April 25 Sports Club (, ''Sa i o ch'eyuktan''), or 4.25 SC for short, or sometimes April 25 National Defence Sports Club (4.25'국방체육단', ''Sa i o ch'eyuktan "Kukpang ch'eyuktan"''), is a

multi-sports club A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...

based in P'yŏngyang, North Korea, primarily known outside of North Korea for its men's and women's football teams. The club belongs to the

Ministry of People's Armed Forces The Ministry of Defence (, formerly 인민무력성/人民武力省 or Ministry of the People's Armed Forces) is the government agency tasked with general administrative and logistical coordination of the Korean People's Army (KPA). Prior to 1992, ...

; all members of the professional teams (male and female) are considered

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

s of the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

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 name was changed to its current name;

Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

's anti-Japanese guerilla army – Joseon People's Revolutionary Army, considered the predecessor of the

Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) is the military force of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). Under the ''Songun'' policy, it is the central institution of North Korean society. Currently, WPK General Sec ...

, was formed on 25 April 1932. (Until 1977, the original

KPA KPA may refer to: * Keele Postgraduate Association, Keele University, UK, formerly Keele Research Association (KRA) * Kensington (Olympia) station, London, England, National Rail station code * Kenya Ports Authority * ''Kiln phosphoric acid'', a ...

's official

date of establishment An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints. ...

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 The DPR Korea Premier Football League is a North Korean association football league that serves as the top-tier of the North Korean football league system. As of the 2017–18 season, featuring thirteen teams that play a full season of home-an ...

, and is the most successful club side in the country, having won 22 national championships. April 25's home stadium is the

Yanggakdo Stadium Yanggakdo Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located on Yanggak Island in Pyongyang, North Korea. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 30,000 people and was opened on 18 May 1989. In addition to the main foo ...

. In international club competition, home matches are usually played at the

Kim Il-sung Stadium Kim Il-sung Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea. The stadium is used primarily for association football matches. History Kim Il-sung Stadium was originally named the Girimri Stadium (기림� ...

. In 2015, April 25 achieved an uncommon feat, with both the men's and women's clubs winning their respective national championships.

Confusion with February 8 Sports Club

February 8 Sports Club February 8 Sports Club () is a North Korean multi-sports club. History Being established in 1959, the club belongs to the Ministry of People's Armed Forces. The club name originated from the Korean People's Army's (KPA) date of establishmen ...

and April 25 Sports Club have many similarities, but the North Korean

operates both sports clubs separately. The 2017 editions of the

Paektusan Prize The Football at the Paektusan Prize Sports Games is an annual association football men's competition in Multi-sport event - Paektusan Prize Sports Games in North Korea, organised by the DPR Korea Football Association The Democratic People's Re ...

and the

Mangyongdae Prize The Football at the Mangyongdae Prize is an association football competition held for professional teams in Multi-sport event - Mangyongdae Prize Sports Games in North Korea. The competition is named after the Mangyongdae settlement, where Kim H ...

were won by April 25 Sports Club, with

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 A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

and the

Police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

carries over onto the sports field. There is also a strong rivalry with

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...

, known as "the Pyongyang Derby".

Current squad

Continental history

Honours

Domestic

** Winners (19):

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

, 2017–18, 2018–19 ** ''Runners-up (2):''

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

* Hwaebul Cup ** Winners (4):

* Man'gyŏngdae Prize ** Winners (7):

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

** Winners (1):

Poch'ŏnbo Torch Prize Football at the Pochonbo Torch Prize Sports Games is an annual association football men's competition in Multi-sport event – Pochonbo Torch Prize Sports Games in North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Ko ...

** Winners (3):

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

DPR Korea Championship DPR Korea Championship (Democratic People's Republic of Korea Championship, Chosŏn'gŭl: 공화국선수권대회; Hanja: 共和國選手權大會) is a multi-sport event in North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Rep ...

** Winners (3):

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

Continental

AFC Cup The AFC Cup is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Under its current rules, the competition is played primarily between clubs from nations that did not receive direct qualifying s ...

** ''Runners-up (1):''

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

Asian Club Championship The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition ...

** Fourth place (1): 1990–91

Invitational

DCM Trophy The Delhi Cloth Mills Trophy, known simply as D.C.M. Trophy, was an invitational football tournament in India. It was held annually in New Delhi and was organised by the local Delhi Football Association. It was India's first football tournament ...

** Winners (1): 1972

Women's football

Female Football 2007 Military World Games

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 Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

, and

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

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 A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...

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 Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

. 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:

VTV International Women's Volleyball Cup The VTV International Women's Volleyball Cup is an international volleyball tournament for women organised by the Volleyball Federation of Vietnam (VFV), and sponsored by Vietnam Television (VTV). The cup was established in 2004 and held every yea ...

: 2 :: Champions:

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

:: Third place:

Gallery

425SG.svg, Former crest of the club

References

External links

* {{DPR Korea League Association football clubs established in 1947 Association football clubs established in 1949 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