When you think of North Korea, there are a few things that may immediately come to mind: their heavy-set dictator Kim Jong Un, the country’s contentious nuclear weapons program, and even their severe food shortage problem. Outside of any military and political information, not too much is widely known about the North Korea. But there is one interest that is shared amongst many North Korean civilians and its leadership that has been made public for many years, and that is basketball.
Dennis Rodman’s infamous trip to the country back in 2013 and its subsequent documentary gave us some more recent insight as to the supreme leader’s fondness for basketball and for the 1990’s Chicago Bulls. However, there is information out there predating this event that shows how much the country loves the sport. So if Kim and his nation are such big fans of the NBA, then does North Korea have a league that is structured similarly to it? In today’s article, we will be reviewing North Korea’s basketball rules and how they compare to the NBA.
Does North Korea Have A Professional Basketball League?
Yes, although very little is known about it. The name of the league is the North Korean Basketball League (NKL) or the DPRK Basketball League. The league was created in 2002 and currently has 6 professional teams, which are listed below:
- April 25 Sports Club
- Amrokgang Sports Team
- Hwaebul Sports Club
- Kigwancha Sports Team
- Kyonggongop Sports Team
- Moranbong Sports Team
All of these teams are multisport clubs that typically represent different regions in the DPRK and are the faces of the government’s various ministries. Not too much information is available on these basketball teams, although we can assume that players from the country’s national team likely make up the starters for a few of these clubs.
North Korea Basketball League Rules
In the table below, we’ve listed out some of the rules in the North Korean Basketball League and how they compare to one’s practiced by the National Basketball Association. The rules were original published in articles by the Herald Sun and The San Diego Union-Tribune, but they have since been taken down. However, through the power of the internet, we are able to see The San Diego Union-Tribune’s post from 2006. This article claims that Chinese media outlet(s) originally reported some of the unique rules coming out of the DPRK, although they may have been changed since then.
| North Korea Basketball League Rules | National Basketball Association Rules |
| 8-minute quarters | 12-minute quarters |
| 24 -second shot clock | 14-second shot clock |
| Dunks are worth 3 points | Dunks are worth 2 points |
| 3-pointers are worth 4 points if they are nothing but net | 3-pointers are worth 3 points if they are nothing but net |
| A point is deducted if a player misses a free throw | No points are deducted for missing free throws (or any shots) |
| Games can end in a tie | Games will go into overtime until a winner is determined |
| Field goals are 8 points in final 3 seconds of the game | Field goals have their normal value in final 3 seconds of the game |