{{Infobox football tournament | logo = | organiser = {{nowrap|[[DPR Korea Football Association]]}} | founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2013}} | number of teams = 12 | region = [[North Korea]] | domestic cup = | confed cup = [[AFC Challenge League]] | current champions =[[Rimyongsu Sports Club|Rimyongsu]] (1st title) | most successful club = [[April 25 Sports Club|April 25]] (4 titles) | website = | broadcasters = | current = [[2022 Hwaebul Cup]] }}

The '''Hwaebul Cup''' (홰불, ''Torch'') is an annual [[association football]] competition in men's [[Football in North Korea|domestic football]] in [[North Korea]]. It is organised by the [[DPR Korea Football Association]], the governing body of [[football in North Korea]]. The competition is held for Youth Day, 28 August, one of North Korea's major holidays.<ref name="naenara-18754">{{Cite web |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=18754 |title=Hwaeppul tipped to win namesake tournament |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-date=2018-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228100726/http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=18754 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Competition format== 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,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=20745 |title=First-division Hwaeppul Cup goes on |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-date=2018-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228161457/http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=20745 |url-status=dead }}</ref> with the winner and second-place team of each group advancing to the [[knockout tournament|knockout stage]] consisting of two semi-final matches and a final, which is played on 28 August of each year.<ref name="naenara-18754"/>

==Venues== All matches are played at one stadium in [[Pyongyang]], which varies year to year. In 2013 the matches were held at the [[Kim Il-sung Stadium]],<ref name="rsssf">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nkor2013.html North Korea 2013]</ref> in 2014 at [[Yanggakdo Stadium]],<ref name="nkagg">{{Cite web |url=https://nkaggregator.com/2014/08/28/final-game-of-soccer-tournament-for-torch-cup-held/ |title=Final Game of Soccer Tournament for Torch Cup Held &#124; North Korea Aggregator |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228161616/https://nkaggregator.com/2014/08/28/final-game-of-soccer-tournament-for-torch-cup-held/ |archive-date=2018-02-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> in 2015 at [[Rungrado 1st of May Stadium]],<ref name="naenara-20800">{{Cite web |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=20800 |title=Hwaeppul Cup premier league finals draw to a close |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-date=2018-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228100642/http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=20800 |url-status=dead }}</ref> in 2016 at [[Sosan Stadium|Sŏsan Stadium]],<ref name="naenara-22741">{{Cite web |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=22741 |title=Hwaeppul Cup men's premier soccer tournament ends |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-date=2017-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228134024/http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports |url-status=dead }}</ref> and in 2017 once again at Rungrado Stadium.<ref name="naenara-24921">{{Cite web |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24921 |title=Sobaeksu lifts Hwaeppul Cup |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-date=2017-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009093613/http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==List of champions== *[[2013 Hwaebul Cup|2013]]: [[April 25 Sports Club|April 25]]<ref name="rsssf"/> *[[2014 Hwaebul Cup|2014]]: [[April 25 Sports Club|April 25]]<ref name="nkagg"/> *[[2015 Hwaebul Cup|2015]]: [[April 25 Sports Club|April 25]]<ref name="naenara-20800"/> *[[2016 Hwaebul Cup|2016]]: [[April 25 Sports Club|April 25]]<ref name="naenara-22741"/> *[[2017 Hwaebul Cup|2017]]: [[Sobaeksu Sports Club|Sobaeksu]]<ref name="naenara-24921"/> *[[2018 Hwaebul Cup|2018]]: [[Ryomyong Sports Club|Ryomyong]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2019/201908/news06/20190806-10ee.html|title=Men's Soccer Tournament for Torch Cup|website=[[Korean Central News Agency]]|date=6 August 2019|access-date=3 September 2019|archive-date=23 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191123232655/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2019/201908/news06/20190806-10ee.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> *[[2019 Hwaebul Cup|2019]]: [[Ryomyong Sports Club|Ryomyong]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2019/201908/news30/20190830-04ee.html|title=Ryomyong Team Wins Torch Cup|website=[[Korean Central News Agency]]|date=30 August 2019|access-date=3 September 2019|archive-date=23 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191123234845/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2019/201908/news30/20190830-04ee.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> * [[2022 Hwaebul Cup|2022]]: [[Rimyongsu Sports Club|Rimyongsu]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Men's Soccer Tournament for Torch Cup Closes |url=http://www.kcna.kp/en/article/q/8ec910f5df28ac6566758171b021c2b3.kcmsf |access-date=27 November 2022 |work=[[Korean Central News Agency]] |date=2022-08-29}}</ref> * [[2024 Hwaebul Cup|2024]]: [[April 25 Sports Club|April 25]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Soccer Tournament for Torch Cup Closes |url=http://www.kcna.kp/en/article/q/2b9cc24f4b9bfa08344a46f21f12292d.kcmsf19da36.kcmsf |access-date=5 October 2024 |agency=Korea Central News Agency |date=29 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240829104800/http://www.kcna.kp/en/article/q/2b9cc24f4b9bfa08344a46f21f12292d.kcmsf |archive-date=29 August 2024}}</ref> - Clinched [[2025–26 AFC Challenge League]] Qualifying Play-off spot. But they can participate the competition only if they obtain the club licence from the [[Asian Football Confederation]]. *[[2025 Hwaebul Cup|2025]]: [[Amnokgang Sports Club|Amnokgang]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Soccer Tournament for Torch Cup Closes |url=https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1756460434-148243621/soccer-tournament-for-torch-cup-closes/ |website=KCNA Watch |publisher=[[Korean Central News Agency]] |date=29 August 2025 |access-date=31 August 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829120000/https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1756460434-148243621/soccer-tournament-for-torch-cup-closes/ |archive-date=29 August 2025}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}} *[https://worldfootballindex.com/2017/06/north-korea-football-jorn-andersenn/ The Chosun Jørn: Can Jørn Andersen Make Sense of North Korean Football?]

{{HwaebulCup}} {{Football in North Korea}} {{National football Cups (AFC region)}}

[[Category:Hwaebul Cup| ]] [[Category:Men's football in North Korea]] [[Category:Football competitions in North Korea]] [[Category:Men's national association football cups in Asia|North Korea]] [[Category:DPR Korea Football Association competitions]] [[Category:2013 establishments in North Korea]] [[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2013]]