Thirteen teams took part in the group stage, with seven in Group A and six in Group B.
Group A Group A was made up of
Hwaebul,
Kyŏnggong'ŏp,
Kwanmobong,
Wŏlmido,
April 25,
Amrokkang, and
Ryong'aksan. The group stage opened with a match between Hwaebul and Kyŏnggong'ŏp on 10 August. Hwaebul, considered heavy favourites at the start of the tournament, won with a convincing 3–0 score, going on to win their next three matches against Kwanmobong (5–0), Wŏlmido and April 25 (1–0). Ryong'aksan had started off with a 3–2 win over Kwanmobong, whilst Wŏlmido and Amrokkang drew 1–1 in their opening match. Hwaebul and April 25 went on to advance to the semi-finals.
Table based on known results. Known results Group B Group B included
Sobaeksu,
P'yŏngyang City,
Myohyangsan,
Ponghwasan,
Rimyŏngsu, and one other club. Rimyŏngsu had been tipped as favourites, but the opening match of the group, that they played against Sobaeksu, surprised observers with a 3–2 result in favour of Sobaeksu on 15 August. The group was topped by Sobaeksu and P'yŏngyang City, both of which had had two wins and two draws in their first four matches.
Table based on known results. Known results ==Semi-finals==