Han Kwang-song.
Who was Han Kwang-song.?
North Korean association football player who plays as a forward and has represented his country in international competitions.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Han Kwang-song. (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Han Kwang-song, born on September 11, 1998, in Pyongyang, North Korea, is a professional footballer who plays forward and has played for the North Korea national team at both youth and senior levels. He gained international recognition with his performances for North Korea's youth team, especially at the 2014 AFC U-16 Championship. He scored four goals and played a key role in helping his team win the title, including scoring the equalizer in the final against South Korea.
In 2017, Han signed with Italian Serie A club Cagliari, becoming the first North Korean footballer to play in Italy's top league. He made a quick impact by scoring on his debut, which secured him a professional contract with the club. He later went on loan to Perugia and Juventus U23, continuing to advance his career in Italian football. His time in Italy was a first for a North Korean player competing at such a high level in European club football.
In 2020, Han moved to Qatari club Al-Duhail. However, UN sanctions on North Korea created major legal issues regarding his work abroad. There were claims that some of his earnings went to the North Korean government, which would violate UN sanctions. Although his contract with Al-Duhail reportedly aimed to prevent such issues, the sanctions eventually led to his contract ending in 2021. Han was stuck in China due to North Korea's COVID-19 border restrictions, spending a long time training alone at the North Korean embassy in Beijing before he was able to return home.
Han made his senior international debut in 2017 and helped North Korea in their campaign to qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. He scored his first senior international goal in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Turkmenistan. North Korea's withdrawal from international football from 2021 to 2023, due to the country's tight COVID-19 rules, kept him out of competitive matches for an unusually long time. Once back in North Korea in 2023, he rejoined domestic club April 25 and returned to the national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.
Before Fame
Han Kwang-song grew up in Pyongyang at a time when North Korea had a modest but competitive presence in Asian football. The country had qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 1966 and occasionally fielded strong national teams. This gave young players like Han a structured, state-directed path into professional football. His talents were spotted through the national youth system, and he climbed through age-group teams until European scouts noticed him.
At the 2014 AFC U-16 Championship, just 15 years old, Han scored four goals as North Korea won the title, beating South Korea in the final. This performance caught the attention of clubs outside Asia, and within three years, he moved to Cagliari in Italy, starting a career path that was unprecedented for a player from his country.
Key Achievements
- Won the 2014 AFC U-16 Championship with North Korea, scoring four goals including the final's equalizer against South Korea
- Became the first North Korean footballer to play in Serie A, signing with and debuting for Cagliari in 2017
- Scored on his Serie A debut, earning a full professional contract with Cagliari
- Contributed to North Korea's qualification for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup
- Scored his first senior international goal in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Turkmenistan
Did You Know?
- 01.Han scored the equalizing goal against South Korea in the 2014 AFC U-16 Championship final, helping North Korea claim the title.
- 02.He became the first North Korean player ever to appear in Serie A when he debuted for Cagliari in 2017.
- 03.After his contract with Al-Duhail was terminated due to UN sanctions, Han spent an extended period training alone at the North Korean embassy in Beijing while unable to cross the border home.
- 04.Despite scoring on his debut for Cagliari, Han's path in European football was repeatedly complicated by geopolitical factors rather than performance issues.
- 05.North Korea's self-imposed COVID-19 isolation meant Han went without competitive international matches for approximately two years while stranded abroad.