Korea DPR

Initially, all sports in the country were on an amateur basis with competitions called Technical Innovation Contests being held several times a year since the 1960s until 2009. Technical Innovation Games typically started in February each year.

In 1977, sport in the country was reformed, creating professional teams with paid players for each sport. Since then, an annual championship, called the National Championship, also known as the DPR Korea Championships, has been held September through each year.

Several other competitions held together with the National Championship each year include the Man'gyŏndae Prize held since at least 2002 in March through April in honour of Kim Il Sung's birthday, the Paektusan Prize held since at least 2010 in February in honour of Kim Jong Il's birthday, and the Poch'ŏnbo Torch Prize held since 2010 in May through June to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Poch'ŏnbo. The Osandŏk Prize competition, held in December in honour of Kim Jong Suk, was originally the primary tournament of North Korean ice hockey and other winter sports, but football was added in 2015. Hwaebul Cup was first held in 2013.

In 2010, football's National Championship was renamed Top Class Football League or Highest Class Football League, but was still held together with the National Championships of other sports, and the other football competitions of the year. This competition was last held in October 2017, after which it was replaced by the current DPR Korea Premier Football League held in the home-and-away round-robin style used in most other countries.

As of the 2017–18 season, featuring thirteen teams that play a full season of home-and-away matches. The 2018–2019 season started on 1 December 2018 and was scheduled to end October 2019.