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April 25

Full name	April 25 Sports Club
Founded	March 1947; 77 years ago (1947-03) July 1949; 75 years ago (1949-07) (as Central Sports Training School Sports Club)
Ground	Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, Pyongyang
Capacity	114,000
Owner	Ministry of People's Armed Forces
Chairman	Ri Mun-song
Manager	O Yun-son
League	DPR Korea Premier Football League
2023–24	1st of 12 (Champions)
Home colours Away colours

April 25 Sports Club (Korean: 4.25체육단, Sa io ch'eyuktan), shortly 4.25 SC, also known as April 25 National Defence Sports Club (4.25'국방체육단', Sa io "Kukpang ch'eyuktan"), is a multi-sports club based in Pyongyang, North Korea, primarily known for its men's and women's football teams. The club belongs to the Ministry of People's Armed Forces; all members of the professional teams (male and female) are considered officers of the Army.

History

The club was established in March 1947 or July 1949 as the Central Sports Training School Sports Club (중앙체육강습소체육단, Chung'ang ch'eyukkangsŭpso ch'eyukdan).

On 25 June 1971 or 26 June 1972, the club's name was changed to its current name; Kim Il Sung's anti-Japanese guerilla army – Joseon People's Revolutionary Army, considered the predecessor of the Korean People's Army, was formed on 25 April 1932. (Until 1977, the original KPA's official date of establishment was 8 February 1948. However, in 1978, it was changed to 25 April 1932. This change was reverted in 2018.)

The men's football team plays in the DPR Korea Premier Football League, and is the most successful club side in the country, having won 22 national championships. April 25's home stadium is the Yanggakdo Stadium. In international club competition, home matches are usually played at the Kim Il Sung Stadium. In 2015, April 25 achieved an uncommon feat, when both the men's and women's clubs won their respective national championships.

Confusion with February 8 Sports Club

February 8 Sports Club and April 25 Sports Club have many similarities, but the North Korean Ministry of People's Armed Forces operates both sports clubs separately. The 2017 editions of the Paektusan Prize and the Mangyongdae Prize were won by April 25 Sports Club, with February 8 Sports Club finishing in second place.

Rivalries

April 25's primary rival is Amnokgang. Amnokgang belongs to the Ministry of People's Security, and the professional rivalry between the Military and the Police carries over onto the sports field. There is also a strong rivalry with Pyongyang, known as "the Pyongyang Derby".

Continental history

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
1985–86	Asian Club Championship	Qualifying Tournament East Asia 1	Seiko	4–1	1–2	2nd
			Liaoning	3–1	0–0
1986	Asian Club Championship	First round group 7	Liaoning	0–0	0–1	0–1
1987	Asian Club Championship	Qualifying Round Group 5	August 1	0–2		3rd
			Hap Kuan	2–1
1988–89	Asian Club Championship	Qualifying Round Group 6	South China	3–0		1st
			Wa Seng	4–0
			Guangdong Wanbao	1–0
			Yamaha Motors	3–1
		Semi Final League Group B	Mohammedan	0–1		3rd
			Al-Sadd	1–2
			Al-Ettifaq	1–1
			Pahang FA	2–0
1990–91	Asian Club Championship	Qualifying Round Group 7	Nissan Yokohama	1–0		1st
			Liaoning	1–0
		Group B	Esteghlal Tehran	1–2		2nd
			Mohammedan	0–0
			Bangkok Bank	4–3
		Semi Final	Liaoning	0–3		—
		Third Place	Pelita Jaya	2–2 (6–7 pen.)		Fourth Place
1991	Asian Club Championship	Group B	Al-Hilal	0–2		3rd
			Esteghlal Tehran	1–1
2017	AFC Cup	Group I	Erchim	6–0	5–0	1st
			Kigwancha	2–2	1–1
		Inter-Zone Play-off Semi Final	Bengaluru FC	0–0	0–3	0–3
2018	AFC Cup	Group I	Hwaebul SC	1–0	2–0	1st
			Hang Yuen	5–1	5–1
			Benfica de Macau	8–0	2–0
		Inter-Zone Play-off Semi Final	Home United	9–1	2–0	11–1
		Inter-Zone Play-off Final	Altyn Asyr	2–2	1–1	3–3 (a)
2019	AFC Cup	Group I	Hang Yuen	5–0	0–3	1st
			Kitchee	2–0	1–0
			Tai Po	4–0	1–3
		Inter-Zone Play-off Semi Final	Dhaka Abahani	2–0	3–4	5–4
		Inter-Zone Play-off Final	Hà Nội	0–0	2–2	2–2 (a)
		Final	Al-Ahed	0–1

Honours

Domestic

• DPR Korea Premier Football League
  • Winners (21): 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23
  • Runners-up (2): 2014, 2016
• Hwaebul Cup
  • Winners (4): 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• Man'gyŏngdae Prize
  • Winners (7): 2002, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
• Paektusan Prize
  • Winners (1): 2017
• Poch'ŏnbo Torch Prize
  • Winners (3): 2005, 2011, 2014
• DPR Korea Championship
  • Winners (3): 2001, 2006, 2011

Continental

• AFC Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2019
• Asian Club Championship
  • Fourth place (1): 1990–91

Invitational

• DCM Trophy
  • Winners (1): 1972

Women's football

April 25's women's football team is one of the strongest women's football teams in North Korea; they have become national champions at least six times, in 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2015.

Other sports

In addition to football, April 25 participates in dozens of different sports, including athletics, ice hockey, basketball, volleyball, and handball.

Basketball

April 25 has fielded a basketball team. In May 2015, they came to Mongolia to assist in training the Mongolian national team as preparation of the latter's campaign at the 2013 East Asian Basketball Championship.

Ice hockey

April 25's ice hockey team won the national championship in 1989.

Volleyball

April 25 has both women's and men's volleyball teams. April 25 participated at the 2015 VTV International Women's Volleyball Cup, an invitational tournament in Vietnam. The North Korean club won the bronze medal defeating Vietnamese side, VTV Bình Điền Long An. Their player, Jong Jin Sim was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

Achievements

• VTV Bình Điền Cup: 1

Champions: 2015

• VTV International Women's Volleyball Cup: 2

Champions: 2008

Third place: 2015

See also

• North Korea
• Association football

• February 8 Sports Club

References

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23. List of winners and runners-ups of the DCM Trophy Archived 23 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine www.rsssf.com. RSSSF. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
24. Raunak, Majumdar (31 May 2019). "The DCM Trophy- Oldest Indian Tournament with International Exposure". chaseyoursport.com. Chase Your Sport. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
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27. "North Korean "April 25" Basketball Team to assist Mongolia's national team". infoMongolia.com. 7 May 2013. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
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29. ^ Hoang Quynh (31 March 2015). "North Korea's 4.25 dethrones Lien Viet at volleyball championship". Thanh Nien News. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
30. "Winners of "Spring Best" Open Volleyball Tournament". infoMongolia.com. 3 March 2013. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2015.

External links

• Kim Jong-il (1972). "On the Tasks Facing the April 25 Sports Team" (PDF). KFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2015.

v t e DPR Korea Football League clubs
DPR Korea Premier Football League (as of 2018–19 season) April 25 Amnokgang Hwaebul Jebi Kalmaegi [ko] Kyŏnggong'ŏpsong Kigwancha Pyongyang Rimyŏngsu Ryŏmyŏng Sobaeksu Sŏnbong Wŏlmido
DPR Korea Football League 2 and DPR Korea Football League 3 Chadongch'a Chagang Ch'andongja Ch'ilbosan Chobyŏng Ch'ŏngch'ŏn'gang February 8 Haebangsan [ko] Hambuk Hamhŭng Railway Hamnam South Hamgyong Hwangbuk Hwangnam Hwangryongsan Kaesŏng City Kangwŏn Kimjŏngt'ae Kwanmobong Maebong Man'gyŏngbong Myohyangsan Ponghwasan Pot'onggang P'yŏngbuk P'yŏngnam Rasŏn City Ryanggang Ryesŏnggang Ryong'aksan Ryongnamsan Sinp'ung Taedonggang Taeryŏnggang Taesongsan Tumangang Ŭnpasan Wangjaesan
College and university-affiliated clubs Central Sports College NHPCPE Kim Chol-ju Normal University Kim Il-sung University Kimchaek Industrial University Korea College of Physical Education P'yŏngyang Railway University
Defunct clubs Moranbong Rodongja

• Association football clubs established in 1947
• Association football clubs established in 1949
• April 25 Sports Club
• Football clubs in North Korea
• Multi-sport clubs in North Korea
• Football clubs in Pyongyang
• 1949 establishments in North Korea
• Military association football clubs in North Korea
• Military of North Korea