DPR Korea League

DPR Korea League
Country North Korea
Confederation AFC
Founded October 1972
Number of teams 11
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to DPR K-League 2
Domestic cup(s) Republican Championship
International cup(s) AFC Cup
Current champions April 25 Sports Club
(2013)
Most championships April 25 Sports Club (14)
TV partners Korean Central Television [1]
2013 DPR Korea League

Highest Class Football League (Chosŏn'gŭl: 최상급축구련맹전; Hanja: 最上級蹴球聯盟戰) is the football league-system championship in North Korea.[2] The competition was founded in 2010.

Technical Innovation Contests (Chosŏn'gŭl: 기술혁신경기; Hanja: 技術革新競技) is also the football league-system championship in North Korea.[3] This championship is held in February, May and June.

Each North Korean football clubs are classified as 1st class (1급; 1級), 2nd class (2급; 2級) and 3rd class (3급; 3級).[4]

Because of this and the general unwillingness of the North Korean football system to follow general world player transfer rules due to the political system of the country, the DPR Korea League winners are generally not eligible for any Asian Football Confederation club competition. Were they are eligible they would be ranked for entry into the AFC President's Cup, to which, in 2014, North Korean teams were invited for the first time.

Clubs (2014)

Source: myfootballfacts.com [5]

The League history

Technical Innovation Contests

  • 2005 – Pyongyang City Sports Club
  • 2006 – Amrokgang Sports Club
  • 2007 – Pyongyang City Sports Club
  • 2008 – Amrokgang Sports Club
  • 2009 – Pyongyang City Sports Club

Highest Class Football League

  • 2010 – April 25 Sports Club
  • 2011 – April 25 Sports Club
  • 2012 – not known
  • 2013 – April 25 Sports Club

Source: myfootballfacts.com [5]

Performance by club

Club Winners Winning seasons
April 25 Sports Club 14 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2013
Kigwancha Sports Club 5 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Pyongyang City Sports Club 5 1991, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009
Amrokgang Sports Club 3 2001, 2006, 2008
Chandongja Sports Club 1 1989
Unknown 25 1960–84

External links

Footnotes

  1. 관심속에 벌어지는 최상급축구련맹전 1차경기. KOREA NEWS SERVICE(KNS). Retrieved on 2010-10-29.
  2. 이용웅교수의 북한문예산책. Nkculture.ac.kr. Retrieved on 2010-10-21.
  3. 북한의직업. Dprksearch.net. Retrieved on 2010-10-21.
  4. 5.0 5.1 World Leagues: North Korea Football Stats Myfootballfacts.com .