Han Kwang-song.

Club career 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.

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. 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 North Korean to score in Serie A. His impressive start in the first team led to a renewal four days later, earning his first professional contract with Cagliari until 2022, that was set to commence on 1 July 2017.

2017–2020: Loans to Perugia and Juventus On 7 August 2017, he was loaned to Serie B team Perugia. He debuted for the club in the Coppa Italia third-round game against Benevento, which Perugia won 4–0. On 27 August 2017, Han scored a hat-trick on his Serie B debut for Perugia in a 5–1 win over Virtus Entella. Han scored seven league goals for Perugia in 17 games during the 2017–18 season, before returning to Cagliari on 1 February 2018.

Han's first game as a starter for Cagliari, and in Serie A, came on 26 February in a 5–0 home defeat against Napoli. He played seven league games in the 2017–18 season. Initially unable to play due to an injury, Han scored his first seasonal goal against Ascoli in a 3–0 away win. He ended the 2018–19 season with four goals in 20 league games. The Serie A champions moved him to their reserve team playing in Serie C: Juventus U23. On 26 October, Han was called-up to the first team for the Serie A game against Lecce, becoming the first player from Asia to be called-up for Juventus. On 6 November, he converted a penalty to beat Alessandria 1–0 in a Coppa Italia Serie C match. That was his lone goal for Juventus U23 with the addition of two assists in 20 matches.

Al-Duhail On 2 January 2020, Juventus bought Han from Cagliari for €3.5 million, before selling him to Qatari side Al-Duhail six days later for €7 million. He made his debut for Al-Duhail in the Qatar Cup semi-finals on 10 January, in a 2–0 win over Al-Sailiya, coming on as a substitute for Edmilson Junior in the 83rd minute. He lost the final 4–0 to Al Sadd seven days later. Han made his Qatar Stars League debut on 24 January, in a 3–1 win over Al-Arabi.

Han's first goals for Al-Duhail came on 6 February, scoring a brace against Muaither in the Emir of Qatar Cup quarter-finals; his side won 4–0. On 11 February, Han debuted in the Asian Champions League against Persepolis, helping his side win 2–0. Han's first league goal came on 22 February, scoring the maiden goal of the match against Al-Wakrah. He scored in the following two consecutive games, on 27 February and 7 March, against Al-Shahania and Al-Sailiya respectively. Despite Han signing a contract with a Qatari bank that prevented him from sending money to North Korea, Al-Duhail was forced to terminate his contract in 2021 due to sanctions against North Korea preventing North Koreans from working abroad.

April 25 Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Han was reportedly unable to return to North Korea in 2021 and spent approximately two to three years stranded at the North Korean embassy in China. During this time Han trained alone to maintain his fitness and skills.

International career

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. 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.

Issues relating to North Korean sanctions Han's career has been heavily influenced by the politics of the North Korean government and international sanctions. He is unable to give interviews, and it was previously alleged that most of his salary was sent to the North Korean government. However, his contract with Al-Duhail reportedly prevented him from sending money to North Korea. Due to United Nations (UN) sanctions, which prohibit North Korean citizens from working abroad due to the country's nuclear programme, Han has been unable to play overseas since 2021. He had last been seen on 20 August 2020. He later represented North Korea in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Syria in 2023 after the restrictions were lifted, marking the country's first international match in years. Al-Duhail 2019–20 Qatar Stars League

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International

Honours Al-Duhail Qatar Stars League: 2019–20 runner-up: 2023–24

North Korea U16 AFC U-16 Championship: 2014