Han Kwang-song.

Cagliari

2017: Debut year

On 10 March 2017, Han signed a contract with Cagliari on youth terms, joining their Primavera 2 squad in the process. This signing made him the first Asian and North Korean player to play for Cagliari. Additionally, Han became the second North Korean player to join a Serie A club, following in the footsteps of Choe Song-hyok who had signed with Fiorentina the year prior. Initially, Han started earning the minimum federal income for training, which amounted to €1,500 per month and was required to go to Han's personal bank account. Concerns were raised by the Italian Parliament regarding the destination of this money, as there were suspicions that a significant portion of the salaries of North Korean workers abroad was funnelled directly to the North Korean regime. However, no action was taken in Han's case at the time. On his first day after arriving at Cagliari, he scored a hat-trick in a friendly training match, impressing the coaching staff who decided to promote him to the first team. Han went on to make three more appearances for the under-19 side in the Torneo di Viareggio before finally making his full debut on 2 April. He featured for the final four minutes of a 3–1 victory over Palermo, becoming the first North Korean player to compete in Serie A. A week later, in his second appearance, Han scored his first goal for the club, netting a 95th-minute goal past Joe Hart in a 3–2 away defeat to Torino; he became the first…

With the North Korea U16, Han won the AFC U-16 Championship held in Thailand in September 2014. He scored four goals in the competition, including the equaliser in the final which North Korea won 2–1 against rivals South Korea. On 6 June 2017, Han made his senior debut for North Korea, in a friendly against Qatar. He played in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, helping North Korea qualify to the final tournament. Han was called up for the final squad, playing against Saudi Arabia – against whom he was sent off – and Lebanon in the group stage. His first international goal came on 14 November 2019, in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Turkmenistan. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions in North Korea, their national team did not play a match after the 2022 World Cup qualifiers until the 2026 qualifiers in 2023. Han started in his nation's first game in a 1–0 loss against Syria. He scored a goal and provided an assist in a 6–1 win over Myanmar in the second game of qualifiers.

An ambidextrous player, Han's main characteristics are his dribbling, eye for goal and vision of the game.

Han Kwang-song was born on 11 September 1998 in Pyongyang, North Korea. He developed an early interest in football and attended the Pyongyang International Football School, a government-sponsored academy that trains young athletes and facilitates opportunities for overseas training. In 2013, as part of the North Korean U-16 national team, Han traveled to Europe for a training tour, including a stint at the Marcet in Barcelona, where he prepared for the 2014 AFC U-16 Championship. In 2014, Han returned to North Korea at Chobyong Sports Club before moving to Italy, joining ISM Academy in Perugia under a student visa. Due to FIFA regulations regarding underage players, he could not register with any Italian club at the time and focused on training and learning Italian. During this period, he was mentored by Mauro Costorella, a coach at the academy, who provided guidance and support. By 2017, Han attracted interest from European clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester City. After a meeting with Liverpool's chief scout, Barry Hunter, Han declined their offer and instead accepted an eight-week trial with Italian side Cagliari, advised by his agent and the ISM Academy's sports director.