Naegohyang Women's Football Club (Korean: 내고향 녀자축구단) is a North Korean professional women's football club from Pyongyang.[1] The club was founded in 2012 and competes in the DPR Korea Women's Premier League, the top division of women's football in North Korea.

Naegohyang
Full nameNaegohyang Women's Football Club
Founded2012; 14 years ago (2012)
Head coachRi Yu-il
LeagueDPR Korea Women's Premier League

History

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Naegohyang was founded in 2012 and won its first championship in the 2021–22 season.[2] The team won its second title in the 2023–24 season, which qualified them for the inaugural 2024–25 AFC Women's Champions League as direct entrants to the group stage; however, they withdrew before the draw.[3] Their first international appearance resulted in an 11–0 victory over Laos's Master FC.[4] They are currently coached by Ri Yu-il, who has also coached the North Korea women's national team.[4][5]

Naegohyang participated in the 2025–26 AFC Women's Champions League. On May 23, 2026 Naegohyang faced Tokyo Verdy Beleza for the final and won 1–0. This gave them the right to represent Asia in the 2027 FIFA Women's Champions Cup.[6][7]

Players

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Current squad

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As of 25 August 2025

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  PRK Kim Kyong-rim
2 DF  PRK Yu Il-hyang
3 DF  PRK Ri Kum-hyang
4 DF  PRK Ri Myong-gum
5 DF  PRK Ri Sin-ok
6 FW  PRK Song Sun
7 MF  PRK Pak Hyon-jong
8 MF  PRK Kim Song-ok
9 MF  PRK Pak Son-a
14 MF  PRK Choe Kum-ok
15 DF  PRK Ri Hyon-gyong
16 FW  PRK Ri Yu-jong
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 FW  PRK Kim Kyong-yong
19 MF  PRK Ri Su-jong
22 DF  PRK Pak Hyo-son
25 MF  PRK Min Kyong-jin
30 GK  PRK Ri Rim-ye
31 FW  PRK Jong Kum
32 MF  PRK Ri Yong-gyong
33 FW  PRK Kim Un-ju
34 FW  PRK Pak Ye-gyong
MF  PRK Kim Hye-yong
FW  PRK Jo Kuk-hwa
GK  PRK Pak Ju-mi

Coaching history

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Continental record

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Season Competition Round Opponent Score Result
2025–26 AFC Women's Champions League Group D Laos Master 11–0 1st out of 4
Bhutan RTC 7–0
Chinese Taipei Kaohsiung Attackers 5–0
Group C Japan Tokyo Verdy Beleza 0–4 2nd out of 4
South Korea Suwon 3–0
Myanmar ISPE 3–0
Quarter-finals Vietnam Hồ Chí Minh City 3–0
Semi-finals South Korea Suwon 2–1
Final Japan Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1–0

Honours

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Domestic
International

References

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  1. "A North Korean Soccer Team Makes a Rare Visit to South Korea".
  2. Ahn, Yoon-seok (15 October 2022). "북한 여자축구경기 '내고향' 팀 창단 10년만에 우승" [North Korea women's football team 'Naegohyang' wins championship 10 years after its founding.]. spnews.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  3. "女子ACL優勝チームの賞金獲得総額は2億円超!! 北朝鮮勢ら参加22チームも明らかに". gekisaka.jp (in Japanese). 14 June 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Group D: Naegohyang Women's FC (PRK) 11-0 Master FC (LAO)". Asian Football Confederation. 25 August 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  5. "Tough domestic league behind North Korea's football success". Kyodo News. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  6. "President Lee Jae Myung Congratulates North Korean Champions". The Chosun Daily. 2026-05-23. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  7. "DPRK club Naegohyang wins AFC Women's Champions League title". Xinhua. 23 May 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  8. Ahn, Yoon-seok (12 February 2025). "북, 2024년 10대 최우수선수·감독 선정". spnews.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 26 August 2025.