| Organiser(s) | DPR Korea Football Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013; 12 years ago (2013) |
| Region | North Korea |
| Teams | 12 |
| International cup | AFC Challenge League |
| Current champions | Rimyongsu (1st title) |
| Most championships | April 25 (4 titles) |
TheHwaebul Cup (홰불,Torch) is an annualassociation football competition in men'sdomestic football inNorth Korea. It is organised by theDPR Korea Football Association, the governing body offootball in North Korea. The competition is held for Youth Day, 28 August, one of North Korea's major holidays.[1]
Beginning in July or August, the competition proceeds in two stages. The first stage consists of the teams divided into two groups playing in a single round-robin basis,[2] with the winner and second-place team of each group advancing to theknockout stage consisting of two semi-final matches and a final, which is played on 28 August of each year.[1]
All matches are played at one stadium inPyongyang, which varies year to year. In 2013 the matches were held at theKim Il-sung Stadium,[3] in 2014 atYanggakdo Stadium,[4] in 2015 atRungrado 1st of May Stadium,[5] in 2016 atSŏsan Stadium,[6] and in 2017 once again at Rungrado Stadium.[7]