016 1995, 2006
P'yŏngyang 5 1991, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009
Amnokgang 3 5 2001, 2006, 2008 2002, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016
Hwaebul 1 2 1 2014 2015, 2017 2013
Ch'andongja 1 1989
Rimyŏngsu 3 1 1995, 1996, 2002 2012
Sobaeksu 2 2010, 2011
Sŏnbong 1 2012
Man'gyŏngbong 1 2013

DPR Korea Football League (Elimination tournament competitions)

DPR Korea Championship

Held 1972–2011.

Season Champion Runner-up Third place Final score
1972–2000 Unknown
2001[1] April 25
2002–2003 Unknown
2004[1] P'yŏngyang
2005 Unknown
2006[1] April 25
2007[1] Amnokgang
2009[14] Kyŏnggong'ŏpsong Amnokgang 1-0
2011[7] April 25 Sobaeksu Amnokgang played as simple round robin[15]

Performance by club

Club Winners Runners-up Third place Winning seasons Runners-up seasons Third place seasons
April 25 3 2001, 2006, 2011
Amnokgang 1 1 1 2007 2009 2011
P'yŏngyang 1 2004
Kyŏnggong'ŏpsong 1 2009
Sobaeksu 1 2011

Hwaebul Cup

Played since 2013, evidently as a replacement for the Republican Championship in men's football.

Season Champion Runner-up Semi-finalists Final Notes
2013[9] April 25 Sŏnbong Amnokgang, Hwaebul 2-2 a.e.t (7-8 p)
Kim Il-sung Stadium 		Sŏnbong won, but match awarded to April 25 after it was deemed Sŏnbong had fielded an ineligible player.[16]
2014[17] April 25 Hwaebul ? 1-0
Yanggakdo Stadium 		Semi-finalists not known
2015[18] April 25 Kigwancha Kyŏnggong'ŏpsong, Wŏlmido 5-1
Rungrado 1st of May Stadium
2016[19] April 25 Hwaebul Kyŏnggong'ŏpsong, ? 2-2 (3-2 a.e.t)
Sŏsan Stadium 		Only one of two semi-finalists known
2017[20] Sobaeksu Ryŏmyŏng Hwaebul, Kigwancha 1-1 (2-1 a.e.t)
Rungrado 1st of May Stadium 		Hwaebul finished 3rd, Kigwancha 4th.

Performance by club

Club Winners Runners-up Semi-finalists Winning seasons Runners-up seasons Semi-finalist seasons
April 25 4 — 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 —
Sobaeksu 1 — 2017 —
Hwaebul — 2 2 — 2014, 2016 2013, 2017
Kigwancha — 1 1 — 2015 2017
Sŏnbong — 1 — 2013
Ryŏmyŏng — 1 — 2017
Kyŏnggong'ŏpsong — — 2 — — 2015, 2016
Amnokgang — — 1 — — 2013
Wŏlmido — — 1 — — 2015

Mangyongdae Prize|Man'gyŏngdae Prize

Season Champion Runner-up Third place Fourth place Final
2000[21] Rimyŏngsu
2001[21] Rimyŏngsu
2002[4] April 25
2004[22] Kigwancha
2005[22] Kigwancha
2006 Unknown
2007[23] Amnokgang
2008[24] Amnokgang
2009[14] April 25
2010[6] Rimyŏngsu Sobaeksu
2011 Unknown
2012[25] April 25
2013[9] Rimyŏngsu Amnokgang 2-1
Kim Il-sung Stadium
2014[10] April 25 Amnokgang Kigwancha Sobaeksu 1-0
Kim Il-sung Stadium
2015[26] April 25 Kigwancha Rimyŏngsu Sobaeksu 1-0
Kim Il-sung Stadium
2016[27] April 25 Kigwancha Ryŏmyŏng 1-0
Rungrado 1st of May Stadium
2017[28] April 25 February 8 Hwaebul Sŏnbong 2-0
Rungrado 1st of May Stadium

Performance by club

Club Winners Runners-up Third place Fourth place Winning seasons Runners-up seasons Third place seasons Fourth place seasons
April 25 7 2002, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Rimyŏngsu 4 1 2000, 2001, 2010, 2013 2015
Kigwancha 2 2 1 2004, 2005 2015, 2016 2014
Amnokgang 2 2 2007, 2008 2013, 2014
February 8 — 1 2017
Ryŏmyŏng — — 1 2016
Hwaebul — — 1 2017
Sobaeksu 3 2010, 2014, 2015
Sŏnbong 1 2017

Osandok Prize|Osandŏk Prize

Season Champion Runner-up Third place
2015[29] Hwaebul Kyŏnggong'ŏpsong Sobaeksu
2016[30][31] Hwaebul February 8[31]
2017[32] Hwaebul

Performance by club

Club Winners Runners-up Third place Winning seasons Runners-up seasons Third place seasons
Hwaebul 3 — — 2015, 2016, 2017
Kyŏnggong'ŏpsong — 1 — 2015
Sobaeksu — 1 — 2015
February 8 — 1 — 2016

Paektusan Prize

Season Champion Runner-up Third place Final
2007[23] P'yŏngyang Amnokgang Kyŏnggong'ŏpsong
2008 Unknown
2009 Unknown
2010[6] Rimyŏngsu
2011[7] Rimyŏngsu
2012[33] Amnokgang Rimyŏngsu Kigwancha
2013 Unknown
2014 Unknown
2015[34] April 25
2016[35] Hwaebul Sobaeksu P'yŏngyang 1-0
Sŏsan Stadium
2017[36] April 25 February 8 Hwaebul 1-0
Sŏsan Stadium

Performance by club

Club Winners Runners-up Third place Winning seasons Runners-up seasons Third place seasons
Rimyŏngsu 2 1 2010, 2011 2012
Amnokgang 1 1 2012 2007
P'yŏngyang 1 1 2007 2016
Hwaebul 1 1 2016 2017
April 25 1 1 2017 2015
Sobaeksu 1 2016
February 8 1 2017
Kyŏnggong'ŏpsong 1 2007
Kigwancha 1 2016

Poch'ŏnbo Torch Prize

Season Champion Runner-up Third place Final
2005[22] April 25 Amnokgang P'yŏngyang
2006[37] Rimyŏngsu ?
Hyesan Stadium[38]
2007[39] Kigwanch'a
2008 Unknown
2009 Unknown
2010[6] Sobaeksu P'yŏngyang Kigwancha ?
Kim Il-sung Stadium
2011[7] April 25
2012[25] Rimyŏngsu
2013[9] Hwaebul Kyŏnggong'ŏpsong Rimyŏngsu 2-1 a.e.t[40]
2014[10] April 25 Hwaebul Sobaeksu
or
| P'yŏngyang 		1-0
2015[41] P'yŏngyang Rimyŏngsu Wŏlmido
or
? 		2-1
Rungrado 1st of May Stadium
2016[12] Amnokgang Sobaeksu Kigwancha 2-1
Sŏsan Stadium
2017 Unknown Kim Il-sung Stadium

Performance by club

Club Winners Runners-up Third place* Winning seasons Runners-up seasons Third place seasons
April 25 3 2005, 2011, 2014
Rimyŏngsu 2 1 1 2006, 2012 2015 2013
P'yŏngyang 1 1 1 (+1) 2015 2010 2005, (2014)
Sobaeksu 1 1 (1) 2010 2016 (2014)
Amnokgang 1 1 2016 2005
Hwaebul 1 1 2013 2014
Kigwancha 1 3 2007 2010, 2016
Kyŏnggong'ŏpsong 1 2013
Wŏlmido (1) (2015)
* - Brackets indicate the club reached the semi-finals, but result of third-place match is unknown

References

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  3. ^ North Korea 1996
  4. ^ a b North Korea 2002
  5. ^ North Korea 2004
  6. ^ a b c d North Korea 2010
  7. ^ a b c d North Korea 2011
  8. ^ 제12차 인민체육대회 축구남자경기 개막
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