Naegohyang Women’s FC lifted the trophy thanks to captain Kim Kyong-yong’s goal just before half-time in the South Korean city of Suwon.
Women’s football is one of the DPRK’s strongest international sports, with their national sides regularly competing at the highest levels in Asia and globally.
Naegohyang’s win means they will appear in next year’s Fifa Women’s Champions Cup, which will feature teams from around the world.
Naegohyang, who were founded in 2012 and whose name means “My Hometown” in Korean, beat Suwon FC Women 2-1 in the semi-finals at the same Suwon stadium this week in a rare match-up.
The DPRK team edged Tokyo in a final that featured plenty of hard tackles but was played in a fair spirit.
The players hugged each other at the final whistle and coach Ri Yu-il sat on the bench and wept with joy.
Interest in Naegohyang’s visit to the South has been intense, and 7,087 general admission tickets for their semi-final against Suwon sold out within hours.
Tickets for the final were still available shortly before kick-off and swathes of empty seats could be seen in the stadium.
South Korean spectators, wearing sunglasses and caps under the sunny weather, beat traditional Korean drums while cheering for Naegohyang. (AFP)
